my banjo name is 'Lil Catfish Edwards
If I get asked any question more often than "what the hell are you wearing?" I would say it has to be, "Hey, how are those banjo lessons going anyway?"
Yes, I am learning the banjo. I am taking a course every wednesday night, along with five other of the hippest people in Calgary. Which includes two old men, a somewhat neurotic plump housewife and a brother/sister duo who have Goodtime banjos, which look like they are made out of balsa wood.
The style of banjo I am learning is called Clawhammer. It differs from Bluegrass in the respect that instead of using finger picks to pick out of a lot of little notes, you hold your hand in a grim arthritic rictus position to strum and pluck between each note. So in short, your hand is the clawhammer. Perfect for when I am older and suffering from the rheumatiz.
So far I'd say I'm doing pretty well, although I seem to be having "practice issues". I'm not the slowest in the class but we are all having our overall-clad butts kicked by the brother/sister team, who keep being sent to the other end of the room so their awesomeness does not discourage those of us still trying to perfect our lobsterlike hand position.
Housewife, to me: "Gosh, they're doing well, aren't they?"
Me (loudly): "I think, at this point, it's pretty clear those guys are total nerds"
I tried to stay on the remedial side of the classroom for as long as possible, where the chord changes are slow and we get to play "Micheal Row the Boat Ashore" in an endless and relaxed way. However last week my teacher promoted me rudely to the keener side and I'm now trying desperately to keep up. I immediately suffered a crisis of confidence...
Me: "I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, but this doesn't even sound like Oh Susanna."
Teacher: "Oh, I see what the problem is..."
Me: "I have the wrong tuning, don't I?"
Teacher: "Actually we're playing Cripple Creek."
Oh.
I better play more, or I'll never pass the exam. Which is of course playing dueling banjos against the teacher while standing in a tub of mud and chewing on a stem of wheat.
Yes, I am learning the banjo. I am taking a course every wednesday night, along with five other of the hippest people in Calgary. Which includes two old men, a somewhat neurotic plump housewife and a brother/sister duo who have Goodtime banjos, which look like they are made out of balsa wood.
The style of banjo I am learning is called Clawhammer. It differs from Bluegrass in the respect that instead of using finger picks to pick out of a lot of little notes, you hold your hand in a grim arthritic rictus position to strum and pluck between each note. So in short, your hand is the clawhammer. Perfect for when I am older and suffering from the rheumatiz.
So far I'd say I'm doing pretty well, although I seem to be having "practice issues". I'm not the slowest in the class but we are all having our overall-clad butts kicked by the brother/sister team, who keep being sent to the other end of the room so their awesomeness does not discourage those of us still trying to perfect our lobsterlike hand position.
Housewife, to me: "Gosh, they're doing well, aren't they?"
Me (loudly): "I think, at this point, it's pretty clear those guys are total nerds"
I tried to stay on the remedial side of the classroom for as long as possible, where the chord changes are slow and we get to play "Micheal Row the Boat Ashore" in an endless and relaxed way. However last week my teacher promoted me rudely to the keener side and I'm now trying desperately to keep up. I immediately suffered a crisis of confidence...
Me: "I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, but this doesn't even sound like Oh Susanna."
Teacher: "Oh, I see what the problem is..."
Me: "I have the wrong tuning, don't I?"
Teacher: "Actually we're playing Cripple Creek."
Oh.
I better play more, or I'll never pass the exam. Which is of course playing dueling banjos against the teacher while standing in a tub of mud and chewing on a stem of wheat.
posted by Idoru at 1:26 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home