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 Playing Advice: Bluegrass (Scruggs) Styles
 ARCHIVED TOPIC: Left Hand Technique


Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/394713

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/23/2023:  09:09:34


I have my left hand in a splint and am still trying to mess with the banjo a bit. So I went to the hangout and at the search on the left side of the home page typed in "left hand mechanics" and everything that came up was on the right hand. So I googled it and found this great instruction by BHO member Jody Hughes who is also a professional player and instructor. I thought it might be of interest to some.



Thanks Jody. Great job.



youtube.com/watch?v=bYpH7_ulQ2Y&t=413s



Merry Christmas to all,



Ken

RB3 - Posted - 12/23/2023:  10:50:41


Take a look at the fellow playing the banjo in the video associated with the link below. At fifty seconds into the video, there's a great shot of his right hand. It looks to me like his picking technique is the same technique that you would use if you were scratching your belly.



youtube.com/watch?v=csSEZbRCEuc





 


Edited by - RB3 on 12/23/2023 10:54:12

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/23/2023:  12:00:37


quote:

Originally posted by RB3

Take a look at the fellow playing the banjo in the video associated with the link below. At fifty seconds into the video, there's a great shot of his right hand. It looks to me like his picking technique is the same technique that you would use if you were scratching your belly.



youtube.com/watch?v=csSEZbRCEuc





 






Hey Wayne,



Yes sir, i could watch Earl's r. hand all day. he & ralph to me had similar r. hands in the way they cupped the hand and laid it a bit on the side. I would remind you however laugh that this topic is on Left hand.



Merry Christmas.



ken

RB3 - Posted - 12/23/2023:  13:33:23


Sorry, I thought you switched hands in the middle of your post.

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/25/2023:  05:42:17


By "left hand" do you mean "fretting hand"?

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/25/2023:  05:54:27


quote:

Originally posted by Old Hickory

By "left hand" do you mean "fretting hand"?






yes

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/25/2023:  06:27:40


Did you click the link?

janolov - Posted - 12/25/2023:  08:19:37


I would associate "left hand techniques" more with hammer on, pulling off, slide and bends, rather than how to hold your left arm and thumb. I play a lot of clawhammer and often 10 - 25% of the notes are played by the left hand. 

Owen - Posted - 12/25/2023:  08:29:09


.... I was anticipating some techniques applicable to having the left [fretting] hand in a splint.  sad

monstertone - Posted - 12/25/2023:  09:28:40


How much of your hand is immobilized by the splint? Are you able to make barre chords, with any, all fingers? Is the thumb free?

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/25/2023:  11:08:58


Even more relevant results are returned when you Google "playing banjo with fretting hand in splint." (clickable link)



Those results are from across the web, but of course inlcude hits here on the Hangout.



Did you know that you can use Google to search a single site? Just add "site:(website URL)" at the end of your search. For example, here's what Google finds when I search "playing banjo with fretting hand in split site:banjohangout.org".  All from here.  Granted, lots of them don't address your issue.



 

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/25/2023:  13:07:56


Ken N. Thanks so much for showing me how to get the search results I wanted. You're time and efforts are much appreciated.





Wayne, , Sorry to be so unclear. But I still love watching Earl's picking hand go to town.



JD: the splint goes from the middle of my palm to halfway up the forarm. It is hard for me to put much pressure against the thumb for bar chords, but I will try what mr. Hughes says and let that elbow hang heavy and try chording with little thumb pressure.



I appreciate Y'alls time and thoughts and hope your Christmas was gooood!.



ken

Jack Baker - Posted - 12/25/2023:  14:08:10


Hi Ken,


Jody Hughes makes some very good suggestions about correct posture because it does make a big difference in how you play. If you don't relax your shoulders and if you lift your shoulder etc. as Jody has carefully pointed out, you can  do a lot of damage to your body and sound. I would pay close attention what Jody is teaching about basic left arm, hand and shoulder position....Jack   p.s. Earl had perfect upper body position etc. and the whole works going for him...




Originally posted by From Greylock to Bean Blossom

quote:

Originally posted by RB3

Take a look at the fellow playing the banjo in the video associated with the link below. At fifty seconds into the video, there's a great shot of his right hand. It looks to me like his picking technique is the same technique that you would use if you were scratching your belly.



youtube.com/watch?v=csSEZbRCEuc





 






 






 


Edited by - Jack Baker on 12/25/2023 14:13:17

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/25/2023:  15:19:57


quote:

Originally posted by Jack Baker

Hi Ken,


Jody Hughes makes some very good suggestions about correct posture because it does make a big difference in how you play. If you don't relax your shoulders and if you lift your shoulder etc. as Jody has carefully pointed out, you can  do a lot of damage to your body and sound. I would pay close attention what Jody is teaching about basic left arm, hand and shoulder position....Jack   p.s. Earl had perfect upper body position etc. and the whole works going for him...




