Left Hand Exercise #1 For Banjo
Today I’ll show you a left-hand exercise you can do to strengthen up your pull-offs and increase the dexterity of your fingers.
You don’t even need to use your right-hand at all to work on this. You can do it while watching TV!
Banjo Pull-off Exercise
The basic idea is to put all four fingers along one string, each on a different fret. Then you start by pulling down with your pinky to the ring finger. Try to maintain enough pressure on the ring finger that you don’t bend the string when you pull-down.
The main thing to watch out for is to make sure you aren’t just lifting your finger up. By pulling DOWN, you create a stronger sound.
After you do the pinky, move on to the ring finger, the middle finger, and so forth.
Only spend about two minutes or so doing this exercise. I don’t want you to strain your fingers/hand, especially if you are new to the instrument. It doesn’t take much to be on your way to stronger fingers.
Lastly, try not to move your fingers too far away from the fingerboard. Some movement is inevitable, especially with the pinky. Just remember, the further you move away from the plane of the fingerboard, the more you have to move back. This slows down your left-hand fretting when things get to moving!
Check out part two of my left-hand exercise series.
Here is an old video I did on proper left-hand technique, check it out for a review.
