Importance of Practicing and My Practice Techniques

Well, the last time I wrote was during Wintergrass when I picked out which bands I thought would be the best to see. I have been incredibly busy since that time, playing baseball for Woodinville High School, keeping up my challenging schoolwork, and trying to find time to practice banjo. It has been pretty hectic! I was trying to think of something to write here for this blog, and decided to write about my practicing techniques. If you ask any of my brothers, they will tell you that I can practice one lick continuously for more than a half hour, if it is needed. So as you can tell, I love practicing.

I usually start off my practice with a Scruggs-style tune like “Down the Road” and just mainly work on my tone, note spacing, and accenting. I try to play around with the tune, and try to find different Scruggs sounding ways to play the song, while still staying close to the melody. I might do another song like that, and then start practicing my single-string techniques.

I have lately been working very hard at that particular skill. What I try to do is start by playing some of the classic Don Reno single string patterns like this:

--------------------------7--9--7--9--10--9--7---
-------------------7--8----------------------------8-
-----------7---9--------------------------------------
-7--8--9---------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------

That particular lick is a moveable lick, which means that you can play it out of any D-chord shape. It is a very useful lick, and really improves your finger dexterity. I usually start this lick at the first fret then move it up one fret at a time until I am as high as I can go on the fretboard. I then go the opposite direction back down the fretboard. I try to keep my picking as clean as possible.

 Last fall, I attended a guitar workshop that Ron Block, banjo/guitar player for Alison Krauss & Union Station, was teaching. One of the topics he discussed was how to make your playing as clean as possible. One of the techniques he talked about was trying to sustain the notes by holding them down as long as possible before you have to move your fingers. It was quite interesting, and seems to work pretty well.

Next, I usually work on my melodic licks. This is probably the area I need to develop the most in, so I work for a long time on it. I practice playing fiddle tunes, and try to find new licks. I am trying to be as smooth as possible when I play melodic things.

After that, I work on learning new material. This could be writing a new song, working from tab, or using the Amazing Slow Downer to learn something by ear.

Then, with my remaining practice time, I usually just explore the fingerboard. Exploring the fingerboard means just messing around with notes, trying to find new, interesting, and original phrases on the banjo. I like that part of practice a lot, because it enables me to come up with my own style of picking.

Well, that about does it for this time. I hope I have shared some interesting things about my practice habits.  And I hope non-pickers haven’t become too bored with this blog that probably had absolutely nothing to do with them. But, maybe this blog can actually be applied to other lives besides just those of banjo players. Yes, just give me a minute to think up how………. Maybe two minutes…….. 

Comments

[Alicia]

So did you ever come up with a how your licking habits would apply to those who don't play the banjo?

[Katie Ross]

I guess he didn't. :D

[Sally Hess]

What are "licking habits?" And why do banjoists have this habit?

[Alicia]

See Clayton you put the word lick in a blog and no one really sees any other words but taht one...I think he probably just doesn't know what to say at this point :)