Banjo · Chapter 7 of 23

Three-Finger Picking: Thumb, Index, Middle

Bluegrass banjo is played with three fingers: the thumb (T), the index (I) and the middle (M). Before rolls, get each finger to pick cleanly and evenly.

In three-finger style, each finger has its own territory. Once that feels natural, rolls are just the fingers taking turns.

Who plays what

Thumb (T)

Picks down, toward the floor. It plays the 5th string most of all, and the 4th and 3rd strings. Sometimes it reaches the 2nd.

Index (I)

Picks up, toward your palm. It plays the 3rd and 2nd strings.

Middle (M)

Picks up. It plays the 1st string, and sometimes the 2nd.

Pick with the tip of the pick, not the whole blade, and move from the knuckle; the hand itself stays still. Keep your ring finger (and little finger, if you like) resting lightly on the head near the bridge. That anchor tells your hand where the strings are, so you don’t have to look.

One finger at a time

Start slowly, with even quarter notes: thumb on the 3rd string, index on the 2nd, middle on the 1st, then the thumb on the 5th. Every note the same loudness, every note the same length apart.

Pinches

A pinch is two fingers picking at the same moment, usually the thumb with the middle finger (T+M) or with the index (T+I). Squeeze them toward each other, as if you were picking something up. Pinches mark the beat and end many tunes.

Thumb and fingers taking turns

Now eighth notes, two to a beat: the thumb alternates with a finger. Count “1 and 2 and”: the thumb is on the numbers, the fingers on the “and”s.

In the second bar, hold the C chord with your fretting hand; the picking hand doesn’t change at all.

Try it. Play the last exercise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, a quarter note per click. When it feels easy and even for a whole minute, move to 70, then 80. Keep it relaxed: speed comes from being relaxed, not from trying harder.

Picks slipping? Bend the finger picks gently so they hug your fingers, and slide them on far enough that the blade sits just past the fingertip. A thumb pick should be snug but not pinching. If your hand gets tired, rest: tension makes the notes uneven.

Check each one when it feels easy at a slow, steady tempo.

My thumb plays down on strings 5, 4 and 3; my index and middle pick up.
I can play each finger alone on its usual strings, evenly.
I can play a clean pinch (thumb and middle together).
Thumb and fingers take turns without my hand tensing up.

Remember

T picks down (5th, 4th, 3rd strings); I and M pick up (I: 3rd and 2nd; M: 1st).
Rest the ring finger on the head near the bridge; move the fingers, not the hand.
A pinch is two fingers at once: T+M or T+I. Practice slowly and evenly, with the metronome.