Thanks for all the advice so far - my technique is coming along, I think. I have yet to be able to get the kind of volume I think other players get, and as to speed - we won't even go there. Also, I'm still a little confused as to how much movement my thumb should make when picking the 5th string - the videos and people I've watched seem to have quite a bit of thumb movement, but the written descriptions don't seem to say that. Should the thumb movement be down (towards the floor), or out (away from the banjo head) when plucking the string?