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Kellie - Posted - 07/25/2024: 10:35:10
It seems to me like he must have because some of these stretches required for some of these scales that he lays out in his book seem to imply that he did. They're not impossible, just a bit... Overextended I think would be the best word.
Joel Hooks - Posted - 07/25/2024: 10:45:31
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Texasbanjo - Posted - 07/25/2024: 11:12:06
I have no idea whether he did or didn't, but there are long stretches like that in bluegrass, too, and what I do is try to find another way to get the same note but at a closer, easier position. Often that means changing finger positions or finding another note that will harmonize or not clash with what you're doing. Some of us have small hands, short fingers and have to figure out a different way or perhaps leave out a note occasionally,
Nic Pennsylvania - Posted - 07/25/2024: 11:13:29
The fretting-hand thumb placement is the key to unlocking many doors. If you feel you're overextended, you ought to experiment with your thumb placement. I tend to have my thumb and second finger in about a pinching position.
Kellie - Posted - 07/25/2024: 12:23:02
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Edited by - Kellie on 07/25/2024 12:23:17
Joel Hooks - Posted - 07/25/2024: 12:26:27
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Which scale? Page number?
tdennis - Posted - 07/25/2024: 13:53:56
Farland did have huge hands. Here's a pic of him taken at a gym.
Kellie - Posted - 07/25/2024: 14:33:33
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Which scale? Page number?
janolov - Posted - 07/26/2024: 03:51:32
The philosophy behind the fretting is when below 4th fret: index finger on fret 1, middle finger on fret 2, ring finger on fret 3 and pinky on fret 4, which is rather conventional. The last four notes may by a little tricky if you have small hands, but it works if you let the fingers dance, and unfret when you play the next note - it is impossible to fret from 7th fret to 12th fret in one stretch, but if you just keep one finger fretted at one time it will work.
Eulalie - Posted - 07/26/2024: 04:58:29
quote:
Originally posted by janolov
The philosophy behind the fretting is when below 4th fret: index finger on fret 1, middle finger on fret 2, ring finger on fret 3 and pinky on fret 4, which is rather conventional. The last four notes may by a little tricky if you have small hands, but it works if you let the fingers dance, and unfret when you play the next note - it is impossible to fret from 7th fret to 12th fret in one stretch, but if you just keep one finger fretted at one time it will work.
I would add a caveat: When playing a passage that is melodically or chordally conceived, it's important to understand the concept of holding fingers down when the passage obviously takes advantage of notes that are repeated in that chord shape.
The other concept is position playing and an understanding of optimal shifting. The four-finger, four-fret distribution applies, but the index finger establishes the position up or down the neck.
csacwp - Posted - 07/26/2024: 05:54:34
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Which scale? Page number?
Large hands aren't required to play that scale using Farland's fingerings, even on a larger banjo. To answer your original question, through, no, Farland appears to have been a rather small guy.
Joel Hooks - Posted - 07/26/2024: 06:14:45
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Which scale? Page number?
I can't figure you out. You ask a question. I ask for elaboration so that I can help. You cryptically half answer. I ask for more details. You post an awkwardly cropped fragment.
Clearly there is a communication deficiency here.
How difficult would it have been to simply write: page 20, key of B major?
Anyway, the second octave is a little stretchy but not that difficult. Someone who has advanced to the level of playing in these keys should have a degree of left hand flexibility that will cover this. Last night I experimented and ran this scale, as Farland has fingered it, on a Van Eps banjo with a 28.5" scale and did not have much difficulty but I did have to slide or shift my thumb a little as I went up the second octave (properly holding fingers down). I had no trouble on my daily player with a 27.5" scale.
With that said, I much prefer Frank Bradbury's approach to this key. B major in A notation corresponds to the key of D major in C notation or "concert pitch" (which is what Farland and everyone else was using anyway).
D major is found on page 36 of Bradbury's Modern Method of 1927.
archive.org/details/bradburymo.../mode/1up
Also found on page 61 of his Mel Bay's Banjo Method of 1967. On page 65 he has some great exercises for the left hand.
Relax your left hand, don't hyper-extend your fingers, keep your fingers curled over the fingerboard and never hook your thumb over the top, keep it on the back of the neck where it should be. Keep your wrist straight.
Kellie - Posted - 07/30/2024: 12:52:08
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
quote:
Originally posted by Kellie
quote:
Originally posted by Joel Hooks
Please post which scales you are referring to. Which book? His American School?
Yes his national School of banjo.
Which scale? Page number?
I can't figure you out. You ask a question. I ask for elaboration so that I can help. You cryptically half answer. I ask for more details. You post an awkwardly cropped fragment.
Clearly there is a communication deficiency here.
How difficult would it have been to simply write: page 20, key of B major?
Anyway, the second octave is a little stretchy but not that difficult. Someone who has advanced to the level of playing in these keys should have a degree of left hand flexibility that will cover this. Last night I experimented and ran this scale, as Farland has fingered it, on a Van Eps banjo with a 28.5" scale and did not have much difficulty but I did have to slide or shift my thumb a little as I went up the second octave (properly holding fingers down). I had no trouble on my daily player with a 27.5" scale.
With that said, I much prefer Frank Bradbury's approach to this key. B major in A notation corresponds to the key of D major in C notation or "concert pitch" (which is what Farland and everyone else was using anyway).
D major is found on page 36 of Bradbury's Modern Method of 1927.
archive.org/details/bradburymo.../mode/1up
Also found on page 61 of his Mel Bay's Banjo Method of 1967. On page 65 he has some great exercises for the left hand.
Relax your left hand, don't hyper-extend your fingers, keep your fingers curled over the fingerboard and never hook your thumb over the top, keep it on the back of the neck where it should be. Keep your wrist straight.
I'm sorry. Communication is not my strong suit. I figured it would be better to just try and show you, but I understand how that didn't really answer your question. Thank you so much for taking the time to give me advice regardless of my ability to communicate efficiently! I really can't express how grateful I am that you're being patient with me.
Edited by - Kellie on 07/30/2024 12:52:43
'Bill Dalton's Wife' 4 hrs
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'28 Banjo Bridges' 10 hrs
