7 Bad Habits! Bluegrass Banjo Right Hand Technique [pt. 2]

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[@sandrasosnoski3038]

Just starting to learn - very helpful. I’m 60 and just bought my first banjo! Thank you for your help!

[@docmlm6644]

Hello Eli! I've been playing banjo for...well, long enough. For several years I tried to play according to the "ten commandments" of Earl, anchoring those two fingers. But I found it very difficult to get the dexterity and reach I needed with that index finger. After a lot of soul searching I finally gave it up... It helped. Then I discovered that there were great banjo players who did not anchor both fingers. That was encouraging. However, with the passage of time I started getting lazy with my right hand and even sometimes didn't anchor at all. Sometimes I would rest my little finger against the bridge or even curl it under the strings. My playing began to suffer. I was tensing up. It would take me a longer time to warm up before playing a gig. I had gotten sloppy and because my playing was suffering I was tensing up even more. My rolls were getting worse. My right hand would get tired. I watched your video about three times, and then I made a commitment. I would come to my banjo relaxed. I would relax my right hand even before playing. I would relax my right hand no matter what. I would slow down until I was relaxed and clean. I did that every time I practiced. A few days went by. I didn't do much of anything but rolls. No real progress. A week went by. Slight progress. Two weeks went by. Noticeable progress. Three weeks went by, and it was starting to click. After about four weeks - BINGO! Now even the hard stuff is getting easier and cleaner. I didn't have to try so hard to remember and learn the stuff because I wasn't having to fight my right hand. I didn't have to strain to get the speed. Eli, it really works! Three days ago I played at the market - my first gig since my "rehabilitation." My playing was as good as ever. The whole time I was controlling that right hand. My playing was smoother, more relaxed, more accurate, smoother... Quite a few people came up and told me they enjoyed the music. I am writing this not only to say thanks, but also to encourage other pickers out there - don't get discouraged. Don't give up. Keep working at it. Relax. It will come.

[@banjo_kid71]

Eli, you're the man. Just picked up my late father's banjo. Started about 3 weeks ago with your 30 day course. I'll be 52 in less than a month which maybe part of the reason I'm only on day 7. Thanks for the great videos.

[@dsclaud]

This video is just great, thank you! I'm almost 50 and just got my first banjo. I followed lot of tutorials. After some initial good results, I started finding it hard to keep my right hand in place, my picks felt uncomfortable, I would make constant mistakes. Basically I couldn't play and I was losing pleasure in practicing. But as Eli says it well in this video: SLOW DOWN! Just play those notes over and over, for months if necessary. That last suggestion is spot on. Everytime I feel demotivated or I make mistakes I just tell myself: Patience!

[@marthaohehir6233]

I would LOVE to make the banjo the first instrument that I play with relaxation and joy, and not stress and tension.

[@DIYbanjo]

For my first two years of playing, I tensed my right hand so much! I busked on the street, trying to be as loud and "bright" (playing close to the bridge) as possible, and I would curl my pinky under the strings so that it was resting on the fingernail. I would come away sore. Didn't help that I played in the cold. I eventually realized how limiting that bad habit was, and eventually was able to break it.

[@cb73]

Very affirming to the journey I’ve been on undoing my bad habits. I’ve had all the bad habits you outlined exactly. I’m absolutely willing to go back to kindergarten to ensure I do it right this time.

[@bernieguerin7926]

I had the same problem of anchoring the finger(s) and to help me I purchased tape with both sides sticky like carpet tape. Cut yourself a small piece and place it where you want to plant your finger. This will keep your finger in the right position till you train your muscles to keep it there. Hope this helps.

[@jacobcarlson8799]

As a big fan of Ralph Stanley’s style and trebly, twangy tone, I love the sound produced by picking close to the bridge.

[@boltofhawk]

It's not lost on me that your videos have the best graphic design standards...

