back to homepage of Patek style tenor banjo
Frailing on tenor banjo
For more recent information look to my August 2010 article at Banjo Sessions.
Here are some YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/mirekpatek
You can get the frailing sound of the 5-string banjo on the tenor banjo retuned to CGdg or DGdg. Here is the so called bum-ditty 5-string banjo pattern M_MT played by (middle) fingernail and thumb, which will be emulated (there are actually two of them in one measure).
d------0-------0---|-
b------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
g--------0-------0-|-
| |_| | |_|
M M T M M T
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
As the highest g string (located on thumb side on 5-string) is on the treble side on CGdg or DGdg tenor banjo, this picking pattern has to be modified in order to produce similar sound on tenor banjo.
- The notes on 1st and 3rd beat are played by thumb
- The notes on 2nd and 4th beat are frailed - downpicked, downbrushed - by fingernail (or fingernailpick). I play with thumbpick and two fingerpicks on my index and middle finger, so I cannot frail with these two fingers, but there is still the ring finger to execute the downbrush.
- The g string is up-picked by index fingerpick.
Here is the tab of the frailing pattern on DGdg banjo, actually playing the G chord. Note it is played twice in one 4/4 measure and that the thumb plays first the root (note G) and than the fifth (note D) of the chord.
g------0-0-----0-0-|-
d------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
| |_| | |_|
T R I T R I
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
The basic frailing pattern can be shortly described as T_RIT_RI (R = brush by the nail of ring finger from bass to treble strings). Middle finger does not play in the basic frailing pattern, but can be accomodated when some fingerpicked pattern is ocasionally used instead of bum-ditty rhythm (e.g. TIMI).
To learn the T_RIT_RI pattern, try first to omit the index finger and practice the T_R_T_R_ pattern only with no notes on the &'s:
g------0-------0---|-
d------0-------0---|-
G--0---0-------0---|-
D----------0-------|-
| | | |
T R T R
count:
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
| LISTEN
|
The number of brushed strings (three, two only, or all four) can vary when you play accompaniment. When playing melody, the brushing nail of ring finger should start on the respective string to emphasise it. After some practice you will learn to hit by the ring nail the melody note only (with no brush at all) if intended. But before experimenting with the melody, fix the rhythm of the bum-ditty on the chord progression with simple walking bass connecting the chords (left hand holds the C chord 0520 and D chord 0202 respectively):
LISTEN
G C
g------0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0---------|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0---------|
d------0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----2-------2---|-----2-----------|
G--0---------------|-0-------2---4---|-5-------0-------|-5-------4---2---|
D----------0-------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | | | |_| | |_| | |_| | |
T R I T R I T R I T T T R I T R I T R I T T
G D
g------0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0---------|-----2-2-----2-2-|-----2-2---------|
d------0-------0---|-----0-----------|-----0-------0---|-----0-----------|
G--0---------------|-0---------------|---------2-------|-----------------|
D----------0-------|---------4---2---|-0---------------|-0-------2---4---|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | | | |_| | |_| | |_| | |
T R I T R I T R I T T T R I T R I T R I T T
How to play melody on the beats
Now let's play some simple melody. Here is the melody alone (for the first time play it with thumb only):
LISTEN
G D G
g------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
d------------------|-0---2---0-------|-0---------------|-----------------|
G--0---2---4---5---|-------------4---|-----5---4---2---|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
T T T T T T T T T T T T T
Change the thumb at 2nd and 4th beat to brush by ring finger. (Note your left hand holds D chord in the third measure, with melody notes pressed by left ring and little fingers. You can do it in two fingerings: Either put the index finger on third string, 2nd fret, and middle finger on first string 2nd fret for the whole measure, or put in the first half of the measure index finger to first string, 2nd fret, and little finger to third string 5th fret. The latter fingering changes in the second half of the measure into former one, OR you can stay with index finger on first string and the 4th and 2nd frets of third string press with ring and middle finger respectively):
LISTEN
G D G
g------0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----0-------0---|
d------0-------0---|-0---2---0---0---|-0---0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G--0---2---4---5---|-------------4---|-----5---4---2---|-0---0-------0---|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
T R T R T R T R T R T R T R T R
Then add the index finger picking the g note on the &'s after 2nd and 4th beats:
LISTEN
G D G
g------0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----2-2-----2-2-|-----0-0-----0-0-|
d------0-------0---|-0---2---0---0---|-0---0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G--0---2---4---5---|-------------4---|-----5---4---2---|-0---0-------0---|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_|
T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I
Now, to practice the ring finger, try to play instead brush the melody note ONLY, first without the succesive index finger:
LISTEN
G D G
g------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
d------------------|-0---2---0-------|-0---------------|-----------------|
G--0---2---4---5---|-------------4---|-----5---4---2---|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
T R T R T R T R T R T R T
OK, I also hit sometimes the next higher string too, so let's say that one plays with "minimal brush" :-)
Finally the melody notes (minimal brush) with the g string:
LISTEN
G D G
g--------0-------0-|-------0-------0-|-------2-------2-|-----------------|
d------------------|-0---2---0-------|-0---------------|-----------------|
G--0---2---4---5---|-------------4---|-----5---4---2---|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| | |_| |
T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I T R I T
Note all melody notes in the just shown example are on the beats. The beats 1, 3 are played by thumb, the beats 2, 4 are played by ring (with or without brush - you can change it for the contrast).
