Hey all!
I've been beleaguered by OT fingerpicking rhythm problems for years and posting because my situation seems specific to up-picking without fingerpicks. I'm horrible! And not because I don't have a *sense* of time. I'm originally a bassist and played jazz professionally, so it's not like I can't feel a beat. I also play BG and clawhammer plus other instruments (including simple percussion like spoons), though I don't fingerpick anything else. I can't play anything besides bass super well, but fine enough to hold down a gig or jam, and never had to concertedly practice timekeeping to do that.
So it's very damaging to my ego that OT up-picking makes a disgrace out of me. I know about patience, slowing way down, and of course, metronomes (plus playing along with recordings, Strum Machine, etc). But when I try pick close to tempo, I just fall apart per no discernible pattern -- speed per se isn't the problem (whereas it is when I play BG). It's possible I simply need to sit even longer with a metronome at 40 BPM -- I go through periods of dedicated practice, then throw up my hands and give up til I'm ready for another shot at some point. I'm posting mainly because I'm wondering if I'm barking up the wrong tree with the generic fixes and metronome-ing forever won't get me anywhere.
I *feel* like I struggle with control when using the squishy flesh of my fingers (though that wasn't a problem on bass), as opposed to the consistency of hard, slippery picks. I know when the notes are *supposed* to sound, and I can get my fingers to the strings, but my finger-meat feels unpredictable! Sometimes fingers fly off the string and I get a note early, others I catch a hunk of flesh and I'm late. I could be wrong, though! But has anyone else had fingerpicking-specific rhythm challenges and can offer tips I haven't heard? Do I need to work more on placing my finger-meat on strings at precisely the same point and precisely the same angle every time? What about the dang clawhammer nail? I've tried cutting it so it doesn't catch and mess me up more, but that's inconvenient because my CH takes a hit and it doesn't seem to help much anyway. Or other tips if my problem might lie elsewhere. Thanks!!
Edited by - talknormal on 08/11/2024 22:17:30
Wondering where your fingers hit the banjo string. I do a lot of old time 3-finger picking and also play double bass. Finger on the bass touches the string further from the tip of the finger on the fleshier part. On the banjo the finger touches the string much closer to the tip (if not on the tip itself) very similarly to how a steel string guitar player touches the string, but not as close as a classical player who basically uses the tip of the finger extremely close to the nail, if not only the nail itself. Working that close to the tip of the finger can definitely bring up the issue of catching the clawhammer nail (if you keep that long) which I run into also. I can't see where this is a timing issue for you as it sounds like you have way enough musical experience to be beyond that so I think I'd look at the physical/mechanical stuff. Hope this is helpful.
Pete's on the right track.
Explaining the fine points of playing mechanics in text is not really possible IMO, but I'd ask anyone out there who plays both bare-fingered and with picks to come up with a gut-level simple description of how they feel and deal with the difference.
Here's mine: With a fingerpick, I stroke the edge of the pick off the string by flexing the fingertip. A bare finger pulls or snaps the string much more away from the head than parallel to it, and it feels more like my whole hand is doing the pulling.
I play all bare fingered, haven't used pics since I gave up BG banjo in the 70's. I never thought about exactly where I hit the strings, but after watching my right hand, if my thumb were divided in thirds and those sections marked with a line, I hit the strings with the thumb almost exactly on the first "third" line... my index (and middle if I'm playing 3 finger) finger catches the strings 1/4" of an inch from the tip... I anchor both my middle and ring finger on the head for thumb lead, for index lead I will allow that actor to "float" a bit and I noticed that the angle of my anchored fingers (playing index lead) is at a more shallow angle to the head. For 3 finger I anchor my ring and pinky.
Funny, in over 50 years of playing, I really had no idea exactly what my right fingers did, or where i hit the strings, I just played to get the sound I wanted. Here's "Wild Bill Jones" in thumb lead, I think I get decent tone without picks...
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