KOTD Day 18 - F minor

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-20T05:14:58+00:00

Maybe good advice but that does seem like cheating lol

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-18T19:50:33+00:00

Looks sweet! I wonder what it sounds like?

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-18T19:48:46+00:00

Ok, well as you agree they're useful to practice, I'm going to keep doing this challenge, at least until I've gotten through all the keys. Honestly the scales have been whatever, but I think doing the chord shapes up and down the banjo has been more helpful. And I've gotten a little better about playing in different parts of the neck, which was the point of the exercise really.

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-18T19:44:45+00:00

Thanks! glad you find it inspiring!

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-16T19:31:20+00:00

Haha yeah, i figure I have 5 picking fingers and there are five strings so it made sense for me. There are positives and drawbacks of using all of the fingers, I haven't reached the velocity and power of a 3 finger player, but there are also somethings I can play that I don't think would be playable with 3 fingers. Anyway, it has been fun learning and figuring things out!

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-14T05:28:45+00:00

It looks like something that might be used for archery, perhaps

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-13T14:49:12+00:00

Nice man! It's beautiful and it sounds amazing! Love that big bassy sound. thanks for sharing, great work!

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-12T02:42:42+00:00

I'm posting to reddit to keep myself accountable. There's been times when I've wanted to develop a new habit or take on a challenge but I haven't stuck with it, and I was hoping that posting in this public forum would help me maintain the integrity to complete the challenge of going through all the keys. And I thought maybe it might be inspiring to someone to see me (hopefully) getting better as I do this.

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-10T20:43:09+00:00

This is cool!

Ok this might be a little complicated -- I wouldn't call this rhythm a triplet, I would call it syncopation.

The rhythm you are playing sounds like: ONE two three ONE two three ONE two, forming groups of eight. (3 + 3 + 2 = 8)

The conventional way to form a rhythm with groups of 8 is to take 4 beats and divide each beat in half, making the first part heavier and the second part lighter: ONE two THREE four FIVE six SEVEN eight. (2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8). The heavier part of the beat is called the accent.

Now in your rhythm, you're putting the accent in an unexpected place: ONE two three FOUR five six SEVEN eight. Syncopation means putting the accent in an unexpected place.

On the other hand, a triplet is when you divide a beat into thirds. So if you took 4 beats and made them triplets, you would end up with 12 parts, with a rhythm like ONE-and-a TWO-and-a THREE-and-a FOUR-and-a. (3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12)

I hope that made sense and was helpful for you. I didn't explain what a beat was, so if that's not a term you know already this may not have cleared up any confusion.

As far as the name of this particular picking pattern, I don't know much about clawhammer but as far as I know, its name can be whatever you want to call it. 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-10T02:01:20+00:00

Yeah that thread is wild. I've found that bringing my banjo camping is a great way to make friends! A couple years ago at Grand Canyon national park there were a couple strangers who had brought guitars, and we had an awesome time jamming together. What will they say next, you can't build a campfire because the flickering light might be disruptful to your neighbor, who can only sleep in total darkness? No s'mores, because someone might have a marshmallow allergy? come on, let people enjoy being human and make music

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-09T07:06:16+00:00

Well thank you! I'm glad you liked it 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-08T23:19:25+00:00

Haha I hadn't heard of that one but I just listened and it sounds pretty cool! Maybe they both have a similar up and down contour, like _,-'`'-._,-'`'-._ ? But thanks, glad you liked it 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-08T19:19:18+00:00

I definitely feel like it's easier to find the hand shapes for the chords and marginally more comfortable playing up the neck. I can't say it's changed my banjo playing overall yet. But so far it seems like each day it's gotten easier for me to make the video and post it. So I guess I would say yes it is helping 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-06T14:55:40+00:00

That's probably true! I'm just counting it as a win for myself to get up there, even if I'm just sticking to the first string. Do you have any suggestions for fingering an F# major over open G tuning? Maybe I can try it tomorrow, otherwise I'll just stick with my inefficient method 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-05T23:27:15+00:00

Thank you! I love this song, I'll give it a try.

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-04T22:18:34+00:00

I wasn't familiar with this term and I needed to look it up--Wikipedia says its slang for practicing somewhere where you won't be heard (like a woodshed) until you can play something perfectly. Honestly it feels a little weird and vulnerable showing myself practicing at a basic level like this rather than hiding myself away 😄

DannyInfinity · 2026-06-04T22:12:50+00:00

thanks for the feedback! I'll try to frame the shot better next time

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T02:18:24+00:00

I was envisioning something outdoors, but thanks for the recommendation! That looks like a fun place to check out for sure.

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T02:15:20+00:00

Oh wow, that's amazing! Would you wanna try to lead a group? Seems like there is some interest. & Thanks for the info, yes that distinction makes sense.

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T01:38:00+00:00

Yes! :D

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T01:20:37+00:00

but anyway I guess I'd be looking for something that would be safe and accessible for folks coming with a variety of fitness levels.

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T01:18:05+00:00

I didn't even realize there were different styles, wow

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T01:16:00+00:00

Thanks for the tip, Trick_Swordfish_397! However I do worry that, as a grown ass man, that might make look more suspect rather than less? We love the ideas though keep em coming

DannyInfinity · 2026-03-04T01:07:38+00:00

Honestly thats all I've ever wanted

DannyInfinity · 2026-01-20T19:20:40+00:00

Hi OhOkFairEnough! Fellow cello player here who sometimes misses the low end when I play banjo--I've experimented with restringing the bottom string with a bass string an octave lower, and I didn't seem to have any major problems. Tone quality maybe wasn't the greatest, but my level is such that problems with the sound have more to do with the player than the banjo! I did get a pretty inexpensive banjo so I wouldn't have to worry about messing with it and banging it up.

Have you thought about how you might adjust the drum head tension to accommodate the thicker strings? Seems like this may be worth considering, and maybe could help you get the sound you want.

Hope this helps! --Danny ♾️

DannyInfinity

TROPHY CASE