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This video demonstrates single string style picking using the standard three finger Scruggs approach on the five string banjo. The fundamental right hand pattern starts with the thumb and alternates with the index finger to simulate the up and down stroke of a flatpick. Some people use their middle finger instead of the index. Either way works so use whichever feels more natural.
The first exercise is a G chromatic scale starting at the fifth fret of the forth string. The notes of the scale are: G, G#, A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G.
The second exercise involves playing a forward roll (T-I-M-T) on one string while walking into the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the G scale (G, B, D, G). In this case it’s demonstrated on the first string but can be played on any string in any key. Greg Cahill uses this lick to great effect.
Both of these exercises are played in a closed position and use no open strings so they can easily be moved into any key.
Cripple Creek is usually one of the first songs aspiring banjo players learn the melody to so I figure it’s a good place to start looking at some backup concepts.
This video demonstrates walking bass notes, vamp chords, fill licks and chord substitutions. If you’re new to the concept of chord substitution Google can supply you with plenty of exhaustive insights into it but if you prefer to pick more and read less think of it this way; Chord substitutions are nothing more than harmonies or chords that share similar notes. In this example I play an Am chord over, or instead of, a D7 chord.
D7 = D A F# C
Am = A C E
I do this so I can keep the bass line going (B-A-G) and since the notes are played so dry and fast you can easily get away with this type of substitution. You could play a D7 chord at the 5th fret with the A in the bass but I find that cumbersome and unnecessary when playing the song up tempo.
Arkansas Traveler is one of those cheesy, nursery rhyme tunes that’s instantly recognizable. Like Wildwood Flower it lends itself well to crosspicking. On guitar the tune is most commonly played out of the C position with the capo at the second fret (key of D). However Norman Blake’s classic version is in the key of C while David Grier capos it to the key of E.
Here is the Carter Family classic Wildwood Flower. A simple melody that lends itself well to crosspicking. If you’re unfamiliar with crosspicking it’s just a fancy word used to describe the process of simulating a banjo roll with a flatpick. In its simplest form the picking pattern generally starts with a downstroke and alternates from there. It gets a little more involved once you start branching out to multiple strings.
Here is a crash course in Scruggs style banjo playing. Below are the fundamental building blocks that will get you up and running in no time. All of the examples that follow are played on a five string banjo in standard G tuning using two metal finger-picks and one plastic thumb pick. If you’re unfamiliar with G tuning then here it is:
D – 1st String
B – 2nd String
G – 3rd String
D – 4th String (The wound one)
G – 5th String (The short one)
Now that you’re in open G tuning you already know your first chord so let’s focus on the right hand picking patterns commonly called “rolls”.
There are four basic patterns that can be applied to any combination of strings.
Forward
Reverse
Backward
Alternating Thumb
Next try adding the basic C and D7 chords to your rolls.
And finally here are three closed position chord shapes that you can play anywhere on the neck. You’ll quickly find that you need to be selective about when to add the fifth string to these shapes since it has the possibility of sounding very dissonant. Another trick is to use fragments of these movable chords
Blackberry Blossom is right up there towards the top of the heap of fiddle tunes that are way overplayed. Love it or hate it here is an example of it.
The trick to making this tune sound like a musical performance as opposed to an exercise is to give it a bit of that shoulder-shrugging fiddle bounce. Either way it’s a good exercise in alternate picking.
This video runs through the melody twice, once fast and once slow, followed up by an example of one possible chord progression that could be played behind it.
Ralph Stanley’s banjo classic arranged for guitar. The first video breaks down the melody and the second gives an example of what you might play as accompaniment.
This song is usually played in the key of A so put your capo on the second fret. Also watch out for the “backstep” or extra two beats of the B part.
Earl Scruggs rendition of the Carter Family classic “Little Darlin’ Pal Of Mine” as played on the Carnegie Hall album. If you need tab it’s in the Earl Scruggs book.
This song has a familiar melody reminiscent of “Gold Watch and Chain” or “This Land is Your Land”. Full of classic licks, it’s demonstrated here at two different tempos.
Another Earl tune but this time it’s in D minor tuning (the saddest of all keys according to Nigel). Same deal as the last one; Two videos of varying speed.
If you’re unfamiliar with the tuning it is, from string five to one, a-D-F-A-D.