Originally posted by From Greylock to Bean Blossom

quote:

Originally posted by RB3

Take a look at the fellow playing the banjo in the video associated with the link below. At fifty seconds into the video, there's a great shot of his right hand. It looks to me like his picking technique is the same technique that you would use if you were scratching your belly.



youtube.com/watch?v=csSEZbRCEuc





 






 






 






Thanks Jack.



Merry Christmas to you.



ken

monstertone - Posted - 12/26/2023:  10:32:14


Not sure how I got there but, after watching  Jody Hughs Left Hand Techniques, which, btw, is quite good, I stumbled onto Alison Brown Masterclass left hand position for chord melodies.



Funny thing about people who are that good, they make it look so easy.



Thank you, Alison.

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/27/2023:  17:10:21


Yes they do.



I've started using those widespread triad inversions (as Noam Pikelny calls them in his lessons) in the past few years. Still just scratching the surface. These chord shapes  with the bottom note fretted on third or fourth string and the higher notes on third and first or second and first. You pretty much have to do them in the classical guitar style with your thumb on the back of the neck and your palm away from it. Those stretches are a workout, but worth it.

Old Hickory - Posted - 12/27/2023:  17:19:48


quote:

Originally posted by From Greylock to Bean Blossom

Ken N. Thanks so much for showing me how to get the search results I wanted. You're time and efforts are much appreciated.






Glad to have helped.



One key to getting good search results is stating completely in plain language what you're after. Maybe in the old days you had to guess how some human had indexed a site and what keywords they might have used. I think human indexing and keywording is a thing of the past. More and more sites and search engines these days can read and understand your search request and deliver pretty good results. This is not universal of course. Sometimes Google does a better job of searching the Hangout than the Hangout does.

chuckv97 - Posted - 12/27/2023:  17:32:21


re, bad posture,, God love him,, but if you watch Kenny Ingram’s right shoulder all hunched up it definitely looks stressed. It might have had something to do with his pinched nerve issue that he complained about after his last gigs with Larry Stephenson.


Edited by - chuckv97 on 12/27/2023 17:38:23



 

Owen - Posted - 12/27/2023:  18:47:01


I expect everybody's seen pics of J.D. Crowe's right wrist that is arched/bent so much it's painful to look at.  I figure what we need is a composite* pic of a bunch of elite players doing stuff that's not the consensus "how to."   Then when we see/hear "that's not how _____ did/does it" we'd have solid ground for all manner of "whatever works." wink



* = 'way beyond my know-how. sad

Jack Baker - Posted - 12/27/2023:  18:57:57


Can He/She play or not is the question that I ask...Jack

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 12/27/2023:  21:53:38


I would just like to stress that whatever you choose for your RH/LH mechanics, it should feel comfortable and it should feel natural or you're probably doing something wrong. Copying somebody else's hand position may not be the answer.

monstertone - Posted - 01/08/2024:  13:39:18


quote:

Originally posted by From Greylock to Bean Blossom

Ken N. Thanks so much for showing me how to get the search results I wanted. You're time and efforts are much appreciated.





Wayne, , Sorry to be so unclear. But I still love watching Earl's picking hand go to town.



JD: the splint goes from the middle of my palm to halfway up the forarm. It is hard for me to put mucessure against the thumb for bar chords, but I will try what mr. Hughes says and let that elbow hang heavy and try chording with little thumb pressure.



I appreciate Y'alls time and thoughts and hope your Christmas was gooood!.



ken






Ken,



What I was attempting to imply was a barre (chord) need not always include all four strings. There are times when, simply collapsing the first joint on a left-hand finger frets two strings for the price of one, leaving the other three free to do other tasks. Another example of getting more for less out of advanced left-hand techniques comes from chock/hammer/slide, whatever it takes, with whatever fingers/strings are available.



The first rule of 5-string banjo is, there are no rules. Thank you very much, Pat Cloud. smiley


Edited by - monstertone on 01/08/2024 13:39:55

monstertone - Posted - 01/15/2024:  10:02:49


There are times when that collapsing finger, partial barre chord also allows for a quick on & off, similar to a hammered note. I've never seen that technique mentioned in an instruction book, & I have a ton of instruction books. Monkey see, monkey do is how I learned it. smiley

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