Banjo Hangout Logo
Banjo Hangout Logo

Premier Sponsors

473
Banjo Lovers Online


Jan 25, 2025 - 2:55:45 PM
4 posts since 1/18/2025

I am a beginner (two weeks in). When I go to a d cord one of my fingers is always in the way of the first or second string. Any advice or tips are really appreciated.

Jan 25, 2025 - 3:01:02 PM
like this

chuckv97

Canada

73575 posts since 10/5/2013

Which D formation do you mean?
As for fat fingers, I’ve seen short fat fingers on guys that were mechanics and they played great. Best thing to do is take a few minutes daily and stretch’em out. Go to Kurt Kemp’s homepage ,, videos,, he has one on stretching the fingers. A-1.  Here's the link https://youtu.be/FcbZb_Snxr8?si=LQjpwMRss-8KtsuV

Edited by - chuckv97 on 01/25/2025 15:04:45

Jan 25, 2025 - 3:07:51 PM
likes this

Owen

Canada

16497 posts since 6/5/2011

A wide neck banjo [actually two of 'em] helped me.   

For "D" I use some sort of 3-finger version  .... can't manage the full one, but can [generally] do a 4-finger "F".   C'est la vie???

Jan 25, 2025 - 3:25:23 PM

79 posts since 2/12/2023

You need to fret with only your fingertips. Your thumb shouldn't come over the top of the neck, but stay in roughly the middle of the back. All of this takes a lot of practice.

Banjo pedagogy isn't terrific, with some exceptions. There aren't any books on technique, nor a lot of technical exercises, comparable to what you see in the classical guitar world. Except for this one: https://hatfieldmusic.com/product/exercises-for-three-finger-banjo/. Even if you don't play classical guitar or read music, you can glean a lot from classical guitar texts and tutorials. Take, for example, Brad Werner on scales. Banjo books will give you a lot of scales, but nothing about how to practice them, how to make them sound good. Much of what he says is transferable to banjo. https://www.thisisclassicalguitar.com/how-to-practice-scales-on-guitar/


 

Edited by - airport-security on 01/25/2025 15:32:06

Jan 25, 2025 - 3:28:01 PM
like this

2614 posts since 2/9/2007

Staying out of your own way is a big part of the skill set required for fingering. Even if you've got long, skinny fingers, it's going to take lots of study and practice to put then in the right spot at the right time. Big, fat fingers may make the learning curve just a little steeper at the very beginning, but it's not any real disability. You'll do fine.

Look up some videos of Itzhak Perlman. Talk about some sausage fingers... And he's got a whole lot less room to move around in than you do!

Jan 25, 2025 - 6:45:39 PM

Owen

Canada

16497 posts since 6/5/2011

... and speaking of fat fingers, at our jams I've been known to lament to guitar players that, "I can't see your fat little fingers."   

One of the singers/guitar players is missing the ring and pinkie fingers on his strumming/picking hand. One day I asked him where he stood on the "anchor one or anchor two" conundrum that confronts banjo players.   He wasn't aware that it was an "issue."  Alas, nothing "flatter" than having to explain (?) a joke.  sad

Jan 25, 2025 - 11:20:31 PM
like this

849 posts since 5/21/2020

quote:
Originally posted by dcollier

I am a beginner (two weeks in). When I go to a d cord one of my fingers is always in the way of the first or second string. Any advice or tips are really appreciated.

Constant checking and adjustment will fix the problem - Just don't expect it to happen overnight. The joy of being a beginner two weeks in.

 

Be sure to check out this guy. He has a real knack for explaining stuff like this.

