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| Left Hand Fingering - Clawhammer Banjo - Banjo - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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mjherrod Approved
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Hi everyone, Sorry in advance if this topic has been covered, but I couldn't find an entry about it. I've been practicing my bum-ditty stroke for a little while, so I tried to do some of the level one songs ("Handsome Molly" and "Wildwood Flower" to be exact.) I'm fine picking out melody notes that are in the basic chord shapes, but when the melody goes outside the chords, I have no idea what fingers on my left hand to fret with. And the tab, of course, only says what fret to use, not which finger on your hand. I was wondering if people use some kind of system to fret individual melody notes (I'm imagining index finger for first fret, middle for second fret, ring for third fret, and pinky for fourth fret, or something like that?) Or instead is it more loose, and you just figure out something that works for each song? thanks a lot, Mike
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Will Approved 
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mjherrod wrote: Hi everyone, I would say you could just figure out something that works for each song. I don't play 5-string banjo, but I also play melody notes on guitar and other stringed instruments using chords. When a melody note goes outside of the chord shape, I try to find out where I can locate the note(s) - it sometimes can be found on different strings, then I figure out how to fret it without undue effort or disrupting the rhythm.
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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banjo brad Super Moderator 
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I was wondering if people use some kind of system to fret individual melody notes (I'm imagining index finger for first fret, middle for second fret, ring for third fret, and pinky for fourth fret, or something like that?) Or instead is it more loose, and you just figure out something that works for each song? Most OT players will tend to use your method, i.e. 1st fret index, 2nd fret middle, etc., but will modify it some to the tune. Often you will find that the tune doesn't require much 1st fret fretting, so the "home" position moves to the 2nd fret, and those notes would be played by the index finger, and so on. But, it is something that needs to be worked out for each tune to some degree. After a while, it will start to become automatic. A good way to start learning this is to try to get away from the chordal method of playing the tunes. Much OT music uses open strings more than chords, and the brush may even be only the 1st or 1st and 2nd strings.
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Richard Hefner Administrator 
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mjherrod wrote: ... I tried to do some of the level one songs ("Handsome Molly" and "Wildwood Flower" to be exact.) I'm fine picking out melody notes that are in the basic chord shapes, but when the melody goes outside the chords, I have no idea what fingers on my left hand to fret with. And the tab, of course, only says what fret to use, not which finger on your hand. Hey Mike, The clawhammer banjo arrangements that I label "Level 1" can usually be played best by leaving your left hand in the basic chord positions unless there are notes to be played that are outside the chord, then try staying in the general chord shape while playing the other notes so you can get back to the chord -- but if you're going to a different chord from there you don't need to worry about that. Much of the time you're playing a G chord, which is open (no strings held) so in that case you just need to play the notes that are called for and don't worry about holding a chord. In the Level 1 version of Handsome Molly here... http://www.ezfolk.com/banjo/tab/efgh/hanmol-m/hanmol-1/hanmol-1.html ... when you get to the D7 chord, hold that position unless something else is called for, so in measure 4 just hold the D7 and play what it says (there are no other notes outside the chord). In measure 13, keep holding D7 (you were already holding it in measure 12), but in the second half of measure 13 you'll play the 2nd string open followed by the 2nd string 3rd fret. You could completely pick up your hand and release the D7 chord, but it would be more efficient to just remove your index finger from the 1st fret 2nd string and use your ring finger to hold the 3rd fret of the 2nd string, while leaving your middle finger planted on the 3rd string 2nd fret. This will minimize the motions you are making and will make it easier to hold the D7 chord again as you go into the 14th fret. That's generally the way it works, but don't overthink it. As you gain more experience playing you'll naturally learn to play more efficiently. Hope that makes sense! Hope that makes sense.
____________________ Richard Hefner Webmaster, ezFolk.com MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
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| ezFolk Forums > Banjo > Clawhammer Banjo > Left Hand Fingering | |
