fingerpicking

[eyesore]

do any of you fingerpickers have a problem with something called a forward roll? like a banjo term... thumb,index,middle,ring.if you do it real fast ,it sounds kind of like a Spanish guitar... i have always had trouble doing it ,wish i could it sounds cool.

[why2]

I'm pretty experienced at finger picking and I have difficulty doing the forward roll. Those who do it well almost make it sound like a simple uniform strum. I have gotten better but not as good as I would like.
I start practicing slowly and then increase speed and that has gotten me a bit better. But there is much more room for progress.

why2

[eyesore]

Originally Posted by why2

I'm pretty experienced at finger picking and I have difficulty doing the forward roll. Those who do it well almost make it sound like a simple uniform strum. I have gotten better but not as good as I would like.
I start practicing slowly and then increase speed and that has gotten me a bit better. But there is much more room for progress.

why2

my sentiments exactly.i start out ok then keep going faster.. and sloppier!

[buddyhu]

I am not great with the forward roll, but my teacher tells me (and my experience confirms that):

• Right hand position is really important if you want to develop speed.
• It really helps to start slow, and to use a metronome so that you really get a slow roll down.
• Slowly increase the rate of the metronome, like in 5% increments, increasing maybe once every week or two at the most
• And don’t increase the metronome until you are reliably doing well at your current speed.

It takes me a remarkable amount of patient repetition to get these things flowing. But more and more, i see the value, and I also see that over periods of months, i am getting the hang of this type of practice..

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by eyesore

do any of you fingerpickers have a problem with something called a forward roll? like a banjo term... thumb,index,middle,ring.if you do it real fast ,it sounds kind of like a Spanish guitar... i have always had trouble doing it ,wish i could it sounds cool.

You could just cheat and brush accross the strings with the thumbpick or nail, don't think it sounds much different.

[rick-slo]

Steady hand and good consistent nails. Ideal situation is one forward roll (say thumb to first to second to third fingers where
you begin with all the fingers on the strings and then you peel off the strings. The hand is steady and you can do it so fast it
sounds like a strum. Naturally the economy of movement and precision of finger placement is less on repetitive rolls but what
you can do in a single roll gives you the idea of what to aim for.

[stanron]

I've not had any trouble with it, if it is what I think it is. For me it's a wrist movement rather than an individuated finger move.

Get your thumb and fingers touching the strings they will play with a little bit of pressure.
Obviously the thumb goes first, then twist your wrist in a clockwise direction.

You'll find your fingers come off the strings one after the other in a perfect roll.

That's if it is what I think it is of course.

[eyesore]

Thanks guys ,helpful. I like to look at from Doyle Dykes way of playing.

[Don W]

The arpeggio roll...difficult for me too. You are certainly in good company. I had many lessons from a classical guitarist who said that some people can simply do it almost naturally and others work hard over time to accomplish it. When I watch him do "the roll" his hand does not move much and its a motion like closing your hand. I am good at a 3 string roll now but struggle adding that 4th string. For me doing a good 3 string roll then practice adding the 4th seems to work best. Still, after years, I am not consistent. Good nails are important. I am basically a fingerstyle player. If the notes I am playing are all on adjacent strings I will cheat and simply strum those notes with the nail of my first finger. But most of the time notes are not on adjacent strings and the roll is necessary. My instructor said ...it isn't cheating...whatever works...its the correct timing and tone that is important. He, of course, is one of those lucky guys who was able to accomplish the roll the first time he tried it.

[eyesore]

There is guy that I have some videos of playing real and clean single string rolls .I think his name is Emil Entrebo. This is the style I'm after!

[Robin, Wales]

I know that banjo players and us dobro players practice rolls (forward and reverse) away from the instrument. Tapping out the patten on a table or the arm of a chair etc while watching TV or the like.

It could be worth a try in order to automate the movement at speed.

[Mark Stone]

I know no one wants to hear this, but rolls are very easy. It's like any other fingerpicking tactic, simply start slowly - do it over and over - day after day - week after week - then suddenly it works.

I like Derek's method (rick-slo, post #6), however mine is a completely different attack. eyesore yours will be even more different, I suspect.

Mine has a higher attack than most - it's at 5:30 in this vid:

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by eyesore

There is guy that I have some videos of playing real and clean single string rolls .I think his name is Emil Entrebo. This is the style I'm after!

OK, here he is with a lesson for you:

https://www.proguitar.com/academy/le...lls-for-guitar

Tony