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LIST OF 29 POSSIBLE PRACTICE GOALS
copyright Pete Wernick
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Let's
assume you have mastered the essentials of playing in time, in tune, and
changing chords at the appropriate time. Beyond these bare basics which
are generally agreed to be necessities of musicianship, "even experts
may disagree" over which musical qualities are most important to cultivate.
As a clear indication of this, the judging criteria of the many banjo contests
around the country are not at all standardized, and are sometimes hotly
debated. And of course, not all banjo playing can be judged by "contest"
criteria. There are skills that apply only to playing in a group context.
Probably the most complete and sensible set of contest skill criteria I've
yet seen was compiled by Rod Bellville for use at the First Annual Minnesota
Bluegrass Festival in 1978. I present it here as a starting point for a
list of valued musical qualities for you to check yourself against. By selecting
some areas you think are most important for you to address, you will start
the process that will help you set up a practice program for yourself that
will lead to your improving in those areas. Here are Rod Bellville's "Criteria
for Judging":
- Tone
quality.
- Delicacy
and finesse and sensitivity to the musical qualities of the tune.
- Time
and rhythm, i.e., playing in meter, not necessarily rigid, but flowing
and free from balkiness, clumsiness, and erratic unevenness. Credit
given to sensitive nuance of rhythm, syncopation. Music should not seem
stiff, jerky or mechanical.
- Dynamics,
use of loud and soft variation, interest and emphasis.
- Tuning
and playing in tune.
- Execution.
Relative freedom from mistakes, rattles, buzzing, scratchy or unpleasant
tone or sloppy playing.
- Originality
of interpretation and improvisation, pleasant and interesting, not shocking.
- Difficulty.
Credit shall be given for technical mastery.
- Comfortable
appearance on stage while performing, freedom from unpleasant gestures,
postures or expressions; showmanship.
- Effective
use of microphone. It is the contestants' responsibility to make their
performance clearly heard throughout.
This
list is pretty thorough for contest playing, but it doesn't cover some
areas which would certainly be considered part of what makes a "complete"
banjo player:
- More
repertoire (more banjo tunes, instrumentals in general, songs for which
you can play a solo)
- "Drive"
(volume, verve, authority)
- Ability to play in different keys (C, D, E, F)
- Ability to play in different tempos
- Ability to make up interesting solos
- Sing harmony parts
- Back-up skills
- Speed
- Ability
to learn new ideas more quickly (from tab, or other musicians or records)
- Recognizable style and sound
- More licks
- More knowledge of musical structures ("music theory")
- Improvisational
skills, spontaneous "thinking on your feet"
Rod
Bellville's list mentions "Difficulty... technical mastery".
This could be interpreted to imply mastery of a variety of difficult moves
or techniques. Some categories of challenging techniques:
- Melodic
style
- Single
string style
- Right
hand triplets
- Fancy
pull-offs
- Difficult
right hand patterns, such as backward rolls
- Incorporating
syncopations
This is a pretty long list of possible practice goals, and of course you can add anything else your heart desires (jazz, Irish tunes, D-tuner techniques, etc.). In time, hopefully, you may put in some work on all of the areas listed. But for the present, how do you decide on a few of the highest priority areas to concentrate on? Some of the choices will be determined by your goals as a banjo player. That is, with what kinds of players do you want to play, how formally or informally, whom if anybody are you trying to impress, and so forth. Since everybody wants to be "good" and to improve generally, which of the above goals, if you accomplish them, will do the most to make you more "good"? In whose eyes? Your fellow musicians? Contest judges? A potential girlfriend? A semi-knowledgeable bluegrass audience? Or just your own?
Everyone is likely to answer these questions a little differently. Give each question some thought and see what it implies for your learning priorities. Once you have your goals set and prioritized, you're in a better position to make meaningful progress.
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