Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Resting Hand while Flatpicking

#1

Hi Everyone!

I’m Jason! I’m new to the forums and I’m looking forward to meeting all of you! I have hit what I think is a brick wall in my playing. I can’t seem to further my tempo anymore than in the video. I think this may be because I tend to rest my hand on the bridge while but I’m not exactly sure! Do any of you have any suggestions on whether I should rest my hand while picking individual notes. I do not rest my hand during strumming rhythm.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xzc-Y2ASYQITZ1Zl2wnbbf-t33rlin_U/view?usp=drivesdk

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#2

I haven’t seen the video, but I have requested access. I’ll take a look at it when I get access.

About resting on the bridge… it is better not to do so. Some folks do it and play much better than me, BUT it is generally better to avoid it. I think more of a brushing is generally considered ok.

Good deal on posting a video. I suspect you will get some helpful feedback.

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#3

Hey @jasonleemichael Would you be able to post that on youtube and share the link here?

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#4

I can’t view the video. But I definitely would not be resting your hand to the point of anchoring. When I’m flatpicking my wrist drops lower than when I’m strumming, but it’s still free floating and just lightly brushing the bridge pins. There is a point of contact, but it isn’t anchored. That’s the way I was taught by Jake Workman and he says you’ll never hit a speed wall that way. Ben flatpicks much the same as well. It’s the more modern, and much more efficient, technique. It can be tricky to get at first though - you feel like you’re losing all your accuracy! But that’ll come back! Hope that helps.

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#5

I don’t think the issue is as much with resting on the bridge or planting your pinky, etc. A lot of people use either one as a reference point while playing lead parts. In my opinion it’s more to do with tension and if the planting is so hard it’s restricting your movement. For me I spend a lot of time focusing on being relaxed in the shoulders then work down the arm.

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#6

Hey Jason, welcome! The Drive file is set to private currently, so we can’t view it.

I wouldn’t recommend bracing the wrist on the bridge. If you do want to anchor, the best anchorers do so somewhat banjo-like, with the ring and/or pinky finger on the pickguard. The main thing is to not let it restrict your range of motion, so it’s usually better to sort of drag the anchored fingers across the top rather than lock them in place. (Tony Rice, Josh Williams, and Bryan Sutton are some incredible examples) That being said, I’ve seen good players who plant the wrist on the bridge- they’re just less common. (I think Trey Hensley does, though.)

Overall, finger planting and free floating are the best. I don’t think just one works for everybody. I choose to plant, because it’s more traditional. I do like to float for rhythm licks, mainly on faster songs. I agree that you can probably be faster with floating (though Jake Workman, Chris Thile, etc. are as incredible as they are because of much more than just floating). HOWEVER, speed is not everything. It’s important, but not everything. I don’t think it’s as easy to pull rich tone with floating as it is when you’re in contact with the guitar. Just don’t ask me to do it yet :sweat_smile:

So if someone ever tells you that you NEED to float to be the best player you can be, go watch these videos and laugh:

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#7

While speed is not everything, it’s what Jason said he was struggling with. Tension is the blocker to speed. I certainly don’t have this mastered!!! but I do think I understand the reason why players struggle getting faster. There have been much less tense modern players since Tony Rice, as great as he was. Just my opinion.

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#8

Ok, I was able to view the video. One thing is that I saw a double down stroke in there on the same string; this will slow you down, especially at earlier levels… so if you struggle with speed, see if you have a habit of doing that while you pick (At more advanced levels, players sometimes do multiple down strokes while crosspicking, but for now it’s best to always do downstrokes on downbeats, up strokes on upbeats).

Aside from that, it does look like the wrist planting might be hindering your speed of transfer from bass to treble strings. If you’re finding you feel tense as you pick, relax a bit and try to lift the wrist off. If you need to, you can brace lightly on the top with your fingers. Check out this vid:

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#9

I gently rest my wrist on bridge in I’m play a fast lead, for most things it’s floating. That’s what Molly Tuttles does and its what feels best for me.

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#10

You know, I thought it might be fun to switch all my right hand tech for a year. Plant two fingers on banjo, float on mandolin… I wonder if I’d be able to switch back, and how many different techniques are actually worse for me or just feel weird.

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#11

Cody Kilby told me he went from floating all the time to playing anchored, and I told him i normally play with my wrist resting on the bridge. He thought learning to do things different ways in the long run will improve overall musicianship. So I’ve been working on playing with pinky loosely anchored like Sutton, wrist loosely anchored like Tuttle, and completely floating like Workmen.

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#12

There is only ONE :rofl::rofl:

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#13

THE Workmen.:joy::joy:

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#14

It’s Workman

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#15

OHHHHH I feel like an idiot​:joy::joy:

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#16

If you want to play that guitar, you gotta put in the work, man.

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#17

Haha

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#18

That’s interesting that Cody made the switch from floating to anchoring. I would imagine that most would go the other way around.

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#19

I am a pinky dragger. I spent over a month trying to go free. My tone and accuracy never got to where I was convinced that it was right for me. It DID seem that it was going to lead to more speed. I think @oaklymaple’s trying out different approaches is good if you can do it. I think there are things that are generally better for most, but in looking at all the folks that do great with differing techniques, I think it is hard to say that what works for one person is what everyone should do. Lots of great suggestions so far. As someone mentioned above, the big thing is to eliminate tension.

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#20

My experience exactly Mike! Not to mention the unwanted noise the pinky dragging the top makes. I don’t really notice it until I try playing without dragging and then go back.

Maybe we’re just too old and set in our ways! :woozy_face:

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