I'm making more of an effort lately to use my thumb for melody notes - including the first string. Is this something done commonly, or should I just consider it a fun exercise and leave it at that?

Scott

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  09:29:59  

certainly not uncommon

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If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see. Let them see

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.

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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  09:33:00      

quote:

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I'm making more of an effort lately to use my thumb for melody notes - including the first string.

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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  09:39:51        

He means the picking thumb.

www.myspace.com/pepperlaingt...nestarkillers

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  09:43:04      

As my kids would say, "Duuuuh!"

All I can say is, "Doh!"



Just add this to my growing list of life's embarrassing moments!

Dan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've got it made in the shade if the tree don't fall...

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:19:03      

I do this a lot too.

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:19:03      

Also, how about using the middle finger on the fifth string. I often practice TITM on each string and find that the fifth string is the harder one to achive a smooth roll.

Never play the same thing once......yoR

Edited by - Trewq36 on 11/03/2009 10:21:07

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:32:49      

In two finger styles I could imagine using my thumb on the first string, but why in three finger? I do not get it.

RobBob
Music; the best way to count time. It is a journey not a destination.
www.blueridgerounders.com

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:37:29    

quote:

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Originally posted by R Buck

In two finger styles I could imagine using my thumb on the first string, but why in three finger? I do not get it.

RobBob
Music; the best way to count time. It is a journey not a destination.
www.blueridgerounders.com

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Edited by - snakeherd on 11/03/2009 10:42:39

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  10:41:56    

I don't see any legal problems with it.
OTOH, in order to keep a roll going, it's easier if the thumb strikes the 2nd string instead.

If you are in open G tuning, that means just hitting the 2nd string three frets higher than the fret you use on the 1st string. (Other tunings will be slightly different).
Another way of thinking about it is to just make the next higher chord up the neck and use the next string inside.

A way to practice is to just fool around on the G scale on the second string using rolls that only pluck the 1st, 2nd and 5th strings and only fret the 2nd string with a single finger. This gets you used to moving the melody onto the 2nd string from the first, if you want. The frets to use on the 2nd string are:
0 1 3 5 7 9 10 12 13 15 17 19 21

Mike Moxcey
http://moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/index.html

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:04:49      

Why on Earth would anyone ever pick the fifth string with their middle finger?? Am I missing something here?? Why would anyone ever want to pick the first string with their thumb? Practice is just that...practice....playing the banjo in ways that you want to play it .....How can anyone keep a roll going when they are jumping down to the 1st string with their thumb?? It sounds like you guys are just looking for ways to make it more complicated rather than easier...I've been playing banjo for over 31 years, and I have never played a tune that involved picking the 1st string with my thumb, OR the fifth with my middle finger....I can think of no reason why anyone would ever need to practice this....How many of you guys are seriously trying to learn this instrument, and how many are just trying to goof off with it?? Nothing wrong with either...it's all for fun...I have serious concerns with a BUNCH of people's reasons for being on here. This site IMHO, is not to show off anyone's knowledge of musical jargon...So...Why don't we quit with the off the wall stuff, and post things that are going to help the average Joe trying to learn this infuriating instrument?? I can see picking the 2nd string with your thumb, I pick the 4th string a lot with my index....but not my middle...wow....This post is not aimed at new pickers..they don't know any better...it's aimed at guys that seem to be consumed with showing off their knowledge, even if it does sound kooky....as always....just MHO...

Edited by - drwt1 on 11/03/2009 12:07:11

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:11:55    

Prof I love your dogs. I should include pics of my collies_ music lovers the pair. Jack

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:12:52    

Prof I love your dogs. I should include pics of my collies_ music lovers the pair. Jack

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:33:06    

Wow!
I didn't know that I was messing with forbidden stuff! I never noticed "thumb picking first string" on the 7 deadly sins list.
I shall cease this practice immediately (at least publicly).

Scott

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:50:25    

Scott, it's your banjo, play it the way you want to. If using your thumb on the 1st string works for you, go for it.

