I’m looking for some clarity on right hand technique.
I know that everyone’s anatomy is different and that a lot of players use different techniques. I’ve been told that some player’s fingers “fly all over the place,” but they still manage to hit all of the strings at speed.
After two years of practice with The Murphy Method, I’ve learned a lot of songs. My technique, however, has not evolved. I think my lack of right hand technique is really what’s holding me back. Without a proper teacher to actually tell me my form is correct, I continue to shoot in the dark.
A few days ago, I started working on the forward roll again at 40 BPM. I feel like I really need to get a solid forward roll down with good hand position and technique, before I can move on and continue to learn more songs.
Referring to my rudimentary diagram below, I carefully start off with my index finger pulling in towards the string (Illustration 1). As I speed up or get tired, I’ve noticed that my finger stops pulling in towards the string and starts bobbing up and down (Illustration 2), towards and away from the banjo head.
Am I correct to assume that the proper or most efficient index finger motion is towards the string? This up and down business just seems sloppy and is usually where I totally crash and burn.