 

Edited by - FenderFred on 01/25/2025 23:22:07

Jan 26, 2025 - 12:30:31 AM
like this

pfalzgrass

Germany

123 posts since 9/13/2017

quote:
Originally posted by chuckv97

Which D formation do you mean?
As for fat fingers, I’ve seen short fat fingers on guys that were mechanics and they played great. Best thing to do is take a few minutes daily and stretch’em out. Go to Kurt Kemp’s homepage ,, videos,, he has one on stretching the fingers. A-1.  Here's the link https://youtu.be/FcbZb_Snxr8?si=LQjpwMRss-8KtsuV


I highly recommend this video about finger stretching. Has helped me with fretting issues too. But be aware, stretching requires weeks to months to have effects on the tendons and joints, be patient and do not force it.

Use the stretching exercise on both hands. You need a relaxed right hand too to get the rolls evenly. 

Edited by - pfalzgrass on 01/26/2025 00:41:06

Jan 26, 2025 - 4:25:32 AM
like this
Players Union Member

Texasbanjo (Moderator)

USA

31218 posts since 8/3/2003

It may improve with practice. Hand position is half the battle when it comes to making clean, clear chords. As has been mentioned already, your thumb should be at the back of the neck, nothing touching the banjo but your thumb and fingertips. Arch your wrist over the fretboard and fret as close to the frets as you can. Fingernails need to be short so they don't mute the string(s) and cause clunks and thunks. May take some adjusting to get it just right, but you can figure it out.

I do an exercise every morning just to warm up. It starts at the G chord at 3, 4, 5, 3. I go up the neck switching from the 1st position to the 2nd position (some call it the "D" position). and go up the neck and back down switching the index and middle fingers but keeping the ring and pinkie on the appropriate strings. Try that just doing a vamp or pinch and then try it using a forward roll up and back. It won't be easy at first, but keep at it and it does get easier.

Jan 26, 2025 - 7:54:30 AM
likes this
Players Union Member

CeeBeeBanjo

Canada

13 posts since 2/2/2022

I'm now about 3 years in, and one of the most valuable perspectives learned from my teacher is that it takes TIME to develop good technique. He told me things like "oh, it will take 6 months before your pinky will be perpendicular doing that shape. Your hand needs to learn how to contract some micro-muscles, and release others". That helped temper my expectations about progress on some things. And he was right: my fretting-hand shapes did get better over the course of several months. So, my two bits are, have patience with yourself and with the process. Celebrate the small wins, i.e. when something is a wee bit better than the week before. Welcome to the banjo world!

Jan 26, 2025 - 8:49:23 AM

11465 posts since 4/23/2004

LOL, I well remember wondering if there were wider fingerboards available for banjos and guitars when I started. Early on, I ran across a guy at work who had crazy huge, wide fingers. I think he could barre across three strings with one fingertip. He played guitar and never missed a note...great player. I figured if he could play full guitar chords, I could learn to fit my fingers in...

Jan 26, 2025 - 10:00:53 AM

661 posts since 4/27/2020

I want Steve Howe's long, slender fingers and the dexterity as well. The ends of his fingers seem a bit larger than the rest, sort of like frog pads. He was/is the guitar player for Yes, and is widely recognized as one of the great rock guitarists in the world - acoustic or electric.  I've heard conflicting information over the years as to whether he taught himself classical guitar or not, but can't remember the truth even after seeing a video where he set the record straight.

I don't know how to make these videos appear inline as opposed to links, and I can't find any info on it in the FAQ, so you'll have to click on them to see what I'm talking about.  These seem to be sort of instructional videos for those who might care to emulate him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=250ESAMcxow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72rmZv0_7nM

This video is live, back in the day, early to mid 70s.  He would play with a pick, pick and fingers, or bare fingers, depending on the song, arrangement, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNUedapF-bo

And yes, note that his thumb is generally somewhere on the back of the neck, not wrapped around it like he's gripping a baseball bat.

Per Wikipedia:

Among Howe's earliest memories is marching around the home to brass band music that he played on the home stereo.[2] He cites several influences from his parents' record collection including Les Paul and Tennessee Ernie Ford, and also listened to classical guitar and jazz, citing Barney Kessel as a primary influence.[4] Howe also credited Wes Montgomery and Chet Atkins, whom he first heard in 1959, as a major inspiration.