Let's Pick!
Texas Banjo

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  12:54:34      

I agree, Scott..wasn't trying to tell you you couldn't do it...sorry if I came across that way...I was only saying ...aaawww.. ferget it... just pick yer jo...

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  13:00:13    

Scott--
It's not commonly done in standard, rolling Scruggs-style bluegrass playing. However, it's useful for single-string licks. Even Earl did it on occasion, most notably in "Pike County Breakdown".
--Ira

Posted - 11/03/2009 :  13:55:04    

quote:

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Originally posted by drwt1

I agree, Scott..wasn't trying to tell you you couldn't do it...sorry if I came across that way...I was only saying ...aaawww.. ferget it... just pick yer jo...

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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  14:05:38      

quote:

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Originally posted by R Buck
In two finger styles I could imagine using my thumb on the first string, but why in three finger? I do not get it.

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Posted - 11/03/2009 :  14:51:29    

quote:

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Originally posted by drwt1

Why on Earth would anyone ever pick the fifth string with their middle finger?? Am I missing something here?? Why would anyone ever want to pick the first string with their thumb? Practice is just that...practice....playing the banjo in ways that you want to play it .....How can anyone keep a roll going when they are jumping down to the 1st string with their thumb?? .............

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Edited by - Tweak on 11/03/2009 14:54:02

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  06:06:07    

On the lighter side, sometimes I just look down at my shoes and wonder if I tried playing with my feet instead .... ????

Bluegrass in my blood. Now, if I can only get it to my fingers ?

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  07:43:26      

My Fellow Banjo Pickers..I suppose I went off the deep end on this post...I'm just so doggone burnt up with these guys that post on here and lay all this musical jargon out there...you know, all about theory, bars, measures..stuff like that. I understand a lot of it is useful. What gets me is how hard these folks seem to be working at trying to make this thang seem to be some mystical, difficult(it AIN'T easy) beast to learn. I guess it all goes back to how I learned the banjo. I taught myself. Now, before someone goes off on me about how I prob'ly have all my notes wrong, or I have my BPM too high, too low, or something in between, or I have my notes in the wrong bar, measure, or whatever, I have always...ALWAYS, been told that if you start picking at the first of the tune, and quit picking at the end of it, and you can recognize the tune, then you ain't wrong. All these "cookie cutter" banjo pickers out there...the ones that if they all picked the same tune, you couldn't tell one from the other, where is the talent in that?? So, don't tell me that I put one too many notes in this measure, or I lacked one in this bar, or something else...I don't know all the passwords to get into your club...but I can play my banjo....and I play it good enuf to make money at it...even if I do play an extra note here or one less there...and, before I forget, MEA CULPA....I forgot about "Pike County Breakdown"....I DO pick the 1st string with my thumb on that one...but I ain't rolling then.....When I die and get to Heaven, maybe then I'll be able to play my banjo perfectly...til then, I'm gonna play it like I do...which is good enuf to entertain 250-300 folks every Saturday night....Now, you may not feel better, but I sure enuf do.....but like always...just MHO...

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  07:55:35      

Wow Dean.
I can't believe you just wrote that!
Why...because that is me.
Well, except I don't play in front of hundreds and make money.
Self taught and still learning.
Great post.

-Jimmy

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  08:14:40    

Dean,
I agree with you. If it sounds good, it can't be 'wrong'.

Scott

Posted - 11/04/2009 :  13:39:27            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ira Gitlin

Scott--
It's not commonly done in standard, rolling Scruggs-style bluegrass playing. However, it's useful for single-string licks. Even Earl did it on occasion, most notably in "Pike County Breakdown".
--Ira

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Posted - 11/04/2009 :  14:33:04  

99.9% of the time the first string is not picked with the thumb, and it might not be at all depending on how you play Pike County. I never pick the 5Th string with any finger but the thumb. If you are using the rolls correctly, you will never pick that way.