octive technique: mine, yours, and Django's

beenawhile

First off, mine needs a ton of work, and especially falls apart when moving up and down the fretboard. And my tone isn't great, even when not moving. I suppose mostly a matter of needing hours of practice, but I find that I hate to practice it.

Given that the root note is played by the index finger, I am curious to know if others play the octave exclusively with the pinky, or do you use the ring finger when root is on the E and A strings?

And I am curious as to how Django managed to finger octaves...seems like that would have been tough with a crippled hand and especially on a long scaled guitar?

Thanks