What Are You Working On Right Now?

[FuzzyAce]

So everyone just hears you playing this pattern over and over and over and over and….

Unless you're Béla Fleck.

 

[Mikael Dez]

Unless you're Béla Fleck.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I think the worst part about it was that it’s so loud lol, the entire house can hear me just sucking at it lmao

Man, really, that was the reason why I ultimately sort of gave up. Had to play some banjo parts for a musical, so I bought a cheap Harley Benton one (6 string guitar banjo, so I could get into it quicker), liked it quite a bit - but I simply can't practise on the thing because it's just too damn loud. Sure, as it's a guitar banjo, I could just faux practise on guitar, but the difference in feel and response is so brutal that it just doesn't cut it.

 

[metropolis_4]

Unless you're Béla Fleck.

Ironically it was in an interview with him and Abigail Washburn that I first heard something along those lines. They were teaching the interviewer to play banjo and showed them a simple pattern and said “now repeat that 10,000 times”

 

[FuzzyAce]

Awesome stuff!

 

[Mikael Dez]

Awesome stuff!

I kept hearing Billy Strings’ name over the past couple years, never paid much attention. One day I sat and listened to his album, and the picture in my head was a dude in his 40s/50s. Color me surprised when I found out he’s like 4 years younger than me lol, that dude is the future of the Bluegrass genre

 

[FuzzyAce]

Ironically it was in an interview with him and Abigail Washburn that I first heard something along those lines. They were teaching the interviewer to play banjo and showed them a simple pattern and said “now repeat that 10,000 times”

I remember watching an interview with those 2 a few years back. Her style is probably more of what I would do on a banjo if I took it up. I've tried thumb picks before and it's a little weird for me because I upstroke quite a bit with a pick naturally so it feels awkward.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I kept hearing Billy Strings’ name over the past couple years, never paid much attention. One day I sat and listened to his album, and the picture in my head was a dude in his 40s/50s. Color me surprised when I found out he’s like 4 years younger than me lol, that dude is the future of the Bluegrass genre

Exactly the same way it happened with me too. Kept seeing vids pop up of him collaborating with artists and would ignore (honestly don't know why). But finally I said ok, what's this hype all about...? Pleasantly surprised to say the least.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I've tried thumb picks before and it's a little weird for me because I upstroke quite a bit with a pick naturally so it feels awkward.

Try Brent Mason's technique. He's flawlessly mixing things. Checked it out for a while but never found a thumb pick that I liked, even less so for the funky things I'm often doing.

 

[metropolis_4]

I remember watching an interview with those 2 a few years back. Her style is probably more of what I would do on a banjo if I took it up. I've tried thumb picks before and it's a little weird for me because I upstroke quite a bit with a pick naturally so it feels awkward.

I actually really struggle with clawhammer because it’s all downstrokes with your fingers and I’ve always only done upstrokes with my fingers. It felt so bizarre to me to play downstrokes with my fingers like that.

Thumb picks are tricky, you have to commit to using mostly downstrokes with the pick and use your fingers for other things. For example, I sometimes alternate pick by using a combination of the thumb pick for the downstrokes and my index finger for the upstrokes.

Strumming is best done either with fingers or a combination of downstrokes with the pick and upstrokes with fingers.

Ultimately, the key to using a thumb pick is to go all in and commit to the style/technique and not try to think of it as just a flat pick attached to your thumb

 

[FuzzyAce]

Try Brent Mason's technique. He's flawlessly mixing things. Checked it out for a while but never found a thumb pick that I liked, even less so for the funky things I'm often doing.

Just watching this vid now. I like doing hybrid but just not with a thumb pick. lol. Maybe I'll try again another day though.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I actually really struggle with clawhammer because it’s all downstrokes with your fingers and I’ve always only done upstrokes with my fingers. It felt so bizarre to me to play downstrokes with my fingers like that.

Thumb picks are tricky, you have to commit to using mostly downstrokes with the pick and use your fingers for other things. For example, I sometimes alternate pick by using a combination of the thumb pick for the downstrokes and my index finger for the upstrokes.

Strumming is best done either with fingers or a combination of downstrokes with the pick and upstrokes with fingers.

Ultimately, the key to using a thumb pick is to go all in and commit to the style/technique and not try to think of it as just a flat pick attached to your thumb

I'm much more comfortable fingerpicking naturally. I don't mind downstrokes only in that respect as it comes with that technique. Adding the thumb pick feels strange and adds brightness as a side effect. I hate growing my picking finger nails out too.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Just watching this vid now. I like doing hybrid but just not with a thumb pick. lol. Maybe I'll try again another day though.

Oh, he's got fake nails there as well. I once had those for a while when I wanted to play classical a bit more. But they looked pretty bad and required caretaking, so I scrapped the idea.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Oh, he's got fake nails there as well. I once had those for a while when I wanted to play classical a bit more. But they looked pretty bad and required caretaking, so I scrapped the idea.

Yeah, no way I'm putting fake nails on my hand.
Considering I work with my hands everyday... not a very good idea.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Yeah, no way I'm putting fake nails on my hand.

They actually feel fantastic, no less. IMO at least.

Considering I work with my hands everyday... not a very good idea.

Well, they may help you once you don't find a screwdriver (yes, they can be that tough).
But seriously, was the same for me. I worked parttime in a bicycle repair shop back then and the dirty stuff creeped under the nail beds, was almost impossible to get it out, so my hands started looking zombie-style. Not what I wanted...

 

[FuzzyAce]

They actually feel fantastic, no less. IMO at least.

I totally respect some amazing players that have them, I really do. But based on how I learned fingerpicking early on (with no nails), it's more comfortable to me without them, and as a side benefit the tone is warmer. And to this day, I don't like using a pick with acoustic guitar. Almost never.

 

[Sascha Franck]

And to this day, I don't like using a pick with acoustic guitar.

I even play my nylon with a pick. Most of the time at least. Pick & Finger style, though.

 

[metropolis_4]

I'm much more comfortable fingerpicking naturally. I don't mind downstrokes only in that respect as it comes with that technique. Adding the thumb pick feels strange and adds brightness as a side effect. I hate growing my picking finger nails out too.

Yeah, the thumb pick is a thing and you either like it or you don’t.

By the way I’m the same with fingerstyle where I learned using my finger tips, not nails, and I also like the warmer and softer sound of it.

 

[Mikael Dez]

I'm 95% happy with my progress on it, it could be cleaner (warning iPhone recording):

 

[JCW308]

I'm working on my background vocals. Playing bass and singing what is NOT the melody at the same time is hard (for me at least)!