bamboo - Posted - 01/07/2009:  11:34:50

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Hope I'm posting this in the right section. Just have a quick question if anyone cares to offer input.
Used to play the piano years ago, but not really an option anymore as I've lost a couple fingers a few years back.
Lost the pinky and ring finger on my right hand. Like to take up an instrument again and am wondering if the banjo is an option for me given the situation. Any special considerations?
Am right handed.
Thanks for any insights!

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Edited by - Banjoman on 01/12/2009 09:54:38

mikeyes - Posted - 01/07/2009:  11:43:43

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Bamboo,

You have come to the right place. Yes, there are several styles of banjo you can play with just three fingers (assuming you are right handed) including Bluegrass, Old time - several styles there, and jazz or Irish tenor banjo. Or mandolin, guitar and other instruments that use a flat pick. The possibilities are endless, sort of.

What you need to do is to listen to some of the many mp3s listed on the BHO or look at the videos and decide what you want to do. What did you play before? (You could still play trumpet for example.)

Mike Keyes
http://www.banjosessions.com
http://www.mikekeyes.com

drwt1 - Posted - 01/07/2009:  11:45:08

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In my opinion, the banjo would be the way to go. you still have the important fingers, and you'd just have to not plant....assuming you're gonna play bluegrass...

jrjenks - Posted - 01/07/2009:  12:20:19

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I met Rene Brousseau at Midwest Banjo Camp in 2008. He's a bluegrass banjo player who had lost the middle finger on his right hand. Rene said he was dejected for a couple of years until he finally wised up and listened to what his wife had been telling him all along: You've got other fingers.

He retrained his hands and is now, once again, a most excellent player.

I posted a video of Rene's playing at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k92kWpvy0g

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Semper plectrum!

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Edited by - jrjenks on 01/07/2009 12:28:05

jrjenks - Posted - 01/07/2009:  12:24:58

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Another relevant video I took at Midwest Banjo Camp: Cathy Fink and her banjo puppets ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjFxNHjqrRk )

Cathy can use all ten fingers, but she developed the banjo puppets to show her students that they don't necessarily have to. She puts plastic puppets on all but one finger of her left hand and uses only her left index finger to play Soldier's Joy.

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Semper plectrum!

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Edited by - jrjenks on 01/07/2009 12:34:31

fred davis - Posted - 01/07/2009:  13:18:46

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Derring Has a DVD on playing the banjo with One finger on each hand. fred

jrjenks - Posted - 01/07/2009:  13:23:24

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What a cool idea for a DVD! And according to an article I just now found at entrepreneur.com ( http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejo...0724639.html ), the DVD is free from the Deering Banjo Company -- but you have to pay the $4.95 shipping/handling charge.

I'm going to order one myself. Thanks, fred!

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Semper plectrum!

Padre - Posted - 01/08/2009:  05:04:15

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ages ago I've seen a video
Bluegrass All Stars or something like that.
different bands playing -
and in one of the bands there was a guy who has lost all his fingers in left hand
and he was still able to play banjo and it sounded really good.
it has helped to realize that banjo is incredible instrument
and if one really wants there are no imposible things.

Ronnie - Posted - 01/08/2009:  06:02:28

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Jerry Garcia mas missing the middle finger of his right hand and played some fine banjo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9SkB1yLx5Y

Barry Abernathy with Mountain Heart. No fingers on left hand
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHKECOD_HS8

I have a stump for a left pinky. Not much of a handicap.

www.bobbythompsonbanjo.com

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Edited by - Ronnie on 01/08/2009 06:09:12

roger martin - Posted - 01/09/2009:  06:04:23

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I learned to play like my grand dad did.He had run his hand thru a power saw many years ago.He didnt lose the fingers but DID lose the ability to bend them all.
This was before I was born.I watched him play for years before I even realized he was only playing with a thumpick and finger pick on his right hand. 2 finger style I suppose you would call it.
I still play that way today.
According to my grandad a lot of people in the mtns played that way if they used picks .
Get yourself a banjo, outfit your hand with a thumpick and index finger pick and go at it.