[@josh_nailor]

I have a bad habit of trying to learn a song and move onto another instead of practicing over and over. I’d say impatience is my biggest fault, so this definitely helped me understand that. Thank you for the video!

[@garycornwell9100]

Great video. You talked about everything I’m guilty of doing. Big help! Thanks!

[@donaldfair4259]

More good tips 👏🪕

[@skevincampbell]

Good lesson. I've made every mistake you mentioned, and turned them into bad habits.

[@markglore7196]

Excellent! 👍 Building right hand technique is a never ending process. I've watched a lot of great players. The one thing they all have in common is they are always working on their right hand.

[@WorldBluegrassDay]

About tension: If you're not singing what I've found works, besides recognizing it and trying to let go, is to slow your breathing when you feel the tension. Focus on taking deep, slow breaths 'as you play". Get used to releasing the tension in your core and that will translate to the rest of your body. Tension is a mental thing. You need to alter your mind. Deep, slow breaths help with this. It's important to do as you play. Play as slow as you need to be able to take these breaths while you play...

[@BanjoCrazed]

This is what I practice as I’m learning a new song and playing through a set of music. Super helpful when playing in a jam or performance too.

[@ericdescombes3507]

True for ANY difficulty you have to deal with in any field of learning (I practice martial arts and I can tell you : that's the key !)

[@severinneukom]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@pattylow1]

Excellent advice!!!! Thank you!

[@jonos138]

This is great. I will be taking this all onboard.Thanks Eli.

[@jimcasey1526]

Outstanding teaching lessons; thank you, Eli!

[@63bonne]

Great advice!

[@stewartroberts246]

I needed this and more thanks

[@elilambson3591]

Thanks!

[@gordonhurt5569]

Great advice, gives me some ideas on what I need to work on

[@myname7914]

I appreciate your expertise and your humility. Awesome channel

[@tonyparrish5366]

Thank you so much!

[@billymack4258]

Awesome!Thank you so much !!!!

[@Mckinleyflies]

You know how to convey a point. Loving your videos!

[@josephmichelotti6230]

Great vid Eli!

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Thanks Joseph!

[@thomasgriffin8755]

This really helped me out....I have been looking for this topic for a while now I just didn't know how to address the topic so thank you for this and what you do.

[@mikemueller8728]

Great Info

[@therealdiehl4671]

After 30 years of playing, I've finally become painfully aware that I never consciously developed good habits. Therefore I have most of these bad habits. Now I can start working on getting good habits. Contrary to what many people think, this is a thinking mans business. It requires purposeful, focused attention to detail. Get good first! Then get fast.

[@onemanbanjo975]

Defenatly helped a lot! Thx and God bless!

[@kenmazer9481]

Thanks Eli, I’ve got some work to do.

[@rbfour5]

Thank you- this will help me reset and find the correct right hand position, which has been evading me since picking the banjo back up after 15 years.

[@jerrysimpson4562]

Thanks for the info. I know I have been guilty of some of those bad habits but didn't know how to fix them until I watched your video. I've got my work cut out for me. Thanks again.

[@audrybella6405]

Awesome video Eli. Yea, tension….. for some reason I allow / make my shoulder muscles tense up. Your tips are great as are all your banjo videos. Thanks for sharing your advise with us beginners.

[@paulbrunton877]

Thank you Eli, I have a long way to go and sure glad of your advice, I have a Deering good time 5 string banjo and only had it about 4 months.

[@jimnewton4721]

Eli, I have viewed this video several times. Thank you for these insightful tips!

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Glad to help!

[@edsturino5045]

I really enjoy your videos!!

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Thanks Ed!

[@vinceyreay]

WOW thank you, that's all good advice, particularly your last point on tension....I've only been playing a little over 3 Months (1 hour each day), actually really only 7 weeks as I moved away from clawhammer in favour of 3-finger picking that I'm a lot more comfortable with - stress often seriously interferes with my enjoyment of learning & I've noticed that when I tense up it pushes me to miss notes & also speed up, more likely to get to the end of the song quicker.

