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UK 5

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For 5 String Banjo Players based in the British Isles.

523 Members, Created 1/27/2011 -

Administrators: alfiedog (owner) , HSmith

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From conic on 2/3/2015 2:52:42 PM

Hello everybody, I live in the Blackcountry and have been 3 finger picking for a couple of years. I started with a 70 quid 5 string from a furniture shop in green lanes london and practiced for a long time not getting very far but then I got me a brand new Goodtime 2 and everything changed.

The Deering Goodtime is a fantastic banjo and I prefer it to the £2000 ones I have tried and would not change it for anything

I think the muscle memory and syncopation is more important than the banjo tone untill the playing comes as second nature with many hours of practice. I also got myself a USA brass bridge mute for late night picking.

After buying the Goodtime I completed a few of the free Rob Bourassa lessons and the world changed, he is a fantastic, no tab teacher.

So with Old Joe clarke, clinch mountain backstep, foggy mountain breakdown and his syncopation lesson under my belt I can pick away all day and night.

I then came across the Geoff Hohwald style and paid for and downloaded several of his lesson, he is another brilliant teacher , I have just completed sally goodin and its going great once it starts to swing.

What I need to do now is really learn all chord positions on the neck and find a way of taking licks from withing the songs i have learnt and mix them up whilst jamming.

That said I am in the right place on as a member of the hangout to keep improving.

big up

9 Comments
	alfiedog says: 2/3/2015 4:12:11 PM Welcome Conic :) Sound's like you are pretty good already mate :) Them Goodtime's are unbeatable Banjo's mate. I was thinking of swapping my Bowtie for one ( i cant resist the flat hook's, and cigar box finish) Suppose i will just have to dream......ah goodtime's :)
	gradelyduck says: 2/4/2015 3:23:45 AM Complete hi-jack of this thread: There used to be a sports bar in Boston Mass called Goodtimes. The huge hangar-like room was filled with tvs showing sports. There was also a batting cage and many games machines, driving, golf etc. and pool tables The bar was enormous and such culinary delights like pulled pork sandwiches served with grits were available. The barmaids wore their hair piled up, bouffant style and were called, Mary Anne, Sally Anne, Mary Lou etc. Ah Goodtimes.
	gradelyduck says: 2/4/2015 3:36:41 AM Sorry Conic. I meant to start with welcome to the hangout and UK pickers.
	alfiedog says: 2/4/2015 5:43:56 AM Let The Goodtime's Roll...:)
	Debs says: 2/4/2015 12:58:07 PM Welcome Conic :) I love my Goodtime Special, it's a great banjo!
	5stringJim says: 2/4/2015 1:45:39 PM Sounds like you are well down the road, Conic, and the realisation that your chords up and down the neck is your next step is bang on ! You are using all the right words in there, ie, syncopation and swing. Is that a Shoebill stork on your avatar ? Evil ba$ta4d's, aren't they ?
	conic says: 2/4/2015 2:28:21 PM Hello Alfidog, I will be good when the picking is clean and speed it up. Got the goodtime last year from Eagle banjos, I had to go back to get the nut sorted because the bottom string was too close to the edge and rolled off on a old joe clark 3rd fret pull off but other than that its outstanding. Hi Jim. It is evil looking, I thought is was a dodo but I just searched it and your correct, well spotted. Just now learning foggy mountain special before moving onto chords up and down the neck, there looks a whole toolbox of licks in this and strange picking patterns but its starting to come together. Some songs I could jam all day non stop.
	alfiedog says: 2/4/2015 2:50:02 PM Glad your enjoying it mate. That's quite a brave statement "I will be good" But cant knock confidence. Just a tiny tip learn your Chord's, up & down the Neck, before you take on Foggy Mountain Special. That Tune is a Real syncopated job full of little lick's, that really come in handy for Blue's style Tune's. It's a fantastic Tune but pretty tough :)
	tonytcc says: 2/5/2015 7:48:16 AM Welcome Conic, :)
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