Guess what...

...Joe bought me for a surprise.

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No, really.... you have to guess before I tell you.

Here's your first hint... It's part of the reason I haven't been spending much time at the computer lately.

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Ok, that probably wasn't a very good hint.

Here's another one... Can you guess what it is now?





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Probably not... I'll give you one more hint.

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Give up?

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Yep, he bought me a banjo!

I've loved plinking (plunking?) around on my guitar so much that when a guy at his work decided to sell off some older instruments he had, Joe picked up this banjo for me...

I've always loved the happy twang of banjo music. (I also love the melancholy drone of bagpipes... I guess I have no taste in music at all!)

Joe got the banjo restrung, and the bridge reworked, and it sounds great. I haven't been able to find a beginning banjo book at the music store I usually shop at, but I can pick out the beginning of the "Deliverance song" (Which is no great feat because I think everyone who was alive in the 70's must have that tune hardwired into their brain...), and (thanks to the internet) I've learned a few chords, and am working on learning the "alternating thumb roll".

I can tell it's going to be slow going... in part because I probably shouldn't practice much during my favorite practice time...when the kids are asleep (it's much louder than the guitar and would wake them up), but also in part because my fingers are so easily confused and tied into knots... especially when the left hand is supposed to be doing something totally different from the right!

I'm having fun though, and love my new "toy"...

Well, I'm off to Amazon now to find a book that will teach me some of the basics of playing the banjo.