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What makes a good banjo player? Absolutely, a player
must:
- Play in tune
- Play with great rhythm and timing
- Play from the heart with feeling. Control tone
and volume and use those effectively. Make the
banjo sing and ring.
- Play tunefully, and demonstrate originality
- Continue to develop and improve
What makes music tuneful and original? This goes
to the basics of what music is, these three elements
all at work:
- Melodythe most communication
in music comes from making melodies. The melodies
need to come from somewhere, go somewhere, have substance,
and like speech, have a message to send to the listener.
- Rhythmthe basic pulse and a variety
of rhythms andsolid steady timing give music its
heartbeat and pace, from blisteringly fast to slowlyflowing.
This is what will set feet to dancing or tapping,
hands clapping, or your body jumping or swaying
in a slow waltz, or swooning in a pleasant groove.
Closely tied to feelings from the melody.
- Harmonyall the
supporting notes. Whether chords or just single
notes one after another, they come from the way
the melody progresses and they are the background
and framework that melodies come from. Some harmonies
are known as "counterpoint",
where two or more independent melodies work together
beautifully. Other harmonies can be drones, while
others, like singers, make beautiful blendings
with many parts. This is known as "Polyphony",
each part a melody of its own working, from two
to seven or more parts.
How can you become a good or great player? How can
you get satisfaction and results? Whether you want
just to have fun and learn only at the most basic level
or whether you want to become a master of your instrument
and a world class professional, everyone starts at
square one.It takes many years to master the banjo.
The practice and performing hourshave to be invested.
The audience could span from just yourself to huge
audiences.
If we're
smartand use our time well learning, playing and
practicing, and get all the help we can from moreexperienced
musicians, listening and learning from the many personal,
audio and visual sources available these days, our
music will be more much more fun to play, reachothers
and bless them, and fulfill our greatest hopes and
potential. Life can and will be better!>
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