Grab my totally free 90-minute beginner banjo course at banjoskills.com/quickstart-guide. And get the backup patterns PDF here www.banjoskills.com/download-your-backup-pattern-exercises
Thanks so much! Yeah so I would normally start with that bouncing bassline type backup and then just start incorporating other patterns as they might fit in well. I find that pretty useful to coming up wtih an accompaniment that keeps that "banjo-y" sound without playing the melody.
How would you backup a bluegrass banjo player when s/he is taking a lead break on the same lower tones (down the neck) that most clawhammer players hang in? Perhaps a video on that idea?
I dont' feel like it would be super different - bluegrass with finger picks is such a different sound from clawhammer. I would probably go a little heavier on the brush strokes and maybe add a bit of syncopation to lessen the single string strikes. As I write this comment, I'm getting ideas! I may make a video about this soon 😀
@@BanjoSkills my wife plays clawhammer and I play bluegrass. When I back her leads I go up the neck and try to avoid the 3rd. When we play fiddle tunes I’m playing melodic and use the entire neck. When I’m down the neck there’s a lot of unison notes coming from the clawhammer that sometimes dilute the lead.
Yeah I was going to say, you could consider moving the clawhammer chords up the neck during those parts, and possibly lightly muting the strings. .You might try a light syncopated pattern like 1 2 (3) & 4 & where 1 is a single string, 2 and 4 are brush strokes and the &s are thumb plucks.
You’re about my favorite banjo channel, and there’s a lot of banjo channels out there. And remember when you play Boil That Cabbage Down to be sure to be aware of those pumas in those crevices. Ref: th-cam.com/video/Vn-eOvqWO7I/w-d-xo.htmlsi=f1-6DkQ9YrOlbW-W
Grab my totally free 90-minute beginner banjo course at banjoskills.com/quickstart-guide. And get the backup patterns PDF here www.banjoskills.com/download-your-backup-pattern-exercises
Interesting how things work. I was looking for back-up recently. Thank You for posting these exercises !!
You’re welcome! Glad it helped
Super useful for a complete noob like myself. Thanks! New subscriber
Thanks so much John!
great job Jack! love the third pattern for sure, sounds cool! mixing them i never thought of. will have to try that.
Thanks so much! Yeah so I would normally start with that bouncing bassline type backup and then just start incorporating other patterns as they might fit in well. I find that pretty useful to coming up wtih an accompaniment that keeps that "banjo-y" sound without playing the melody.
you are a life saver! this is exactly what i was looking for! love you videos!
Awesome, I'm glad it helped!
That was a Great lesson!! Super useful!!👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏🤗
Glad you liked it!
Yes! This is just what I needed. Off to practice… 😂
Great! I'm glad it was helpful
How would you backup a bluegrass banjo player when s/he is taking a lead break on the same lower tones (down the neck) that most clawhammer players hang in? Perhaps a video on that idea?
I dont' feel like it would be super different - bluegrass with finger picks is such a different sound from clawhammer. I would probably go a little heavier on the brush strokes and maybe add a bit of syncopation to lessen the single string strikes.
As I write this comment, I'm getting ideas! I may make a video about this soon 😀
@@BanjoSkills my wife plays clawhammer and I play bluegrass. When I back her leads I go up the neck and try to avoid the 3rd. When we play fiddle tunes I’m playing melodic and use the entire neck. When I’m down the neck there’s a lot of unison notes coming from the clawhammer that sometimes dilute the lead.
Yeah I was going to say, you could consider moving the clawhammer chords up the neck during those parts, and possibly lightly muting the strings. .You might try a light syncopated pattern like 1 2 (3) & 4 & where 1 is a single string, 2 and 4 are brush strokes and the &s are thumb plucks.
Excellent
Thank you! Cheers!
Very useful!!!
Glad it was helpful!
or use my jam kill and play VERY quietly
That works too!
You’re about my favorite banjo channel, and there’s a lot of banjo channels out there. And remember when you play Boil That Cabbage Down to be sure to be aware of those pumas in those crevices. Ref: th-cam.com/video/Vn-eOvqWO7I/w-d-xo.htmlsi=f1-6DkQ9YrOlbW-W
Never saw that before, thanks for that! The "No" at "take it Tom!" was great
@@BanjoSkills Unreconstructed folkies of my generation, i.e. boomers, will immediately recognize the puma references.
That's was good fun! Thanks for the link😆 Take it!!