Banjos and Boomers

By Randy Torno.

In my practice as a videoconference music instructor on Banjo, Guitar and Mandolin three quarters of my students are adults. Most are returning to or starting to learn an instrument they have always loved. Once the first few exhilarating weeks pass, when they realize that THEY can make music on these wonderful instruments, and the realization of just how far they have to go, and how much work it will entail sets in, most of these students start to question the reality of what they have started.... how long will it take to become “GOOD”... how will I know when I am there? ...How much do I have to practice? Each of these can be answered by the same response.... what are your expectations? Some people are content if they can recognize the song they are playing as music.... some want to sound like Mr. Scruggs, Rice or Grisman. Most of us have lived in a goal-oriented era with a recognized end to a project in sight. There is no end in music. You NEVER get “there”. There is no such thing as “mastering” these instruments since the better you become the more there is to explore. Learning to play a musical instrument is blend of biomechanical and mental skills that involve BOTH the right and left sides of our brain. Not trying to sound mystical about it but music is a journey, not an end in itself. It is hard for most of us to realign our thinking about attaining excellence on a musical instrument, but it invariably happens. So what can we really expect as a beginning player later in life. Physical. Your hands will get sore. There is no easy way around this. You are asking your hand and finger muscles to do things they have probably never done before. Sore arms, fingers and wrists should never be debilitating and if yours are, you are practicing too much. Of course it doesn’t matter how much you practice if you are practicing incorrect bio-mechanical moves, that’s why I suggest consulting with a professional instructor, right at the start, even if only for a lesson or two. Sore fingertips are your personal badge of courage, Wear them proudly. Play through the pain. The more you play the tougher your fingertips will become and the pain will eventually subside. Your posture is very unusual when you are playing, although you may not realize it. Of course anyone with a 50-pound banjo ‘round his neck realizes it quickly enough but even the little mandolin puts you in a position that you are not used to. Practice in this new position for an hour or two and stiff backs and sore necks are common. How to avoid some of these complaints? First warm up before you play... even a couple of minutes of light stretching will help...and not just your fingers, hands or wrists but also flex your arms, shoulders and loosen up your back. Avoid sitting on a sofa that provides no back support or on a chair with arms where you have to sit in an unnatural way to avoid them. Sit up straight in an armless chair with good back support and don’t lean over your instrument. If you can see the fingerboard when you sit, you are leaning too far. Always wear a strap. Adjust it so that the instrument is in the same place on your body whether you are sitting or standing. Always alternate your practice time between sitting and standing (it’s good to get used to standing and playing anyway). Take short breaks during your practice when you remove the instrument shake out your hands and stretch a bit. Mental A lot of your accomplishments on an instrument depend on your goals and expectations. If you are constantly in a state of tension about your rate of progress, perhaps you are studying the wrong thing. The mechanical moves that you are learning will take a certain number of repetitions before you and your muscles have learned them. That’s just the way it is. Somewhere between here and that number of repetitions you will physically know it but your brain won’t believe it. One thing that few beginners understand is that your fingers have learned this stuff long before your brain accepts that fact. It’s kind of like golf in that the harder you try, the more pressure you bring, and the harder you press, the worse you will perform. Try not to make artificial goals for yourself because despite your most intense efforts it will still take your fingers a certain amount of time of actual playing before they memorize what you are asking of them. As an instructor I see progress week-to-week in almost all of my students, despite their complaints of not being able to practice enough and not really improving. When you are in the depths of learning an instrument you are not always able to judge your own progress. Trust your instructor to keep guiding you towards your goals. Practice slowly and with a metronome and concentrate on RELAXING. You can never play one of these instruments if you are tense, uptight and stressing about how you are playing. Relax... it’s supposed to be fun.... nobody expects you to be Mr. S... especially your instructor. The best advice I can give to an aspiring player is to listen to the music you are trying to play, but listen with an experienced ear. You are a picker now..... listen to what your instrument is doing and how it is fitting in to the band...don’t be discouraged by how good they are... learn from what they are doing....get the slow downer software (THE BEST THING EVER INVENTED) and listen to how they are playing at a speed you can understand. Most of all enjoy the process of learning to play the instrument and hopefully along the way you will become a complete musician. Randy Torno 4/15/07 www.musiclessonsource.com