For/to help beginners/improvers indulging in deliberate practice to improve their banjo playing. An open group.

88 Members, Created 11/6/2017 -

Administrators: AndyW (owner) , Boadicea , WayneConrad

Beginners of all skill levels

From WayneConrad on 12/2/2017 7:36:46 AM

The Practice Group is demonstrating that that very diverse players can help each other to learn the banjo.  It doesn't seem to matter what style we play or what skill level we are; we still get support and inspiration from each other.

One of the themes of The Practice Group is that all of us learners, no matter what our skill level, are beginners.  The only differences we have are what we are a beginner at.  One is a beginner at bluegrass rolls, another at making closed chord shapes.  This one a beginner at singing while playing, that one a beginner at playing fiddle tunes.  But the act of being a beginner, of being frustrated at slow progress or elated at a breakthrough, that's the same for all of us.  We can learn from the way each other practices, and gain moral support from others sharing our journey.

The value of that moral support shouldn't be downplayed.  It takes dedication to learn to play a musical instrument.  None of us goes on this journey unless we are compelled to do so--it's too much work for someone who is only mildly interested in it.  But even though we were all strongly motivated to start this journey, and it has many rewards, it is a long and sometimes difficult road.  It is good to give support to someone having a rough spot, or to get that support from others.  And seeing how others are progressing on their journey is strangely inspirational.

I say "strangely inspirational" because I would not have thought that inspiration could occur between players who were so different.  But I see beginners being inspired by novices, and intermediate players inspired by beginners.  Bluegrass players are inspired by clawhammer players, and so on.  So what we have in common as learners appears to be stronger and more important than the differences in what skill or level of skill we are learning.

The experience of learning, of being a beginner at something, is common to all of us.  It draws together otherwise very different players.  That's neat.

7 Comments
	Judith511 says: 12/2/2017 9:20:48 AM I am so glad I found this site. I have gotten so much out of it and there is so much content. Hopefully soon I will get up the nerve to post a video. :)
	WayneConrad says: 12/3/2017 4:58:34 AM @Judith511 you could take a little step and make a video but without any intent to post it. Kind of like writing a letter you don't intend to send, right?
	AndyW says: 12/3/2017 11:55:45 AM Practice is nothing without motivation to indulge in it. The groups, blogs, and forums on BHO help a great deal, especially for some of us who are learning only from books and don't receive instructor motivation.
	Judith511 says: 12/3/2017 3:20:10 PM Motivation is a big thing. It is hard to stay motivated when you have no one to talk to or compare notes etc. That is why this forum is so great.
	Judith511 says: 12/3/2017 3:20:46 PM Wayne Yes I will do that...make a few before I post anything.
	StuartJohn says: 12/10/2017 4:59:16 AM Where I live the Banjo is not a very common instrument to play at all, and I think its hugely underated here. Most folks are playing guitar, and nearly everyone is playing them at open mics and acoustic get togethers among other stuff. I play acoustic guitar a little, but since discovering the Banjo I've played nothing else. For me the Banjo is the instrument I want to be part of for the rest of my life, I've connected with its sound, tone and the music attached to it so much nothing else comes close. There are no local meets in my area and Bluegrass is not particularly popular. I've started to use Band in a Box 2017 for my backup tracks and find it an extremely useful tool thanks to its ease of use and the realistic real tracks. I do feel like I'm playing 'in' a band rather than to a backing track. This is dramatically improving my technique and improvisation. I agree its great to be part of this group, and to BHO in general, so much so I'm thinking about joining the players union and contributing to the group and the forum more. SJ.
	WayneConrad says: 12/10/2017 7:01:11 AM @StuartJohn -- Welcome, I'm glad you're here. It's the same here: The Open Stage I go to is dominated by guitar players. Actually, that's kind of cool: to stand out as a guitar player in a crowd of guitar players takes some doing. To stand out as a banjo player in a crowd of guitar players, all you have to do is play the banjo at all. Even people who like the guitar a lot like something a little different now and then. Thank you for the tip about Band in a Box 2017. I look forward to reading more about your practice and your progress.
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