Has Ben done a series on Scruggs backup banjo? I sure would love a series where he numbers each lick from the most basic to the fancier. Tab them out and does a video demo with tips on how to practice them. Then maybe reference the Flatt and Scruggs Mercury Session songs and let us know if we want to play backup on “such and such” song, use Scruggs backup licks number 1, 4, 8 and 12 or whatever number he labeled them. If this is a dumb suggestion, forgive me. Just wishing.
Backup Banjo
Ben likes hearing from us and has taken some of the requests/suggestions that were made in the past.
There is a thread somewhere for that purpose I think. or you could just email him if you’d rather.
Ben did do backup lessons for Big Sciota, Keep on the Sunny Side and St. Anne’s Reel at the end of the main lesson.
I’m two years in and my backup ability is pretty non-existant. However, with what I know now, I can understand Ben’s approach in these lessons. His backup lessons are pretty loose and are mostly about teaching us how to attack the idea of backup using the tools we have.
He might be able to do a backup lesson like you want (when I was first starting, I was hoping for this type of lesson too) but you may end up only being able to play THAT backup to THAT song rather than being able to make up your own backup, which is the direction his other backup lessons take. Check them out.
You can write Ben using the Contact link. He reads all his mail and has always replied to me when I sent a message.