Roger MArtin

Ronnie - Posted - 01/09/2009:  07:30:29

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The late Charlie Poole attempted to catch a killer baseball bare handed. It shattered the bones in his right hand and it never healed properly. It must have been awkward and perhaps painful for him to play his banjo. His picking was a bit crude by today's standards, but he didn't give up.

A very good guitarist friend of mine lost 3 fingers of his left hand in an accident with a band saw. He has an old Epiphone guitar with low, easy action, and has relearn to play using the stumps.

www.bobbythompsonbanjo.com

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Edited by - Ronnie on 01/09/2009 07:47:35

OM45GE - Posted - 01/10/2009:  03:18:04

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There's a video on You Tube of an armless man busking on the guitar, playing with his feet! You can do banjo with the fingers you have on your right hand for sure.

You'll see a lot of threads on here about "planting" your pinky finger. Some folks seem to obsess about it. It does make it easier to position your playing fingers over the strings, but classical guitarists don't plant any fingers and do just fine.

Good luck whatever you do. The banjo is a great instrument and your piano training will help you out as well.



"But if there were no music
Then I would not get through" - Shawn Colvin

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Edited by - OM45GE on 01/12/2009 04:27:40

Gomer - Posted - 01/10/2009:  21:49:25

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Well, I don't want to sound crass here , but my instructor has bee trying to get my ring and pinky down on the drum for a long time with little success. I see Bela Fleck with one finger, the other finger, both fingers and above all no finger planted. I am not saying I am as Good as Bela Fleck, but you just might get there. Good Luck!
Play on!

"ever searching for that special post-war / pre-submerged sound"

( )=====’==::

stormoveroklahoma - Posted - 01/11/2009:  08:09:19

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quote:

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Originally posted by bamboo

Hope I'm posting this in the right section. Just have a quick question if anyone cares to offer input.
Used to play the piano years ago, but not really an option anymore as I've lost a couple fingers a few years back.
Lost the pinky and ring finger on my right hand. Like to take up an instrument again and am wondering if the banjo is an option for me given the situation. Any special considerations?
Am right handed.
Thanks for any insights!

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Bambi,

Sounds like you are inspired. But just in case you have not heard of the story of legendary Django Reinhardt. He played with just two fingers and a thumb on his left hand. Check out his story online.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UVw5C0SDkc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwfhoI2JrOA

Also it was a great revelation to me to get the book by Alan Munde's book (Mel Bay) Getting into Bluegrass. His section on chordal scales and abbreviated chords only need two fingers...even with the way he arranges arpeggios. With a little re-arranging I would think you could play anything you put your mind to.

Hope you find a good solid banjo to work with. The better a banjo you can afford the less frustrated you will be with the sound.

Good luck pick'n and being happy

Storm

Maybe you could find a left handed banjo?

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Edited by - stormoveroklahoma on 01/12/2009 08:46:59

jkerr - Posted - 01/11/2009:  09:31:30

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If you go to CD baby and search for The Montville Project -Volume two ( just released) you will hear an incredible banjo player named - Art Bryan - He lost his index and middle fingers of his left hand in a workshop accident in 2007. On this new Cd he plays tenor, melody and , 5 string banjo and mandolin using only his ring and pinky finger on his left hand. The sound it pretty incredible.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/montville2

pete hobbie - Posted - 01/12/2009:  16:15:22

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almost 20 years ago I cut off the tips of my ring and middle finger on the left hand(my fretting hand), this changed the shape drastically(fattened um up)...It was the best thing that has happened to me musically.
First I got depressed and wouldnt/couldnt play ,then a great friend/luthier had me come over and build a guitar with a wider fret bd..I fell in love with building...now I've built lots and lots of guitars, banjos, mandolins...I'm the local repair guy ...and play more than I ever did.All from 1 second in the jointer...
You just never know where you'll end up.
Pete

Things are more the way they are now than they''ve ever been.

Life is tough, it''s even tougher if your stupid.
John Wayne