Good Practice

Last night, I had one of the best practice sessions I've had in a long time. Practice sessions like these are few and far between for me, but every so often, perhaps once every 3 or 4 months, everything comes together just right. I had good tone, (imagine that, good tone from a banjo) good timing, and my fingers were very comfortable for a change. Oh, how I wish I could have more days like this. I was working on two tunes, when all of this good fortune occurred - Amanda Jewel by Ricky Skaggs and Banjo Boy Chimes by Bill Keith.

I had probably been practising for at least one and a half hours before I was politely asked if I would stop. It was after all, midnight, and the rest of my family was retiring for the evening. So, I stopped, but I didn't want to - I was on a roll! I really can't complain - my family is very supportive of my musical endeavours, especially my wife, Helen. So supportive is she, that every time I say I'd like to have a new Jim Mills model Huber banjo, (approximately $5400.00 CAD right now, with our dollar equal to .89 USD) she says "you should order one." And she is serious, she's not just saying it to make me feel good. If only I had $5400.00!

Amanda Jewel is primarily a mandolin tune that Ricky Skaggs wrote for his daughter on the occasion of her high school graduation. My son is working on the guitar breaks, and of course, I am working on the banjo parts. That leaves room for a mandolin player who likes a challenge and a fiddle player to complete the tune. Any takers?

Banjo Boy Chimes is a banjo instrumental written by Bill Keith, the mastermind behind the Keith banjo tuners with adjustable stops. Bill is a great banjo player, mostly known for his melodic style. Banjo Boy Chimes doesn't use the adjustable tuners, it's just one of those catchy tunes that makes you want to learn it, so I'm giving it a whirl.