[@Banjodave77]

I really appreciate the concept you have explained here so eloquently. One thing I have found that helps me when I am testing those boundaries of my technique and abilities is to sort of let go of my mind, which I know sounds strange and probably counterproductive, but like you said, when I feel the tension coming and my mind wants to fixate on it, it becomes a slippery slope to more and more tension, mistakes, and frustration. But if I can train my mind to let the thoughts of tension flow through me, or around me, or whatever, it is in those moments of mindlessness that I realize I can actually execute the difficult roll or pattern while observing myself doing it from above. Not like an 'out-of-body' experience, but definitely an ego-free experience. Glad I stumbled onto your channel, Eli!

[@gordonsellenartist174]

Dave Hum didn't plant and he turned out pretty well.😁

[@WorldBluegrassDay]

Like seeing your videos on technique. Fun the learn new songs but also good to see what experts recommend from a technique standpoint. Just because you can play a song doesn't mean you're doing it right and those bad habits get harder and harder to break.

[@banjolaman]

hi eli im struggling because i am missing the top joint of my picking fin gers maybe you can give me some advise on the matter please you videos are supurb e by the way

[@TimmyTraspie]

this is a very very excellent video that even thought I have a high respect for my teacher, he sometimes leave things like this our or if he does bring them up, it's wasn't as clear as this video. Thanks

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Happy to help!

[@dddnnndddnnn]

If you are experiencing tension in the right hand, you may try using a Dunlop Zookie Thumb pick. They are angled at 30, 20 or 10 degrees which may allow you to bend your thumb joint just a little, thereby relaxing the hand. I haven't tried these thumb picks yet. If any of you do try this, please let us know if it works for you! David Neslony

[@rustystew37]

I have used Zukies thumb picks for years. I chose for how they fit my thumb and choose angle that rests naturally flat on the strings. I also blunt the thumb so it’s somewhat rounded not long and sharp.

[@jpbliss1]

Great video, Eli. You've got a new subscriber! There is one more problem I've noticed in my own playing: uneven tempo creeping into my rolls. I will sometimes play in a swing fashion or an a reverse swing fashion when the roll should consist of straight sixteenths. It's frustrating but I've found that (as you said) slowing the rolls down and deliberately evening them out helps. Long, patient process. Thanks for the good advice!

[@brandonmcduffie6913]

Very helpful videos. After years of self taught guitar I started to pick up banjo and have liked it very well, but obviously am LOADED with bad habits from just kinda picking up and going with it. Most notably; not anchoring. At first because I was so happy with my left hand progress and learning melodic songs like blackberry blossom, Jerusalem ridge, and even night sky by the Kruger Brothers that I failed to realize that my right hand can have the tendency to be all over the place. I've REALLY noticed this in the more Scruggs style songs like foggy mountain breakdown, old home place, or old Joe Clark, where I can't seem to develop any speed because my un anchored fingers want to gallop and drag across the strings in a rather embarrassing and sloppy manor. It's almost like I have to relearn and undo all 5 months of "progress" I made just to get this right hand thing down and it is absolutely frustrating. Thanks for the videos and straightforward instruction. I really am in need of help as far as correcting how I plant my fingers goes!!!

[@melissamessmer6544]

I'm a month in and have to really focus on what I call my flying index finger

[@jimkay9363]

Hi eli enjoyed your excellent mannee in explaining right hand technics.just bought first banjo.and at 82 loving the experience but right hand wont stay fixed where supposed to keeps sliding down.think your talk may help.thank you.jimmy

[@stevebanjo197]

Great Video , I suffer from focal dsytonia of the right hand index finger , your advice is the solution / cure for FD THANKs

[@inzo_6239]

You should do a lesson on: Home of the Red Fox by Bill Emerson

[@NathanRobinson-cy2ln]

I use my thumb on the 5th and 4th, my index on the 3rd and 2nd, and my middle on the 1st. I can play faster this way, but I was wandering if it is a bad habit. I don't really see many other players doing this. What is you opinion on this?

