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Jim Mills - A Winning Banjo Style
taught by: Jim Mills

Choking Strings - Part 1

by Bob Altschuler

In the August and October issues of Banjo Sessions I wrote about slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs. Another technique is the choke, where a note is bent (choked) for a blues effect. This means you push up or pull down on a fretted note to raise its pitch (and sometimes to lower the pitch as you unbend the note). Though not quite as commonly used as slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs, choking is another essential technique.

In Part 1 of this two-part article I will describe and show examples of a basic Scruggs- style string choke. In Part 2 in the next issue I'll talk about more classic Scruggs chokes and others to spice up your playing.

Who Plays String Chokes?

Guitar players choke (bend) strings in blues, rock and other styles, and players of other instruments also use this technique (pedal steel guitar is the ultimate in string bending). I recently heard an interview with Eric Clapton on my car radio, and he was asked how he used note bending in his guitar playing. He said bending notes has an "emotional quality that hits the soul and moves the heart" and then talked about the classic blues players of the past and how they bent strings (I wanted to include his quote here, so I wrote it down when I stopped at a red light). Earl Scruggs continually uses chokes and many of his signature licks have them. He even used chokes to make his banjo "talk" in songs like "Mama's Blues" on the Carnegie Hall album. Listen to Reuben, Lonesome Road Blues, Carolina Boogie, Nashville Blues, Sally Goodin', Foggy Mountain Breakdown and many other songs to hear his classic string chokes. When you listen to other pro banjo players you will hear many string chokes of varying types.

Choking strings gives your playing a distinct and interesting sound, feels satisfying and will give you the blues (in a good way). A clean and well-timed note bend adds power and expression to a song.

A note can be choked a little or a lot for different effects. You can go up the equivalent of a half step (1 fret in pitch), a whole step (2 frets) or anywhere in between or beyond. Chokes in tablature sometimes indicate a half or whole step, or may not specify the amount to choke (the player decides this).

How are string chokes played and what are some examples?

To play most chokes you push the string up toward the fifth string side of the neck. However, you can choke at lower frets (down the neck) by pulling the string down away from the fifth string.

The trick to choking a string is to first pick the note and then immediately start to choke the string. When learning string chokes, many students start the choke before they pick the note, but this causes a loss of the note bending effect (try it both ways to see).

The tabs and MP3 below show signature Scruggs string chokes on string two at fret 10. There are many other possible chokes, and in Part 2 I will show additional Scruggs signature chokes plus others.

To play the choke put your left index or middle finger on string 2 at fret 10. Next, pick string two with your right index finger. Just after you pick the note, push the string up towards string 3 and you will hear the note bend up in pitch. At the top of the choke release left hand pressure on the string and let the string back down to its original position. Leave your left hand finger on the string lightly so you are ready to repeat the choke. This is shown in Example 1 measure 1, in both half step (1 fret) and whole step (2 fret) chokes. The half step choke at fret 10 means you bend up to the note you would play at fret 11. A whole string choke bends up to the note at fret 12.

A variation is to play the choke up and then back down in pitch. After the string is choked, keep pressing the string as you release the choke, so that you also hear the note going back down, as shown in Example 1 measure 2. This choke variation can sometimes be sustained through several notes. The chokes shown are in half steps, and full step chokes can also be used.

Another variation is to do a "pre-choke" by first bending the string upward silently and then picking the note, pressing the string against the fret to play only the downward change in pitch. This is shown in Example 1 measure 3 in half step chokes, and you can also play full step pre-chokes.

The choke from Foggy Mountain Breakdown is shown in Example 1 measure 4.

What are string choke examples from breaks in songs?

Example 2 above shows the tab for the first four measures of the classic string choke break in Foggy Mountain Breakdown, including variations.

Examples 3 and 4 show the first four measures of 2 different breaks for Lonesome Road Blues. The first 2 measures of each break are identical and the choke variations are in measures 3 and 4, including a pre-choke in Example 4 measure 4.

Where else are chokes used?

In addition to playing standard licks that contain chokes, try out the technique in other areas of your playing and see where it sounds best. You can use chokes to emphasize certain notes and to put more feeling into your playing. Chokes are more appropriate for certain songs, and as you experiment you can figure out where they fit best. As with any technique, the more you practice the better it sounds. Chokes are different from other techniques because of the expressive quality (making the banjo "talk") and the variations in the amount you can bend a note.

One last thought-- Scruggs tuners are a method of bending strings mechanically. These tuners allow players to bend strings precisely and to a greater degree than with manual string chokes. However, the tuners give a different effect even though the principle is the same.

See you next issue for more string chokes Happy picking!

Choking Examples mp3
Download the mp3:
ChokingStringsExample.mp3

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About the Author

Bob Altschuler lives in upstate New York and has played bluegrass banjo since 1970. As a banjo instructor, his 25 years of experience includes teaching many students at Banjo Camp North, where he has been the Beginner Bluegrass Track Coordinator since 2003. Bob's training and work as a public school teacher sharpened his teaching abilities, and helped him become a patient and sought after banjo instructor (his day job is now with the NY State Retirement System).

Bob performs with the Dyer Switch band at concerts and festivals across the Northeast, Midwest and South, and recorded "American Airwaves" and "Family Business" CDs with the band. His banjo playing has also been heard on Northeast Public Radio and on television and radio commercials.

You can contact Bob at arobanjo@aol.com, or through the Dyer Switch website at www.dyerswitch.com.