Learning to play fast
While there are several styles of playing the banjo, fast playing is almost exclusively associated with the five-string banjo, the traditional instrument of Bluegrass music and the three-finger picking style pioneered by banjo master Earl Scruggs. Scruggs-style banjo is that high-speed, frenetic, hill music that captures the essence of Bluegrass in such favorite tunes as "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Dueling Banjos."
While fast banjo playing is impressive to see and hear, it is not as difficult as you might think and, contrary to popular belief, is not random at all, but follows a specific pattern.
Instructions
Right Hand Position and Picks
1. Place your right hand over the strings and before the bridge, the device that holds the strings up above the head of your instrument.
2. Rest the tip of your little finger on the banjo head itself.
3. Keep your ring finger clear to avoid "string buzz." If you have difficulty doing so, try resting your ring finger on the head instead of your little finger.
4. Position your thumb, index finger and middle finger close to the strings. As you practice, work to keep your fingers as close to the strings as possible without touching them.
5. Wear picks to help make the strings ring out better, improving the volume and tone of your playing.
6. Select and adjust your picks that are comfortable and remain securely on your thumb and fingers.
Right-hand Rolls
7. Ensure that your banjo is properly tuned. As you know, your banjo is tuned to an open G chord, so there is no need to use your left hand while practicing at this time.
8. Imagine the strings of your banjo having numbers associated with them. We'll start with the top or drone string. That will be the fifth string, with each string after that being numbered accordingly down to the first string at the bottom of the banjo.
9. Associate your fingers with the following identifiers. Your thumb will be "T." Your index finger "I" and your middle finger "M."
10. Practice your Rolls. The essence of three finger picking is the Roll. In this technique, strings are picked one after the other in quick succession. Here are some basic Rolls that are important to learn.
11. Practice the Scruggs Roll. To execute the Scruggs Roll, follow this pattern: 3T 2I 5T 1M. That is, pick the third string with your thumb, then the second string with your index finger, then the fifth string with your thumb again, then the first string with your middle finger. This pattern produces a full, rich series of notes that will form the foundation of many songs you will learn in the future.
12. Practice the Forward, Backward and F and B Rolls. To execute the Forward Roll, follow this pattern: 2I 1M 5T. To execute the Backward Roll, follow this pattern: 2I 5T 1M. To execute the F and B Roll, follow this pattern: 2I 5T 1M. 3T 2I 1M 5T 1M 2I 3T.
13. Continue to practice each roll repeatedly, allowing the end of each series of notes to transition into the beginning of the next. For example, practice your Scruggs Roll by playing 3T 2I 5T 1M 3T 2I 5T 1M 3T 2I 5T 1M... over and over again.
Next Steps
14. Add chords. Once you have mastered these basic rolls, try adding chords when you play rolls. Try a simple chord progression such as C G D G C G D G. You will quickly discover that what you are playing sounds like many of the songs you hear within Bluegrass, Oldtime and even Country/Western music.
15. Experiment with combining Rolls together in a continuous stream of notes. This will allow you to improvise and add a great deal of interest to your music.
16. Incorporate different effects. Using your left hand, try sliding up the fret board when you pick a string. Or, try a hammer-on, bringing your finger down on the string being picked to change the note. There are many other licks and tricks that you can learn to enhance your playing.
17.Read tablature. Tablature is a graphical way of representing the notes within a particular song played by a certain instrument. It is similar to written music, but instead of just indicating the note, it shows the string and fret to be played, depending on the instrument. There are plenty of banjo tabs out on the Internet for you to look at. For a start, try the relatively simple song "Cripple Creek."
