Human Hand?

[Jody Stecher]

How can a single human hand play the last two measures of the top line of "Accompanying Melody" in Grimshaw's "The Banjo And How To Play It (if you happen to have 6 fingers)"?  

It's found below item 20 on vibrato (called "Singing Strings" in some versions of the book) and found on page 23 or 25 depending on which book version is being used.   

We are told to play an F natural on fret 5 of the bass, to make it last for the entire measure and more as the single note reverberates across the bar line for another dotted crotchet's worth of F.  No problem on its own. Just hold down the string and let it sing. But as we hold down the F we also have to play a descending F major  arpeggio accompaniment of f c a, starting with f an octave above the 4th string F.  A on fret 9 of the bass is unavailable because the bass string is occupied with F at fret 5. So the only option is fret 2 on string 3. This suggests we are not meant to get the descent of F and C on strings 2 and 3 but rather in the usual 1st position garden variety F chord at the first 3 frets of string 1, 2 and 3. 

This is in standard tuning. No human hand can make the required stretch.  It just now occurs to me that maybe elevated bass tuning was intended. But I don't see instructions to do that.

Any suggestions?

[Austin]

I'm not sure I understand. How can you play the C with your fourth finger?

IAN SALTER said:

I can do by holding down the A and upper F with my 1st and 2nd fingers, the lower F with my 3rd finger and playing the C with my 4th finger, both at the 5th fret, or alternatively, holding the lower F with my 4th finger and rolling it over, onto the C and then off again. Both methods are rather difficult and would require a considerable amount of practice.

[Jody Stecher]

Fret 5 , string 3.

Austin said:

I'm not sure I understand. How can you play the C with your fourth finger?

IAN SALTER said:

I can do by holding down the A and upper F with my 1st and 2nd fingers, the lower F with my 3rd finger and playing the C with my 4th finger, both at the 5th fret, or alternatively, holding the lower F with my 4th finger and rolling it over, onto the C and then off again. Both methods are rather difficult and would require a considerable amount of practice.

[Austin]

That makes perfect sense actually

Jody Stecher said:

Fret 5 , string 3.

Austin said:

I'm not sure I understand. How can you play the C with your fourth finger?

IAN SALTER said:

I can do by holding down the A and upper F with my 1st and 2nd fingers, the lower F with my 3rd finger and playing the C with my 4th finger, both at the 5th fret, or alternatively, holding the lower F with my 4th finger and rolling it over, onto the C and then off again. Both methods are rather difficult and would require a considerable amount of practice.

[Austin]

But playing the A and C simultaneously is impossible

IAN SALTER said:

I can do by holding down the A and upper F with my 1st and 2nd fingers, the lower F with my 3rd finger and playing the C with my 4th finger, both at the 5th fret, or alternatively, holding the lower F with my 4th finger and rolling it over, onto the C and then off again. Both methods are rather difficult and would require a considerable amount of practice.

[IAN SALTER]

On the 3rd string, the A is held down at the 2nd fret with the 1st finger and the C is played at the 5th fret, as part of the arpeggio, with either the 4th finger or by rolling the 3rd finger onto the C whilst still using it to hold down the F on the 4th string at the 5th fret.

[Jody Stecher]

In the musical phrase under discussion  all notes are sequential and none simultaneous. 

Austin said:

But playing the A and C simultaneously is impossible

IAN SALTER said:

I can do by holding down the A and upper F with my 1st and 2nd fingers, the lower F with my 3rd finger and playing the C with my 4th finger, both at the 5th fret, or alternatively, holding the lower F with my 4th finger and rolling it over, onto the C and then off again. Both methods are rather difficult and would require a considerable amount of practice.