Over the past year, I've taken a greater interest in two finger banjo styles and have some questions about playing at fast speeds. Unfortunately, all of the videos I can find on youtube are geared towards the complete beginner, so I haven't been able to find anything helpful to me there. I've recently transcribed and learned from this Omer Forster recording, and I'm unable to match his speed unless I'm wearing fingerpicks. I can only get to about 75% of his speed without them. The contest I'm preparing this for will be grading for historical authenticity, so I know the fingerpicks are a crutch that will have to go at some point.
The problem I'm having is that there is considerably more drag when playing with the fleshy tips of my fingers. It feels like I have to exert more force from my fingertips to pluck the strings, almost like I'm wading through a pool of water in comparison. Is there something I can adjust in my technique to help with this? Or perhaps putting a stiffer set of strings on? Currently using 9's and downtuning a half step to match the recording, which might be contributing to the problem.
I play some 2-finger. My string set (for everything) is 11.5l x2, 13, 15 and 24 bronze woud. 9s seem awflly light to me.
Fingerpicks in varios guises go back to the mid-19th c., so traditionall players may or may not have used them in some form. Do you know Forster did not? If the contest you are preparing for s not limited to pre-WWI traditional styles (which are unrecorded far as I know) then using fingerpicks is fair game—or should be.
Forster did not play using fingerpicks, or at very least was never photographed or filmed using them. "Old Time" and "Traditional" as terms can often times be so ambiguous and inconsistent in their meaning that even if I could find a historical precedent for using them I would still want to avoid it for this contest as a precaution. I'll try throwing medium strings on and see if the extra tension helps me play faster. Didn't want to because my banjo is set up pretty good for bluegrass right now, but I can always go back after the contest in a couple months.
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersFingerpicks in varios guises go back to the mid-19th c., so traditionall players may or may not have used them in some form. Do you know Forster did not? If the contest you are preparing for s not limited to pre-WWI traditional styles (which are unrecorded far as I know) then using fingerpicks is fair game—or should be.
Whoa! This is a big revelation!! Could you help me with primary documentation of the common availability use of fingerpicks on banjos (or guitars) going back to 1850?
With that documentation this will be a MAJOR deal among historians. I can't wait to learn about it.
While not a shortcut, or as simple as changing strings, a careful study of the Joe Morley method might help you with speed. Morley developed a system of "alternate fingering" where he focused on playing runs of notes alternating between the index and thumb on all strings. This was different than the common method where generally index and middle are used on the first and second strings.
Nevertheless, his method has a series of exercises that effectively program your right hand into the system where one never picks a succession of notes with the same finger in a row (with exceptions where necessary).
Using alternate fingering, along with left hand economy of motion voids any stumbling.
One of my favorite banjo players is Nick Hornbuckle. He plays two finger with picks. He has a lot of videos online and sells transcriptions to a lot of his songs.
youtube.com/watch?v=QAx3DKEriU4&t=24s
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