Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

1 vs 2 Fingers- Banjo Planting

#1

I’m interested to hear how many of you plant two fingers on the banjo head, or just one:

  • Both Fingers
  • Pinky Only
  • Ring Only

0 voters

I plant the pinky only, but most pros plant both. I asked Jim Britton about it, and he said that you’ll get slightly better sound with fewer overtones. He’s right; I tried it and got a bit crisper tone.

So I want to switch to two-finger planting. I don’t have any tremendous trouble with hitting the notes (my hand is much less stable when I plant two fingers, but I’m pretty sure that would go away eventually). My main concern is that there is sometimes noticeable pain in my forearm when I pick with two fingers down. Anybody else experience this? I definitely don’t want to damage my picking hand (@Fiddle_wood’s experience comes to mind).

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#2

Except on occasion it might plant either R or P

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#3

I plant both as that’s how I learned it from Tony Trischka and then later the same from Noam Pikelny. I learned to raise my wrist up higher to make an arch and lower my shoulder and back up my elbow. Pulling back your elbow and arm will automatically raise your wrist.

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#4

50/50 nice​:joy::joy:

#5

Of course there are pros like Russ Carson who only plant one but I’ve always preferred the tone and position of planting both

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#6

You forgot no fingers planted in your survey @Michael_Mark

Dave Hum RIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vohXmvoVueA

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#7

My problem was caused by over-playing: too hard & too fast for too long (4 straight 10 hr days of playing the same break) aaf_dur

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#8

I just tried planting both. As soon as I looked anywhere but at my ring finger, it lifted off. It was kind of comical.

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#9

I broke my middle finger and can’t bend it so the choice was easy for me ha.

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#10

I’m glad you mentioned this. I’ve been having an issue with my wrist flattening out as I play longer, causing my pinky to hit the 1st string more and more. I’ll try your tips.
@Michael_Mark, I feel like my fingers are kept closer together when I plant both but the pinky is what is more comfortable and what I’m used to. I’ve been experimenting more with both planted cause I’m wondering if it will help with speed in the long run. When I video myself with just the pinky planted, the fingers look to flail around more. But hey, then again, I look at Ben and Russ, and many others and know that either way I’ll ok.

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#11

Interesting; for me it’s a bit of the opposite. My middle finger flails around with both anchored. But when I plant just the pinky, I get my wrist higher, and can keep my fingers closer to the strings, with more control.

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#12

That was my first reason for wanting to change my position back several years ago. I really liked how relaxed specifically Tony Trischka’s right hand looked while playing and wanted to model after that. I never did have a good position many years ago and didn’t ever like the look of how my middle finger would move so much either. It took a lot of effort to keep it planted originally. I felt like I couldn’t reach the strings and had no power. Now it feels the best to me.

The raising of the wrist and pushing the elbow back and towards your body is a new concept I never worked on until recently when my current teacher Wes Corbett brought it up. It reduces a lot of tension in the shoulder I never realized was there. Still am working on it a lot, it takes a lot to change just a small thing in your position

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#13

FWIW - I plant both fingers. I do this because I read it in an old book by some guy named Earl. I practiced it by planting my pinky & ring while drumming my fingers on the table or chair or my leg …anything but a banjo. All I was trying to figure out was how to wiggle three fingers without wiggling the other two.
Now the two-finger plant is automatic.
I guess that means some new young hot shot banjo player will come along with an exciting new & improved form of 4-finger style picking. :grimacing:

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#14

I wish I had a pound for the times this topic has appeared on a banjo forum over the last 30 years.

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#15

Interesting replies for sure! I think the way I pull the ring finger close to my palm helps keep the middle finger closer to the string, but maybe I’m a weirdo.

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#16

Another interesting way to look at it, I try to have my right hand wrist look about the same angle arch as my left fretting hand. That makes it easier to keep both fingers planted I think.

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