Due to Technical Difficulties

This week, has unfortunately been the worst week for learning the banjo.  I kept pursuing the goals of one concept a week and a new song a week.  I continued to learn picking patterns and drilled those patterns for at least an hour.  So far I have greatly improved my picking skills on the banjo, which has helped me tackle those quicker and more difficult pieces on the banjo.  Banjo relies mostly on quick picking because of the simplicity of the chords in it.  In most cases the banjo is used to accent songs, not to play chords in a song.  As well as working on the one concept of the week, I learned a new song.  This week I learned the Cotton Eye Joe on the banjo.  It is a "classic" banjo song that everyone knows. This song went along with the picking exercises I have been learning because it mainly consists of a quick riff and some fast strumming.  I could hardly resist to do the dance as I went along. 

The biggest disappointment of the project so far has been what happened last Sunday night. I was planning and getting ready to have my  online Skype lesson with the youtube user happybanjodude.  I had everything set up, and was waiting eagerly for the video call.  After waiting for about 15 minutes, I received a message from him and got the bad news that his internet was down due to a power outage.  The lesson I could have had would helped me so much with continuing to increase my banjo skills, but it was not successful.  The worst part is that I won't be able to reschedule for a few more weeks.  I am still looking forward to the lesson, but this would have been the critical time to push me forward in the banjo learning endeavor. 

Despite these technical difficulties I have had some great success.  One of my big goals was to incorporate banjo in the final song on my upcoming album.  I started to write the banjo part to the new song and I am quite happy on how it is turning out.  The banjo riffs adds a lot of depth and variety to the song.  Writing a song with a new instrument is even more challenging than learning an instrument.  It has showed me a whole new side to the mechanics and theory of the banjo.  

One great addition to my banjo learning techniques has been books I have gotten as a present from my friend John Abrams.  For my birthday he gave me two books on the banjo.  One of the books was an overall banjo techniques encyclopedia and a Beatles song book on the banjo.  I plan to use these awesome books soon in my banjo learning process.  Thanks John!  See all of you next week!