Doing something wrong when I do rolls

Terje Larson · Post by **Terje Larson** » 20 Jul 2006 2:14 am

I'm not good at this but I have this roll that is just like a fast triplet. Sometimes I manage to do two in a row, but when I do that my index finger often gets tangled up and I loose the pick.

To solve this I have started working on this roll very slowly now, a few minutes everyday. Keeping it at a tempo where I can control it all very well and my fingers don't get tangled up. Is this the way to go?

Just for the record, I don't play guitar, I do this on an elelctric balalajka, but the principles should be the same as regular guitar. [This message was edited by Terje Larson on 20 July 2006 at 03:17 AM.]

John Daugherty · Post by **John Daugherty** » 20 Jul 2006 5:01 am

Terje, I don't know what you are doing wrong, but you might try changing the angle of your hand (move your palm).
When I play steel guitar, I rotate the finger picks a little bit to the side of my fingers (the side nearest my thumb). This makes it easier in my case.
I'm still learning. I have only been playing for 50 years.

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Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 20 Jul 2006 6:36 am

.....a few minutes everyday....

Try a few hours every day and you will make progress. I used to carry a small stringed practice neck around with me all the time to help get my hands in shape when I was starting out. A few minutes a day of working on something is better than nothing but do not expect to get it together until you are ready to put some real focused hours in every day for at least a few years.

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Terje Larson · Post by **Terje Larson** » 20 Jul 2006 9:43 pm

A few hours a day? Can't do that really, don't have the time if I'm gonna play anything else.

And what I meant was that I do it for a few minutes then I stop and later I'll come back to it again.

On the other hand, it's possible to practice the sequence of the roll without the picks and without the instrument, right? That can be done throughout the day, while at work.