That was the first banjo tune that really got me interested in trying to learn to pick a five string..... As usual, you knocked it out of the ball park....
that nice banjo is gonna catch fire!...never heard it faster, and still with clarity and precision. As a beginner, you inspire me, Sir. Which bands have you played with?...I wanna hear more!
Hey John, i'm just starting out on banjo. My hands are built like yours, so you inspire me. I figure, if you can reach the frets, so can i. Keep up the good work.
Dude you are sick! I don’t know if I want to keep playing or quit! I wish I could do your ‘sideways’ extended finger technique that you do with your right hand. I’ve tried it, but it doesn’t seem to work for me. Love your playing John!
Thanks Trenton! Really the only tip is to just wear them and then analyze where you stumble and determine why. Are they bent around your fingertips too much or not enough? When playing with picks, are you missing strings? Or hitting other strings? For me, I have to wear my index pick lower on my finger (the band is over my fingernail) and my middle finger pick I wear a little higher on my finger ( the bottom half of the band is past my fingernail). The reason is that my index finger is shorter than my middle finger and the way I hold my right hand, I have to wear the picks this way in order for the tips of the picks to be at the same distance from the strings. If I wore the index pick the same was as my middle finger pick, I would miss strings as the pick tip would be to high and not reach the strings. Also, I use the old National fingerpicks that are flat, so I twist my picks slightly so that the center of the flat blade of the pick strikes the strings and not the edge. Some picks like Dunlop are curved and help with that. However, even when I used Dunlops, I adjusted them so I would strike with the center of the pick blade. As to striking the strings, you want to strike the strings with the tip of the pick as best you can and as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. So when you put on the picks, place your right hand as you normally would and then rest all of your picks on the strings as if you were going to do a pinch. Then look and see how they are against the strings. If the pick is resting on the string high up on the pick blade closer to the hole punch, then maybe you need to push them up higher on your finger. Also, is the tip close to a 90 degree angle to the string. If not, then either bend the pick more or straighten it. My index finger pick is straighter than my middle finger pick because of the way my fingers and hand rest on the head. That's another thing. Your picks are extensions of your fingers. However you place your hand on the head determines how you much you bend or straighten your fingers in order to strike the strings efficiently. With picks on, you go through the steps above to get the ideal finger pick placement on your fingers for the best striking of the strings. When you take the picks off and play, you have made changes that require an adjustment to your hand and fingers. I'm sure you understand that practice of any skill develops "muscle memory". Most people remember how to ride a bike even after a period of time of not doing so because, once they have learned the skill, the body "remembers" what if feels like to ride a bike and the eyes "remember" what it looks like. So when playing without picks, you have developed a memory in your hand and fingers that is successful when you play. When you put picks on and try to play, you may stumble because your hand and fingers don't remember what it's like to play with picks and will have to develop a new "memory" for pick use. It's like taking the training wheels off a bike. You get used to training wheels and when they come off, you're a little shaky and may even fall until your body develops a new memory of riding without training wheels. I hope this helps.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 87 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องชัย vs โชคปรีชา"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YN6e7HVnekw/mqdefault.jpg)
This dude's gonna need the first ever water cooled banjo if he's not careful. I saw the whole smoking about halfway through.
I’ve never heard anyone play the harmonics so fast and clean!
Thanks Steve!
Nice one John some great chiming going on 👍
Thank you!
Ok, ok, this is an amazing recording. It would even be amazing at 10 or 15 beats per second less. It's musical, too.
That was the first banjo tune that really got me interested in trying to learn to pick a five string..... As usual, you knocked it out of the ball park....
William Evans Thanks Bill!
that nice banjo is gonna catch fire!...never heard it faster, and still with clarity and precision. As a beginner, you inspire me, Sir. Which bands have you played with?...I wanna hear more!
Thanks! I played with MillCreek, Atlantic Bluegrass and am currently with Penny Creek.
Absolutely brilliant...
Steven D Wilson thanks!
Pure Gold
Fast, clear, concise... creative.. that's incredible what you're doing there
Thanks!
Good grief, that is just terrific.
