The perfect method part 2

[Austin]

Something stuck with me the last time I posted about the fact that I wanted to write my own method eventually. "What more could be said on the topic?" I don't think much more could be said on the topic however, The structuring of everything could be done a bit better I think. Right now it seems like Bradbury's method has this gigantic wall of difficulty that you have to get past that starts around sidewalks of New York on page 35. I think it's trying to make music that's too comprehensive rather than making simple exercises. I know there are a ton of those as well, but those aren't very musical. It may first seem that these two statements are contradictory. Not enough sight reading exercises that are comprehensible pieces of music, and too many comprehensible pieces, but I think the difficulty curve is just too steep. I remember when I first started the mountain polka I could memorize in a week but the sidewalks of New York I still haven't been able to memorize or even play through fully after going past page 59. Maybe that's a skill issue, but nevertheless I think it points to an issue that it's introducing way too much way too quickly. Let's look at another example, The caissons go rolling along, it's in cut time. In my eyes, it's way too soon to introduce a beginner to that. That's what I can bring to the table, simple musical etudes that slowly increase in difficulty. Arrangements just do not make the greatest etudes for learning. Instead etudes need to be crafted with a specific lesson in mind. It seems like Bradbury did this at a surface level, but I think he sacrificed alot of The beginner's ability to learn by using arrangements to get his points across. Just my thoughts on the matter as a beginner using this book.

[Austin]

Fair enough. I looked at Parke Hunter's scale exercises, they are good for teaching the standard scales, but they're just a representation of the scale rather than interesting pieces in their own right. Has anyone done a melody made of scales both up and down?

Joel Hooks said:

I just feel like you are leaping to conclusions before you have worked through all that is available. 

Sort of like when you told us all that you were going to work out a system of using 5 fingers which would be better than anything we do.

Austin said:

I just feel like they could be more than just a run-up the scale and then back down. Douglas actually taught me a pretty good one for the left hand. What he calls triangle shapes up the neck. 

[Austin]

I noticed that as well. The bass string is very important to the overall tone.

Jody Stecher said:

About elevated bass: When the 4th string goes up to D it generates different overtones than it did when tuned to C. These overtones, also called "upper partials", color the sound of the notes played on the higher strings. This happens when the well-tuned 4th string just sits there untouched. Providing tone color is one the functions of the low string of any stringed instrument.     So gDGBD is not only a device for ease of fingering. It is also a way of providing a particular resonance.  This can be verified by playing a  G major scale in gCDGD and then again in gDGBD. The tone color is noticeably different. A worthwhile experiment:  try playing the same G scale with no 4th string at all (loosen the tension or try this when changing strings).  The best banjo in the world will sound comparatively insipid and lacking character without the support of the overtones of the 4th string.

Joel Hooks said:

I call much of this stuff "short pieces" for lack of a better term.  Usually, two parts (though sometimes 3) and fairly easy. 

When presented as part of a well graded method book I consider them "etudes" (also lack of a better term) even if they are common pieces (such as Rattlesnake Jig, Green Corn, Spanish Fandango, &c).

I use this stuff as personal entertainment. 

Then there are the lesson based pieces.  I regularly review these things.  It might be a waste of time, but I feel like these lessons provide me with something.  Drilling down on exercises based around octaves has allowed me to stop raising the bass for pieces marked as such. 

I often do "reps" as, I do with dumbbells, 1 set of ten scale exercise from Parke Hunter, 1 set of ten random Trinkaus RH pattern study, Harmonics and Octaves study from Harry Turner-- all warmed up and ready to go.  

Since this is a hobby for me, it has to be entertaining or I won't do it.  All the stuff I work on is amusing, even the lesson based exercises. 

[Banjowaif]

You could make the basic scale exercise more interesting or, perhaps more importantly, more beneficial by varying the rhythm, focusing on tone or dynamics, missing out every other note, up 3 notes back down 2. I am sure there are others who can chip in with other variations.

Austin said:

Fair enough. I looked at Parke Hunter's scale exercises, they are good for teaching the standard scales, but they're just a representation of the scale rather than interesting pieces in their own right. Has anyone done a melody made of scales both up and down?

Joel Hooks said:

I just feel like you are leaping to conclusions before you have worked through all that is available. 

Sort of like when you told us all that you were going to work out a system of using 5 fingers which would be better than anything we do.

Austin said:

I just feel like they could be more than just a run-up the scale and then back down. Douglas actually taught me a pretty good one for the left hand. What he calls triangle shapes up the neck. 

[IAN SALTER]

Take the Morley or Bradbury book, start with the last exercise and corresponding tunes and then work your way through to the first exercise. It may prove to be challenging enough for you now, but with perseverance it will get easier.

[Joel Hooks]

Frankly, I'm not sure what you are after Austin.  There will not be any etude or exercise that will magically flip the switch on any problem you are trying to correct.  Nor will any be a shortcut to proficiently. 

Really, you should just use them to learn basic skills and reading and then focus on full compositions.  I find exercises most beneficial for right hand alternate fingering.  In that case, running up and down the scale is exactly what is needed played with a metronome.  Then move to playing full published pieces.

If you work through them then you won't need them anymore. 

If you don't like any of the classic banjo compositions then perhaps you should turn to an instrument that you do like the music of, or that you could study at a university along with composition classes and then you could compose your own for the banjo once you develop the skills to clearly convey musical ideas.