The past few weeks, I've been revisiting some OT tunes (I mostly play classic style) and working on developing a kind of hybrid technique that is mostly like 2-finger index lead but using 3 fingers (middle finger stays on 1st string, index travels) with the occasional forward/backward roll if I need to fill space. More recently, I've been messing around with mixed lead, using the thumb on the downbeat especially if on the 3rd or 4th string. But I still get easily tripped up switching between the two. My thought process has been "If the next downbeat is played with the index, I should precede it with a middle-to-thumb 'ditty'; if played with the thumb, I should precede it with a thumb-to-middle 'ditty.'" Of course, that requires knowing what finger you are going to use a beat or two in advance.
I'm just wondering if anyone here plays in a mixed-lead (or better yet, a mixed 3-finger) style and how they approach it (like, do you play the 3rd string with index, thumb, or both?). I have Nick Hornbuckle's book, which is helpful for seeing what can be done, but when it comes to extemporizing on a tune, it's hard to decide in the moment.
Really, no one has anything to say about mixed lead? To be clear, I'm really talking about an OT 3-finger thing but where most of the patterns take after 2-finger playing.
I'm finding that playing the 3rd string 100% with the thumb leads to some interesting patterns, although my index seems to have a mind of its own and wants to travel. I've also found that the index on the 2nd string can act as a "pivot" between leading with the thumb vs. middle (or vice versa, the middle on the 1st string for pivoting between thumb and 2nd string/index), but that again becomes an issue of thinking ahead. I guess it becomes a matter of muscle memory after a while.
Here's a rough demo:
https://youtube.com/shorts/XAxjsp5f4HM?si=jRgRNCV1cOM9YLUx
I've just never thought about it, I just play to grab the notes I want. When I use 3 fingers, it's usually similar to Dock Boggs' style as illustrated on my take on "Oh Death", "Country Blues/Hustling Gambler" and "Davenport", where I also (as Boggs did) use brushes in playing. You can also grab notes on the first string with the thumb (TTI) like Rosko Halcomb. I use this to syncopate tunes like when I play "Single Girl", or the Troxell's 'Wild Bill Jones." I guess in general, I try to not to over-analyze my right hand when I play.
Edited by - RG on 05/24/2025 14:28:42
