Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?

Subject: Tech: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: wilco
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 06:42 PM

I seem to trade bad habits on this confouded, dadgum, sorry banjo. Now, I play with a thumb lead (picked) and one finger (middle) for a pinch style. I pull-up with the middle finger. I like it, but I can't get up any speed. is it possible to get any speed with this style?

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 07:08 PM

I know, have known, have listened too lots of 2-finger pickers. If they are any indication, the answer is "yes".

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Bobert
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 07:16 PM

Well, now I don't pick much banjo but I have a long history of pickin' thunmb and index finger, though I'd rather pick with the thumb and the index and middle for blues, but you can really get the thumb and index going and alternating while at it. I do my fake Leo Kottkee that way and some folks believe it.

Once you get it going, it just takes on a mind of its own...

Bobert

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Tweed
Date: 09 Apr 03 - 07:32 PM

Yes, the Bobert is right again. I used to flatpick everything but now have got some callouses going on my thumb and index with a darn fine blister humping itself up on my middle finger. I don't do banjo but am trying to get a finger style going on my reso for blues and trad stuff, which is sounding somewhat banjoish, despite all attempts to veer off that course. I believe you can get a liddle speed going, but try to throw another finger in there to give the lone digit a rest once in a while. It seems to just start happening by itself after a couple hunnert hours or so....and I don't need to tell you all thet the fambly and the dog are ecstatic about it ;~)

Yerz,
Tweed

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: wilco
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 08:39 AM

Arrrggghhhh. That blasted five-string demon!!!!

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Bobert
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 09:04 AM

Come on, it ain't that bad. Pretend your picking a C chord in a six string with the thumb and one finger. The thumb knows to pick 535453545354.... with the finger aletrnating 12121212...

Start is slow and work up. You can do this!!! It really ain't hard because it is real European (no back beats? ) See, I don't know no theory but stll, this picking pattern is no tough to learn 'cause everytime the thumb pick the finger picks next. Then once you get this part down you can mess with it and tell the thumb to leave some stuff out or vice versa.

Come on, give it a try. Thumb, finger, thumb, finger... an so on.

Bobert

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: GUEST,Pete Peterson
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 09:06 AM

If you ever get a chance to listen to Will Keys (I think he has a tape, if not a CD out) do so-- he does it all with thumb and one finger. I can't get as fast using thumb and two. He is incredible and one of our Natural Resources. (He usually comes to Clifftop and Galax0

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: chip a
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 01:18 PM

Will Keys has a good website. "Will Keys Oldtime Banjo Website" Type into Google should get you there. He leads with his index, not his thumb and does very unorthodox stuff with his right hand. He has a c.d. and a couple of tapes available.
Tom Sauber is another great two finger picker. He switches back and forth between index and thumb lead depending on the notes he's after. Doc Watson uses two fingers as does Reyna Gellert and her father Dan. Most two finger pickers who are after a lot of melody use an index lead. Leading with your thumb presents some problems with getting notes off the first string. The thumb lead has been used more (though not exclusively) for a rolling, chordal accompaniment to singing. Roscoe Holcomb is a good example of this style.
Back to Will Keys........he's my all time hero. Give him a listen and you'll see just how fast and smooth two fingers can go. Order his music and his video from his website. He's accompanied by Barbara Kuhns and Doug Smith on most of his stuff.
I hope you stick with the two finger style. Not too many are learning it anymore with the popularity of clawhammer.
Good luck,
Chip Arnold

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 09:53 AM

Might as well put in a plug for Marvin Gaster ("Uncle Henry's Favorites" (ROUNDER 382). Fantastic 2 finger banjo player and great fiddler as well. He regularly wins the senior banjo title at Clifftop and last year placed 3rd in the open contest. He usually places and has also won the senior fiddle contest at Clifftop.

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Sam L
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 07:46 PM

Don't doubt. I favor my middle finger too, for some things, it feels more relaxed, especially on the higher strings. I don't play banjo, but if I did what you're doing I'd try working in a frailing stroke here and there also.

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: smokeyjoe
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 07:50 PM

I play thumb and 2 finger clawhammer style, but I suppose if I wanted to, I coud get by with just thumb and one finger. I can get some pretty good (Foggy Mtn. Breakdown) speed. Keep practisin'!

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: RangerSteve
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 09:11 PM

Mostly I clawhammer, but when I play two-finger thumb lead, I can get up some speed, but then my thumb starts to cramp. I guess if I practiced, I'd get better, but the cramping is uncomfortable.

Will Keys has a CD, I think it's on the County label.

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 11:09 AM

Don't discount the liberal use of hammer-ons and pulloffs in the buildup not only of texture richness but actual speed of the tune.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: chip a
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 11:27 AM

Will's CD is CO-CD-2720 available thru his website. For $5.00 more you can get his great video with plenty of good music, talk and scenery from where he grew up.

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 12:56 PM

Any of Mike Seeger's banjo instruction videos would be a good help.
I especially like "Southern Mountain Banjo Styles" which friends have found interesting even without any desire to play the banjo.
As far as building up speed, the first thing to do is to go slow and get things to sound smooth. The speed will come in time. It's much better to start out slow and get it right, than to go for speed and get it wrong. (Just a basic practice method which is some of the most sound advice I've received from several teachers.) Good Luck with the pickin'!

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 04:22 PM

I play more of a Knock Down style than anything else. Frailing with thumb and the backs of my index and middle fingers. Sometimes I'll alternate index on third and fourth strings, middle on second and first. Sometimes it's hit what don't hit back.

Other times I flatpick the beast.

Don

Subject: RE: Thumb & 1 finger banjo style. Speed?
From: Jon W.
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 06:07 PM

Amen, brethren