banjo blues
As of yesterday I decided to dedicate 15-20 mins of my day to finally learning how to play clawhammer on the Gold Tone open-back banjo I've owned for over two years. I'm slowly working my way through Cripple Creek phrase-by-phrase with the help of multiple YouTube tutorials. I'm slow, inaccurate with my strumming, and my fingers hurt from fretting, but I am seeing a little improvement already, and that's all I can ask for.
I don't know what drives budding musicians (can I even call myself that at this point?), but there is something that draws me back to practice. It has an addictive quality to it. My brain seems to enjoy playing the instrument, even if my hands complain. Something to note on this point: I'm so focused on what I'm doing that I don't have time to get trapped in my usual circular thought patterns. In that way, it's almost like meditation or exercise.
I have to grow my fingernails a little to assist in strumming. I've been a shameless nail-biter for years at this point, so it's going to be a hard habit to break.
I also desperately need a stand for the banjo. My last one is lost somewhere in the south of France and my hard-shell case is now home to a cellar spider. I can't keep just laying it down on the floor or letting it take up space on my bed.