[@hippiblue]

I have all the bad habits plus some, people tell me how good I sound and give me tips. I haven't even learned a song yet. 😁

[@kittenandthetonics2573]

Totally thought the JD poster was the cover of Mike Watt’s “Ball-Hog or Tug Boat?”

[@Boysenberr]

Ah, Eli, these were good points, but I have a bad habit that no one ever addresses: I blow all my money on banjo parts! For example, last week I spent $136 for a 5th string tuning machine (I'll show it to you at Parkfield!). HELP!!!!!

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Ha!

[@jhudson9862]

I’ve heard good comments about running ones hands under warm water before playing to loosen up the right hand tension. If anyone does this, maybe they can piggyback on this topic..

[@theeaskey]

I live in south fl...does anyone know of bluegrass sessions going on around South fl... I am a seasoned guitar picker but un seasoned banjo picker.

[@jimmitchell8768]

Hi, Eli. I've enjoyed most of your online tutorials. I found this one disappointing for one reason. I assumed with the title declaring 7 bad habits would be addressed you would address mine. Unfortunately, not the case. I have a problem with my picks (mostly my thumb pick) hitting the head and making unwanted noise. A lot of instructional materials seem to minimize this. But it is a problem, and I don't know how to minimize the pick noise. Can you help?

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Hi Jim, I’m sorry you found this video so disappointing, but the answer to this question does lie in the video, even if not directly. You’ll need to build the habit of not hitting the head with your picks, which is best done by playing slowly, very very slowly. Can you play one note without hitting the head? If so, try two. Continue this progression until it’s your habit not to hit the head with your thumbpick. There may be a faster way around this, but I’ve never been able to fix a problem in my playing without slowing down and retraining myself.

[@josephmichelotti6230]

Play more slowly. That's exactly as he said. Record yourself playing rolls slowly

[@kpnorkin]

@@EliGilbertBanjo What they said. I've been playing for a long time and have let bad habits creep in. These include (but are not limited to) inconsistent picking volume (for me, it's first string) and picks hitting the head. Slowing down and concentrating on my picking is the only cure. Well, changing to a slightly taller .656 bridge on some of my banjos has helped, but then that requires other work to keep action where I like it.

[@billhocker476]

I’m starting to realize I have multiple issues when I play. I hold my breath at times, I may hover instead of remaining planted, my right wrist tenses and is too straight, I play at slightly inconsistent volume levels on different strings and vary my pace to name a few things. However, once in a while I hit it just right and play a song almost perfectly. I’m going to concentrate on your advice. It should help with my becoming a more consistently correct player. At only 16 days into playing I’m hoping the regression isn’t too much.

[@davidlee-vm9ub]

I disagree with your comment about planting on the bridge kills tone. I will ask you to go to my video at DnDMacon and listen to me play String Bender and see if you think I am killing tone by placing (not gripping) my little finger up against the end of the bridge.

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Check out 4:24 in the video, I say that there are definitely exceptions. Sammy Shelor sounds amazing and plants a finger on the bridge. If you like your tone then it sounds like you're one of those exceptions.

[@sheilalucas9154]

Too much initial waffle

[@jhudson9862]

I’ve heard good comments about running ones hands under warm water before playing to loosen up the right hand tension. If anyone does this, maybe they can piggyback on this topic..

[@jhudson9862]

I’ve heard good comments about running ones hands under warm water before playing to loosen up the right hand tension. If anyone does this, maybe they can piggyback on this topic..

[@jhudson9862]

I’ve heard good comments about running ones hands under warm water before playing to loosen up the right hand tension. If anyone does this, maybe they can piggyback on this topic..