Trying the middle finger...

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Do you play more than one style? 70% bluegrass, 30% clawhammer, or whatever combination? If you fit multiple molds, join us!

17 Members, Created 3/9/2011 -

Administrators: Gumbograss (owner)

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From Strelnieks on 5/19/2011 12:56:49 AM

I am primarily a three-finger picker and my main banjo is set up for bluegrass although with its wooden tonering it has a nice clawhammer sound as well. The action is too low for really getting up to and digging in at the 19th fret, however.

Anyway, so I'm sitting there knocking my version of "Hard Travellin'" and decide to try it out on the middle finger instead of the usual index finger. It is a bit harder to find the right string, but easier than it was when I first started clawhammer and was trying to decide which finger to use. Back then, the index finger was a slam dunk and I couldn't figure out why anyone would use the middle finger. The choice seemed obvious.

But now, years later, stuff happened:

1) With the middle finger it seemed a tad easier to move out over the neck, closer to the 19th fret.

2) But the sound was different. It seemed to have more overtone, almost like the "cluck" sound. Perhaps more "pop" is what I mean.

Interesting stuff. Is the new sound because of the position on the neck? I _can_ play there with the index finger, but find the overtone sound less pronounced. Is it the angle the fingernail hits the string? I have a sense that my index finger is more coming across the string while the middle finger gets more of a "knock" - a vertical motion down on the string (perpendicular to the fretboard).

Any thoughts?

1 Comments
	Gumbograss says: 5/31/2011 8:55:31 PM Very interesting! I'd guess that the angle of attack has something to do with the difference in sound. Have you considered that the fingers differ in weight and strength? That could also play into the difference in sound. Anyone else?
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