Heh heh, Christmas Songs are like “Groundhog Day”. They come around the same way every single year! Motivating for my 14 yo guitar playing granddaughter on Oahu though. We’ve found some common ground. I reminded her that if she learns JingleBells, she can play it for folks every year for the rest of her life (and JB is returning to my banjer memory faster than it did last year), so here we go! I’m due to be with her in about a month…
Discuss the Banjo lesson: Backup Banjo Utility Rolls
3 Likes
Great lesson. This is one of the things I’ve been wanting (and trying) to figure out for a long time now. I can’t wait to start working on this.
Thanks for making this a first rate site and top-shelf teaching.
3 Likes
I just started working on this one a few days ago. I just about have it committed to muscle memory. I noticed this morning that my backup playing has already changed as a result of this lesson. New ideas are opening up.
Really cool stuff!
2 Likes
Love the knock-down, drag-out, mean sassy sound of this rolling back-up. I think my banjo grew legs and tried to walk away playing this. Can’t wait to find a good tune to use this on. Any suggestions out there? (BTW: It sounds like someone got up too quickly (listen for it) at the very end of the 120 BPM practice track? 
3 Likes
Oh Man! I think your sense of humor is as warped as mine. 
What you have to say for yourself, Ben!
1 Like
Dude! You just found the best Easter egg on this site to date. @BanjoBen should give you some kind of prize for being the first to find that. That’s hilarious!
2 Likes
@campbellneilh I was waiting for it. You just won a hat, t-shirt, and set of strings. Send me your sizes and address at ben@banjobenclark.com
2 Likes
I found it weeks ago but I was too respectful to raise the issue.
2 Likes
You snoozed, you loozed.
2 Likes
Someone made a toot. Neil got the loot.
3 Likes
I just had an ‘epiphany’ that its possible that there may be more hidden “easter-egg” finds on the banjobenclark web-site in various forms. Just sayin’… Happy picking All !
Great lesson. Thanks Ben. You hit a grand slam with this one. Love it when you talk about the syncopation! So far this one and the series with Alan Munde on Fretboard Geography are my favorites among the tons of great lessons. Thanks again.
2 Likes
I discovered this weekend that this works great for Wabash Cannonball. You don’t really stay in C long enough to use the stuff in this lesson, but it works perfectly for the rest of it,
It sounded like this.
Give it a try!
7 Likes
That is on fire!
1 Like
Man, there is something powerful to this lesson. Those backup riffs just seem to growl. I love it!
1 Like
That’s awesome Mark and works well. 
1 Like
Excellent Mark! I was singing Wabash Cannonball in my head while you played and it fit perfect.
Nice chokes and 16ths.
1 Like
Love it! It’s actually a very versatile lick. Our family found it works GREAT on “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”. It gave me a chance to slow down, and then bring up to tempo the accending / decending triplet pattern and some of the cool turnaround licks. The blues notes it in just paint the song with a different hue; and , like B.B. implies, adds fire. Keep on Pickin" !
2 Likes
Oh yeah! I bet that sounds great, Neil!
I don’t know if anyone has noticed yet, but I used this backup in the Joy to the World video I posted yesterday. Worked out really well.
1 Like
I love, love, love this lesson. This roll pattern could be a song all by itself in my opinion.
I am going to try to apply it to songs that have long G, C, or D sections. How would I use this pattern for other chords for other keys?
1 Like