Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Banjo Lesson

I've had my new banjo for one week.  When it comes to banjo playing, I've learned, it's all about the rolls.  And "gettin' good" at playing the banjo means playing rolls very, very fast.  The roll is simply a pattern of strings plucked by the right hand over and over again.  The best comparison I can come up with is typing on a keyboard.  A fast typist rarely thinks about or looks at the keyboard as he is typing.  Playing the banjo is like typing without looking down.  (Shit, this could take years...)

Also, as I've been practicing rolls on the banjo (hopefully not to the chagrin of Lovely Lynette) I realized the calming meditative power of playing the banjo.  Maybe this is why bumpkins are so laid back.  Wearing overalls prolly don't hurt either - those things look hella comfortable.

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