I'm going to learn how to play the banjo

I come from a musical family. My mom is a professional flutist, dad plays the trombone, great grandmother played the piano for silent movies. Mom tried to get me into the groove. Piano lessons...fail. Clarinet lessons...fail. Even drum lessons...fail. As a kid, I never succeeded at anything that came to me difficultly.. As I grew up, I only did things I was naturally good at. It wasn't a few years ago, when I got my CCNA...and figured out how to think in BINARY for god sake, that I can do things that are hard. So now I've decided that I'm going to re-visit music. I'm going to learn the banjo and violin.

You know what they say about thinking in binaries. For every one person who can do it, there is an overflow of people who can't.

Cool! You're never too old to learn. You might not learn as fast as when you are a kid, but your work ethic, creativity and determination can more than make up for it.

I just ordered this one.

The Rogue B-30 is a solid choice. It's a good place to start, and will do you well up into the intermediate level. Good luck!

Good luck with the banjo Man Afraid of his Shoes

It arrived yesterday!

Pics when I figure out how to get the bridge installed.

Apparently because I clicked on the link, I'm now getting banjo advertising in the margins at TrekBBS.
Ain't the interwebz amazing.

Bridge installed. I had trouble with the bottom string. It kept slipping out of the notch. I confirmed that I didn't put it on backwards, so I took a knife and made the notch a little deeper. That seemed to fix it.

I downloaded a tuner app. It says I got it in tune, but it doesn't sound right to me. I'm not even sure I've got the right octave. One of my cousins plays banjo, so I'll probably take it to him.

I got the thumb pics, but the finger pics were on back order, so I haven't had a chance to master it yet.

you couldn't be off by an entire octave when you are tuning - you'd either break the strings by trying to tune too high or they would be flopping loose and you'd have fret buzz if you were tuning too low.

It's not too high then.

I would take it to your cousin - that way he can explain the entire process/theory and you won't mess up your strings or worse your banjo.

I finally got my finger picks. They were on back order.

And so it begins.

Cool!

Banjo strings are usually tuned the same as violas and cellos: CGDA.

I keep getting this song stuck in my head:

They say the violin helps you keep your chin up.

So when will you change your avatar to eating a cookie while holding a banjo in the shower?

Why the hell are ya posting at TBBS for?

Over THERE, they talk about Trek and sci fi. Then I come here to watch people verbally abuse each other over politics.

Day 7. I think I'm almost ready to start using my left hand.

Aren't you people born with one of those on your knee or something?

very good! Now try to work eating a cookie into the act! A shower would mess up your banjo so that would be silly.

I'm from North Carolina. Not Alabamy.

I know.

I think we're born with dulcimers on our knees.

Maybe zithers?

sounds uncomfortable, but it beats a grand piano I guess!

My Mom gave me her old Violin!

Now I can play the Banjo like Nigel Tufnel.