Classic-Banjo
The perfect method part 2
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.
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:
yesterday
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.
yesterday
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.
22 hours ago