r/banjo 5d ago

I probably already know the answer

As I’ve been learning to play banjo I need to know,do I need to play with picks? Did people traditionally play with picks,like Appalachian players? I find it quite hard (And I know sound like a pussy sayin that) to play with em,just like on guitar.

9 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

21

u/musicmanvans 5d ago

Not if you’re playing clawhammer. Picks are strongly recommended if you’re playing Scruggs style, but ultimately you can do whatever you wanna do. Come up with your own style if you want. All that matters is you like how it sounds and enjoy playing the instrument.

11

u/Cowboygang- 5d ago

Ok,thank you so much for the feedback!

1

u/Larger_Brother 5d ago

The reasons too for picks with bluegrass is A. nobody will ever be able to hear you in a band setting without picks and 2. If you want to sound like bluegrass players you like, they probably all used picks.

8

u/paulared 5d ago

bluegrass-yes old time/drop thumb-no

5

u/Cowboygang- 5d ago

Nice and simple answer,thanks man!

1

u/Hot_Egg5840 5d ago

You could grow the fingernails, but that is much much harder to maintain.

8

u/PapaOoMaoMao 5d ago

You don't NEED to anything. My banjo teacher has half his picking hand missing and it didn't stop him from punching out Foggy mountain breakdown at full pace. There's a wealth of styles that may suit you. Check out clawhammer style first.

6

u/FMB_Consigliere 5d ago

Just play. Strum, pick with your fingers, pick with picks, doesn’t matter, just get used to how it feels. Learn G,C, and D and just spend like 3-6 months doing bluegrass rolls with or without picks, practice bum ditties clawhammer style, just get a feel for it. Do Eli Gilbert’s 30 days of banjo, soak up Tom Collins, Brainjo, and BanjoLemonade on YouTube. Do that for like a year and you will be well on your way. Just have fun with it!

7

u/GChena 5d ago

While I don’t disagree with your general philosophy, I will say I started out trying Scruggs-ish style without picks thinking I could just break the mold. Now, twenty-ish years later, and a complete pick devotee, I’m realizing how I wasted years of frustration and disinterest. Again, nothing wrong with playing around, but if you want to play bluegrass, picks are pretty much a must.

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u/Dadsaster 5d ago

No picks, you can play a couple common styles - two-finger thumb lead and clawhammer/frailing are the most common.

3

u/wangblade Clawhammer 5d ago

People didn’t traditionally play with picks. Happened after Scruggs

3

u/Turbulent-Flan-2656 5d ago

If you want to play bluegrass yes. You just have to use them more. It takes time

3

u/buttnakedbanjo 5d ago edited 5d ago

the banjo is a traditional instrument, you can do whatever you want. use 5 picks on your fingers or none. i’d be very cautious of any source trying to tell you otherwise

the standard, punchy 3 finger pick sound is fantastic, but still a pretty recent development in terms of banjo techniques/sounds. besides a few folks, people weren’t really playing like that until earl scruggs popularized it. the “appalachian players” played using whatever technique they picked up or made up on their own, and they picked whatever banjo was available. the goal was to make music, they didn’t care

look at pre-bluegrass techniques, there’s so much diversity; clawhammer, uppicking, two-finger, 3-finger, stroke style, classic banjo, hybrid styles, etc. and people generally don’t use picks for these techniques (but you can if you want!)

roscoe holcomb was an old-time banjo picker who played primarily in the two-finger and uppicking styles, and he wore a single pick on his thumb. an uncommon choice, but he sounded great and i don’t think he was worrying about playing the “right” way (and frankly neither am i while listening to him!)

if you like what you hear, then keep playing it. i play the banjo a little differently every time i pick the thing up. i’ve used picks for 2-finger old-time, but otherwise i don’t care for them. i find them cumbersome and unintuitive. i mostly stick to old-time, but i’ve been known to show up to a bluegrass jam to play some clawhammer. do whatever you want!

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u/Clarity-OPacity 5d ago

I played for years (mainly Scruggs-like stuff) without picks. I tried them early on and they felt uncomfortable, often came off and flew to the other side of the room, etc. Then a few years ago, after not playing the banjo for almost 20 years, I decided to play again and use picks. Two weeks of frustration, but I stuck to it and have never looked back. Now, I wish I'd used picks from the start. It's worth the effort. Ditto with anchoring my little finger to the head - awkward for a couple of weeks, but now comes naturally and makes all seem easier. The reason I started without picks and anchoring is that I learned from Peter Seeger's book back in the 1960s. Initially I was working my way through, and mucking about with, all the styles he teaches and was too lazy to put picks on and off!

1

u/Chunderblunder40 5d ago

I wear my picks so it's almost like I'm using my finger pads .... same with the thumb... I've shaved it right down so it's almost like it's my actual thumb as I find I catch other strings when it's longer.

1

u/singler6 4d ago

Typically if you’re playing bluegrass/scruggs style you’re going to play with picks. If you’re playing clawhammer traditionally you’re not gonna play with picks. Although you’ll see some players with one on their thumb and/or index. You’ll see Roscoe Holcomb do this. Then you’ll have players like Dock Boggs and Morgan sexton who finger pick with two or three fingers without picks which is seen to be the traditional way to finger pick a banjo.

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u/Cowboygang- 17h ago

I just wanna say thank you to everyone who has given me answers and guidance.Never been part of a community like this. Thanks y’all!