As always, I enjoyed this. Listened to it 4 times now. Always a new surprise in every song. I'm sharing to Facebook.
Brandon Lawson Thanks Brandon!
This is amaze me John.
Awesome..!!
You are doing great!!
Sam Banjo thanks!
Hey John, i'm just starting out on banjo. My hands are built like yours, so you inspire me. I figure, if you can reach the frets, so can i. Keep up the good work.
Thanks!
i would really love to know how you learned how to play like this
Great job!
Thanks!
Wooooo John I bet them strings had to be oiled and cooled down when you got done. Amazing man !!
***** Thanks Steven!
Um....The Grand Old Oprey is calling!!!!
Thanks!
Your awesome john.
Thanks Patrick!
Dude you are sick! I don’t know if I want to keep playing or quit! I wish I could do your ‘sideways’ extended finger technique that you do with your right hand. I’ve tried it, but it doesn’t seem to work for me. Love your playing John!
Thanks Paul!
Always the MASTAH! Wonering if you have any tips for using picks? I can use my fingers fine but stumble with the picks
Thanks Trenton! Really the only tip is to just wear them and then analyze where you stumble and determine why. Are they bent around your fingertips too much or not enough? When playing with picks, are you missing strings? Or hitting other strings? For me, I have to wear my index pick lower on my finger (the band is over my fingernail) and my middle finger pick I wear a little higher on my finger ( the bottom half of the band is past my fingernail). The reason is that my index finger is shorter than my middle finger and the way I hold my right hand, I have to wear the picks this way in order for the tips of the picks to be at the same distance from the strings. If I wore the index pick the same was as my middle finger pick, I would miss strings as the pick tip would be to high and not reach the strings. Also, I use the old National fingerpicks that are flat, so I twist my picks slightly so that the center of the flat blade of the pick strikes the strings and not the edge. Some picks like Dunlop are curved and help with that. However, even when I used Dunlops, I adjusted them so I would strike with the center of the pick blade. As to striking the strings, you want to strike the strings with the tip of the pick as best you can and as close to a 90 degree angle as you can. So when you put on the picks, place your right hand as you normally would and then rest all of your picks on the strings as if you were going to do a pinch. Then look and see how they are against the strings. If the pick is resting on the string high up on the pick blade closer to the hole punch, then maybe you need to push them up higher on your finger. Also, is the tip close to a 90 degree angle to the string. If not, then either bend the pick more or straighten it. My index finger pick is straighter than my middle finger pick because of the way my fingers and hand rest on the head. That's another thing. Your picks are extensions of your fingers. However you place your hand on the head determines how you much you bend or straighten your fingers in order to strike the strings efficiently. With picks on, you go through the steps above to get the ideal finger pick placement on your fingers for the best striking of the strings. When you take the picks off and play, you have made changes that require an adjustment to your hand and fingers. I'm sure you understand that practice of any skill develops "muscle memory". Most people remember how to ride a bike even after a period of time of not doing so because, once they have learned the skill, the body "remembers" what if feels like to ride a bike and the eyes "remember" what it looks like. So when playing without picks, you have developed a memory in your hand and fingers that is successful when you play. When you put picks on and try to play, you may stumble because your hand and fingers don't remember what it's like to play with picks and will have to develop a new "memory" for pick use. It's like taking the training wheels off a bike. You get used to training wheels and when they come off, you're a little shaky and may even fall until your body develops a new memory of riding without training wheels. I hope this helps.
Now thats the way it should be played i have it about half that speed Smoking the strings
Thanks!
Gosh you are so good
Devin DeChant thanks!
Yup..top notch..very much a professional:)
Nice picking!
Thanks Jerry!
WOW!!!!! earl scruggs the second right here folks.............
+Luke Graham Thanks Luke!
John Apfelthaler your welcome
😮 you're so good! please teach me!
+Hannah Elizabeth Thanks Hannah! Are you just starting out?
+John Apfelthaler I've been playing since April, but I know a few things ☺
Do a Dooley video
So good and creative! Thanks for posting!
Bryan Haywood Thanks Bryan!