How to play melody notes on the &'s
If you would like to play some melody notes between the beats (on the &'s), you can play them with your right index finger, or you can articulate grace notes - hammer-ons (H), alternate string hammer-ons, pull-offs (P), alternate strings pull-offs, or slides (S) - with your left hand only.
Example of ornamented melody (first play it slowly in the Reno style with your thumb and index finger):
LISTEN
G D G
g------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
d------------------|-0---0-2-0-------|-0---------------|-----------------|
G--0---0-2-4-2-4-5-|-----------4-0-4-|-----5-4-5-4-2-4-|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| |
T T I T I T I T T I T I T I T T I T I T I T
Change the thumbs on 2nd and 4th beat to ring finger (if playing brushes, left hand holds D chord):
LISTEN
G D G
g-----(0)-----(0)--|----(0)-----(0)--|----(2)-----(2)--|-----------------|
d-----(0)-----(0)--|-0---0-2-0--(0)--|-0--(0)-----(0)--|-----------------|
G--0---0-2-4-2-4-5-|-----------4-0-4-|-----5-4-5-4-2-4-|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| |
T R I T I R I T R I T I R I T R I T I R I T
However, the old-time pickers rather use grace notes (why to employ two hands, when the left one can do the job alone). Try to use hammer-ons and pull-offs:
LISTEN
G D G
g-----(0)-----(0)--|----(0)-----(0)--|----(2)-----(2)--|-----------------|
d-----(0)-----(0)--|-0---0-2-0--(0)--|-0--(0)-----(0)--|-----------------|
G--0---0-2-4-2-4-5-|-----------4-0-4-|-----5-4-5-4-2-4-|-0---------------|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
| |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| |
T R H T P R H T R H T H R H T R P T P R H T
If you use hammer-ons, pull-offs or slides for melody notes, your index finger can play the drone g string sometimes (but do not let the melody note be outperformed by the drone one):
LISTEN
G D G
g------0-0-----0-0-|-----0-0-----0-0-|-----2-------2---|-----0-0-----0-0-|
d------0-------0---|-0---0-2-0---0---|-0---0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G--0---0-2-4-2-4-5-|-----------4-0-4-|-----5-4-5-4-2-4-|-0---0-------0---|
D------------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-------|
| |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| | |_| |_|_|_| | |_| | |_|
I I I I I I
T R H T P R H T R H T H R H T R P T P R H T R T R
Here is another exercise using hammer-ons between the beats. The melodic motive, which is three beats long only, goes through the four-beat measures:
LISTEN
g------0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
d------0-2-0---0---|-0-2-0-------0---|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
G--0-4-------4-0-4-|-------4-0-------|-----2-4-2---2---|-2-4-2-----------|
D------------------|-----------------|-0-4-------4-0-4-|-------4-0-------|
|_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_| | | |_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_| | |
T H R H T H R H T H R H T R T H R H T H R H T H R H T R
Frailing is especially effective when you are playing alone. Accompany your singing with bum-ditty rhythm + walking bass, and play the ornamented melody as a solo.