Hi @BanjoBen in measure 36 in the Licks Section should that be a fretted 4th string after the pull off? It’s shown as open in the TAB but you seem to fret the 4th string second fret in the demo and I have a tendency to want to fret the 4th string too.
Discuss the Banjo lesson: Rolling Backup in C Position
I’m pretty sure I play it like the tab.
Ok just double checked, right at the start of the Lick’s Lesson you do fret the string in both the clips but on the slow demo where you play the whole tune through you play it open. Both sound great BTW.
Not a prob. Just seeking clarification
You know, I didn’t listen to that. I just listened to the lesson preview.
The more I get into this lesson the more I am lovin these tricky lick combinations
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Yep, very much so. This is one common option, and the trick is to not be too busy in your licks.
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So, after working through and getting up to speed at 200 bpm, what’s the best way to practice these techniques to do them on the fly? Say I go to a jam and someone decides to play a song I sorta kinda know the chords to but want to do more than boom - chuck backup. How do I go about getting skills up to speed to be able to do rolling backup in this type setting?
Hi Keith if you have worked through this lesson and can play along a 200bpm you doing pretty well. Thing is @BanjoBen fastest demo speed is 180bpm. Playing rolls at 200bpm should be do-able so long as you avoid the alternating thumb roll. TablEdit should help you practice rolls and build speed. Just TAB out the chord progression of the rolls patterns you want to practice and you’ll be good to go.
Please post a video.
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It’s been a while since I submitted a request for a lesson @BanjoBen However when this discussion came up today I thought I might as well ask. Could you possibly do a banjo backup lesson in D - NO CAPO with Guitar and or Mandolin solos in D and G. of Red River Valley.
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Great idea. I do have this one: https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/how-to-play-in-d-banjo
@ambergkeith I think you’re concentrating on learning the tab and perhaps bypassed what the lesson tries to convey. 200bpm is pretty fast and the way to answer your question is to take a key in C and give the skills/approaches in this lesson a whirl. Don’t know how? Post the song here and let’s do it together.
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Does this mean you’ll do a Red River Valley Banjo Backup in D structured similar to this one in C @BanjoBen ?
I have been through the lesson ‘playing in D’ a couple times and learned a lot from it. I would really like to see more lessons in D. You do a lot of lessons in C and I am getting quite familiar with the go to places on the fingerboard for C & G but D still remains a bit of a mystery. Also I love sound of the banjo when played in D.
Possible future build a break gospel lessons in D . In the garden and There is a fountain
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These past few weeks I have spent quite a few hours each day revisiting this lesson. Having a structured example to follow has helped me to finally get a FEEL for playing backup in C. When I first came to this lesson 3 years ago I was really excited. I thought I would be able to pick this up and run with it. But I soon discovered my fingers just didn’t want to play ball.
With daily practice and a structured example to follow has really helped my picking & fretting hands find the right notes. What has also been a great help is having a guitar solo highlight the melody.
Really having fun with this @BanjoBen
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Archie, thanks. I don’t have the gold pick membership yet but I think I’m going to look at getting one. I’ll try to post a video soon of it.
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Ben I understand for the c triad portion we are spotlighting notes in the triad but are are all the variations played over a C or are E spotlights played over an E chord.
Yes, over the C chord. We’re not bringing an E chord into this equation.
So in the Add Licks section around 3:05 or so, you say to keep the ring and pinky planted after fretting. However, I find the ring dampens the 2nd string often. It just seems easier to lift the ring and put it back down.
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Hi @ambergkeith Keith sounds as though your ring finger is touching the 2nd string. Look closely at your fingering. A slight adjustment to your hand/finger position should correct that.
Yeah, I know, but geez. It’d just be easier to pick up that finger to not have it in the way. I get the whole economy of motion thing, but seems like I’m probably going to be muting that string half the time.
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Hi Keith. When @BanjoBen teaches you something he does it for a reason. Mostly because further down the line you’ll meet a bigger challenge. If you take a sloppy approach to every obstacle you incur then you are never going to improve your skills. Especially when you reach a point when your ready to try to build speed. But hey if your happy picking up that finger I wont judge you.
I just think it’s better to analyse what your doing wrong and find ways to correct it.
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