Jan 26, 2025 - 10:03:42 AM
likes this

7 posts since 4/7/2020

What's helped me is 

  1. hand position, particularly paying attention to where my thumb is on the back of the neck.  Try to finger each string perpendicular to the plane of the neck.
  2. forming chords snug up to the fret.  This reduces the amount of pressure needed to form a clean chord, which avoids flattening out the fleshy tip of my hobbit fingers
  3. practice, which improves everything but also leads to harder fingertips which are less likely to flatten out of shape.

For particularly hard phrases, I cheat and use an alternate fingering.  You can't win them all :)

Jan 26, 2025 - 10:23:33 AM

661 posts since 4/27/2020

Well, it's too late to edit my post, but this looks OK.





Dedicated to his newly born son, Dylan.

Edited by - reubenstump on 01/26/2025 10:25:32

Jan 26, 2025 - 10:30:58 AM
Players Union Member

TN Time

USA

871 posts since 12/6/2021

Practice.

Joe

Jan 26, 2025 - 11:35:12 AM

Corwyn

USA

1716 posts since 1/9/2006


If it makes you feel any better, those of us with thin fingers have similar problems.

thank you kindly.

Jan 26, 2025 - 11:52:43 AM
Players Union Member

Eric A

USA

1951 posts since 10/15/2019

What I'm finding out is the the fat finger goes away with practice, but comes back with age.

Jan 26, 2025 - 4:48:13 PM
likes this

Wobba

USA

164 posts since 4/15/2020

Well, as a guy with short, fat fingers. After years of playing I still have problems trying to do the four finger D chord comfortably. So when I going faster I just don't bother. Depending on what strings I'm going to be plucking, I fret only three strings: 4,3,2 or 3,2,1. And a lot of times I might just do a D5 instead of D major: 3nd string fretted at 2nd fret and 2nd string fretted at 3rd fret. Do what works for what you trying to do.

Jan 27, 2025 - 9:30:29 AM

chief3

Canada

1169 posts since 10/26/2003

Interesting that whatever shape or size the hand or fingers are, the great players are able to make it work for them in spectacular fashion.

Jan 31, 2025 - 10:25:58 PM
likes this

33 posts since 5/19/2019

“To obtain a special banjo wand, hit the keypad with your fist now.”

Feb 1, 2025 - 12:32:59 PM
likes this

33 posts since 5/19/2019

I’m interested in these comments re: ‘correct’ thumb position… I haven’t played bluegrass banjo for years, but when I did my thumb was always wagging over the top of the neck. Indeed, I frequently used my thumb to fret the fifth string on more melodic Bill Keith-y pieces. I do it on guitar too. Why play a F as a barre chord when you can just fret the low F with your thumb? It’s way easier.

This is a bit of a tangent, but do a YouTube search for ‘correct’ left hand violin position and then watch some fiddlers and I can guarantee 99% of them will be doing it ‘wrong’. You can spot a classically trained fiddler from a mile off, and they’re usually very good, but the point is there isn’t really a right or wrong way of doing things where folk music is concerned, and that’s kind of how I feel about banjo. So don’t get too hung up on it would be my advice. Just keep playing and your fingers will find a way. Eventually you’ll be amazed it was ever an issue.

Feb 1, 2025 - 4:32:01 PM
likes this

33 posts since 5/19/2019

Here’s a tune you can play with one finger, however fat it is.


Feb 1, 2025 - 5:25:32 PM
likes this

7 posts since 4/7/2020

quote:
Originally posted by Cosmic_Cowboy

Why play a F as a barre chord when you can just fret the low F with your thumb? It’s way easier.

Can't fret cleanly that way.  My fingers are not only fat, they're short.  Really I should be playing some sort of Hobbit instrument.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent
Copyright 2025 Banjo Hangout. All Rights Reserved.





Hangout Network Help

View All Topics  |  View Categories

0.21875