Doing something because it's hard...not easy

In case some were wondering I am still plucking away on my Banjo "Lonesome". I'm learning a bit more every time I sit down with her. It has been a difficult yet interesting experience so far.

I'm coming at it from zero musical ability. I'm not even sure if I am doing anything right, I could even be tone deaf, I just don't know. The sense of satisfaction when I finally learn a lick or a short tune is good though and makes my happy. I know a bit of dueling banjos, I learned the G Lick enough to do it eyes closed and I know most of the rolls; finally cracking the secret of the alternating thumb roll last week made me ecstatic. If you understand what I just related you will find it very odd that I know the G lick yet don't know the very basic finger picking patterns. And that is why:

I need lessons. Even on my own I have had to beat out some bad habits that started almost immediately. One example is that I had read or heard that the little finger on the right hand should be anchored...well the bottom of the bridge seemed like a good place for the bugger to stay. Turns out that is wrong and will mute the full sound of possibilities. Trying to relearn what I had learned with a different little finger position set me back a long ways but its good now. I really do need lessons, scheduled one on one would be great but is impossible with my current job.

 I got a beginner lesson book when I bought Lonesome but found that it can only take me so far if I can't hear what it is supposed to sound like. My next source of learning material was Youtube, and that works to a degree, but little things such as exercises, proper hand position ect....are not always taught properly. Though there are some very good instructors on Youtube, what I have found was that most of the them will only show a little as an enticement to get me to buy a lesson or program. I ended up buying some online lessons. I settled on the Tony Trisckha School of Banjo. It is an online program that could take me from beginner to more advance playing if I wanted. It seems alright so far, there are video lessons with tabs, then when I feel up to it I can record my playing on webcam and have Tony or another teacher actually critique it and give me pointers on how to improve.

Of course as with anything worth doing well, it takes perseverance and practice to get better. That is what I am lacking the most right now and it is disappointing to me. I am happy in the sense that I have not given up, but there are gaps when I just don't pick Lonesome up enough, in my opinion.

As I sit here at work watching the equipment move dirt back and forth there seems like no time like the present to set a few more goals, so here s one: In 6 months I want to know a whole song...not some simple little tune, but a substantial song that shows some progression.