PEOPLE OFTEN COMMENT about their playing not improving and I always ask “Do you practise?” The reply is often “Well, yes, but I find it hard - I mean to, but it doesn’t work out, somehow.” So it’s to these people that the following notes are targeted:
Pat Cloud's 9 Rules Of How To Practise! 1. Pick up your banjo every day (Second and final part in Nov 99 issue
Instead of making promises to yourself that you cannot keep, pick up the banjo once a day whether you play it or not. Take it out, hold it, play one or two right hand patterns and then, if you have more pressing things to do, or you really don’t want to play right then, put it away! The idea is to have it in your hands touching it EVERY DAY! You can touch it two or three times a day if you want! Remember that two 15 minute “touching” sessions adds to a half hour. If you know you can’t do a regular practise session, then find five minutes to get it out touch it for that day, then put it back. Some people have an instrument stand so they won’t have to keep taking their banjo in and out of the case. There is a psychology here. The fact that you are at least making an effort in your own mind and not giving up to being complacent will help. The idea here is one day at a time. Surely you can be committed for 3-5 minutes on a single day? It won’t take you more than this to accomplish a connection on a daily basis. Pat Cloud 2. Get a calendar!
Preferably one with places you can write. This calendar is for keeping track of your practise habits. On it you can write what you practised or if you managed to pick up your banjo. Keep this calendar near to where you normally practise. When you touch your banjo (3-5 minutes), make a X on that day and note the time. When you sit down and play for more than 15 minutes make a check mark on the calendar (or any doodle you want). When you sit down for a half-hour or more make a star. Set yourself a goal of a minimum number of checks and stars for that month and write it on the calendar at the top. At the end of the month tally up to see if you met your goal. 3. Choose the right practise place.
One of the most important aspects of consistent productive practising is the environment in which you sit down with your banjo. It may not seem important at first. But think about it. If you have a spot where the “magic” is going to happen, it brings about a frame of mind which fosters consistency and purpose. If you have the space at home, make it as isolated from distractions as possible. If that is not currently possible, then a chair and a desk will have to do. If you have a music stand and metronome, great! Have your practise calendar where you can see it. You might also surround the area with pictures of your favourite banjo player in concert or photos of memorable times at festivals. Your banjo practise space might be an area at work where you are alone while everybody goes to lunch. Some people can make great progress during their half hour lunch break. The point is to make it your area and time in which you will build your understanding and skill daily. If you are a person who has a less flexible job routine precluding practise at work during lunch, decide whether it would be most beneficial to practise before or after work. Working an hour a day into your daily routine is the goal. If you are tired after work, it’s hard to get motivated. If you have a chance to relax after a day’s work, then a great time to practise is while dinner is cooking or after dinner. You don’t really want to see all the bad news anyway. Replace it with some banjo time. 4. Repetition!
Every fingering problem bows to repetition. Slow down to a crawl and study whether your finger habits are correct for that phrase. Playing something purposely slow to see where you are having problems and keeping aware of the chord changes as you gradually increase speed is mindful practise. If a portion of a song is giving you problems and is slowing you down, then isolate it for study. Play these trouble spots in repetition groups of ten counting each one only if you play it correctly. If you still can’t bring it up to speed after putting the passage back into context, then consider whether or not to alter the fingering or consult your teacher. 5. One phrase at a time.
Build your song or solo by starting with small portions and linking them together. The actual link or point at which you divided the exercise up for study needs proper attention to make the transition joining the two fragments smooth. You are constantly going for the whole picture. The sound naturally emerges as you increase speed. Never sacrifice timing or form for speed. Speed usually comes of its own as you gain familiarity. Try to convert the tab to sound and be guided by sound. 6. Know where you are.
Knowing where you are in relation to the whole song and knowing the chord you are playing over and where it changes is essential. Practising an exercise or solo includes knowing what chord you are on as you move in and out of it. If you are breaking up a piece for study by chord changes, then keep the chord sound in mind as you practise the lick or fragment over it. When playing the piece as a whole, you should be able to feel where the chord changes are. (Continued in Nov 99 issue)
That’s it for now - Part 2, dealing with solving fingering problems before speeding up, not biting off more than you can chew and using a tape recorder will be covered in the September edition of NWBN.Pat Cloud, White Mountain Publications, Bishop, California.
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1st July 1999
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