Sometimes it's great being a teacher

[jimk]

I just had one of those evenings that make it great to be a teacher. My 8:00 PM banjo student shows up as usual, and we dispense with the chit-chat. And he starts out this cool little fiddle tune. And I'm thinking "Good, he's exploring some of these things on his own." And we get to the hard part, and I show him a couple licks. Then we back up and play the whole tune together. And he shows me an alternate lick. Cool, I tell him. I like that. (Note to self: steal this lick.)

Then I ask him if he got around to playing a tab I handed out to him. "No, not much."

OK, I think to myself, he really did a good job on that other tune. Then he says, "But you know, one of my room mates and I were playing some Beatles songs, and there is this one...." and he launches into it. [I wish I could remember what the title was. It wasn't one of their big hits; one of the inner cuts from an LP from about '65, or maybe '66] He gets this big grin on his face and he says "The chords work out real nicely."

Impressed with his independence and self direction, I comment "And you know another one that works?" And I launch into "I've Just Seen a Face."

"Oh yeah," he says. "We played that one, too." And we spent the ballance of the lesson time working out that song. What a great student. This kid's gonna be a heckuva banjo player. Shoot, he's already pretty darned good.

Life is good.

JimK

[rickboy88]

Cool - banjo stuff! I've had one for at least a year now, but haven't been too serious about it. My main instruments are trombone (bass & tenor) and bass guitar in that order. I'm more "ear" tilted with bass guitar. I guess banjo would be #3. I love their sound though. Maybe your email will help to kick start me. My approach so far has been to try and learn the rolls with the main 3 "starter" chords. I've really gotten to like bluegrass related music more in the past 1 1/2 years or so.

I went to a masterclass of a well known symphonic bass trombonist recently, and he always asked the students "how do you think you did?" after they played. Apparently his teacher did the same thing to him. It is a good idea. It helps to make the student more self critical of their playing. It is always good to realize when intonation is bad on a note (trombones have no frets), when sound could be better, etc. Knowing what you aren't doing that well is really the only way to make those things better. Sounds like a great student.

[jingle_jangle]

I've Just Seen a Face--on banjo...I wonder if JL is exhaling yet somewhere in the Great (Yoko-less) Beyond...

[jimk]

It sounds better IMHO played clawhammer style, than in the Scruggs style....more folk-like, sorta like I imagine skiffle sounded like 50 years ago.


JimK

[ram]

James, one of those 'Hey Cool' moments... very good indeed! Exploring all music on all instruments - I love it. The way it ought to be. Is your student aware of Bella Fleck and the Fleck Tones?

[jimk]

I'm not sure. I'll have to ask.

JimK