I must say that this has been a stress filled evening. Little did I know that I have a habit of picking up my banjo, sitting on the floor and ripping through some fast banjo tunes when I’m stressed (my wife pointed this out).
I guess you could say that this is a good form of stress relief for me. There’s just something about picking the banjo that tends to lighten your day. It has a cheerful soothing affect.
One of my favorites is to play through every version of Cripple Creek that I can come up with. You’d be surprised how many different variations of that song that you can create if you just let your mind drift a bit.
It’s interesting to me how the most creative music (banjo breaks) come from the most challenging times in life. If you encounter a lonely, stressful, exciting, or scary time in life just pick up your banjo and see what you can come up with. You might be surprised to see what kind of music is inside you.
Do you pick your banjo when your stressed?
What’s your favorite time to be creative on the banjo?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I play very often when I am stressed or upset about something. I usually play Cripple Creek, then Cotton Eyed Joe, and finally just work on every roll pattern/chord change I know. I usuallly play untill I can’t remember what roll I am trying to do or remember what I am doing(playing a song or practicing a roll). This helps me relax & cool down.
I think I am causing the stress when I play Cripple Creek over and over again I seem to be a bit Stuck on it.Just starting to learn foggy mountain Breakdown though the should ease some the stress in the house cause I will be able to play two tunes then
I too find playing the banjo is a great stress reliever. Primarily I think it’s because banjo takes your mind off of all the stuff that’s stressing you. It helps produce some endorphins too because it’s fun to play. Any how. Stressed? Pick a bit.