Dave Magram - Posted - 12/03/2010:  00:53:10

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I thought that headline might get your attention!

When I used to teach banjo, I noticed that a lot of beginners were flummoxed by the Scruggs three-finger banjo rolls, where the downbeat would shift from one finger to another with no predictable pattern.

It was just too much for some students, and they were getting frustrated taking a week to learn just one or two lines of Cripple Creek, and even then only being able to play it so slowly it didn’t even sound like a tune, just a bunch of notes.

So I would teach them a couple of tunes in the older two-finger picking style, which is the way Ralph Stanley actually played bluegrass banjo on the The Stanley Brothers’ first recordings for Rich-R-Tone ca. 1947, including Molly and Tenbrooks, Little Maggie, etc.
(It wasn’t until later that Ralph learned to play the three-finger style like Earl.)

The students really liked this because they could be picking a whole, recognizable song on the banjo pretty quickly, often in a day or two.

The reason why it is easier is that in the two-finger style only one out of every four notes in the “roll” is a melody note--and that note is always the first one in the “roll” and it is always picked by the thumb.

I would usually talk the song through on tape instead of tab, because I often got students who could only play when they were reading a tab sheet, and wanted to learn to play without it. If that describes you , you may benefit from this “Back to the Future” approach with the great Ralph Stanley as a role model.

PICKING “RULES”
-The full two-finger “roll” is: T I T I, and the first Thumb note always plays the melody note on the downbeat, the Index always picks the 1st string, and the second Thumb note always plays the 5th string, the last Index always picks the 1st string,
-The only other picking pattern is a pinch between the thumb and index.
-Sometimes you may need to play a single melody note with your thumb, then a pinch.
- The first thumb note can pick any of the strings except the first, and the index never leaves the 1st string.
That’s it.

I would often teach Pretty Polly, because it sounds great in the two-finger style, there are only five melody notes, and no chords.
And it is in that cool mixolydian mode that is the essence of the “high, lonesome sound”
All together, a whole lot of bang for the buck!

I would usually teach it in three steps:
1. Find the melody notes, and play them with your thumb
2. Play the tune in the two-finger style for a few days or weeks
3. Substitute index finger lead for the first thumb-note, and play it in three-finger style

Other benefits:
- You can play two-finger style with or without picks—it sounds great either way.
- It teaches you how to find melody notes and incorporate them into a (two-finger) roll
- It teaches you how to emphasize the melody note within a roll
- Unlike three-finger style, two-finger style is very rhythmic--you don't need a guitar and a bass to help you out.
- It helps teach you good, steady timing.
- You can sing along with it because it is much easier to sing with the two-finger style—and Pretty Polly has many verses and a gory storyline

Sometimes when I play Pretty Polly with a band, I’ll play the first solo in two-finger style, and the second solo in three-finger style—it makes a nice contrast.

If you’re interested, try figuring it out by ear (no tab allowed).
If there is interest in hearing more of an explanation, I’ll post a couple of audio-clips of how to do it.

Some other good songs to try this way are Skip to My Lou, Wild Bill Jones, Little Maggie, etc.

Good picking,
Dave

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Edited by - Dave Magram on 12/25/2010 20:45:17

bangee boy - Posted - 12/03/2010:  01:32:10

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Great stuff Dave...thanks for your time in explaining this tw finger style. I would look forward to hearing an audio clip as you mentioned.
Again, Thaks for your time and effort!!!
Tom

janolov - Posted - 12/03/2010:  03:25:09

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Some times there are discussions about Old-Time two-finger styles in The Clawhammer and Old Time Styles section, here is one discussion with links to earlier discussions: banjohangout.org/topic/192644 .

andyboyman - Posted - 12/03/2010:  04:51:36

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Thanks! I have a student who is learning CH and wants to soon learn some BG, and this seems like a cool place to start, since it is fairly close to CH's focus on melody note followed by some other texture notes. This gives me a really good handle on Stanley's early style.

Trashbanjo - Posted - 12/03/2010:  05:19:29

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Lets (2 finger) roll !!!!

minstrelmike - Posted - 12/03/2010:  06:49:41

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Earl didn't start with the roll either.

He started more simply and it behooves beginners to do the same thing.

Get a groove going and then make stuff more complex with fancier rolls and kewl lefthand stuff like slides and hammers.

hayesdt - Posted - 12/03/2010:  07:02:58

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Magram
[brPICKING “RULES”
-The full two-finger “roll” is: T I T I, and the first Thumb note always plays the melody note on the downbeat, the Index always picks the 1st string, and the second Thumb note always plays the 5th string, the last Index always picks the 1st string,
-The only other picking pattern is a pinch between the thumb and index.
-Sometimes you may need to play a pinch, then a single melody note with your thumb, then another pinch.
- The first thumb note can pick any of the strings except the first, and the index never leaves the 1st string.
That’s it.

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Is this basically a "Square Roll"? If so, I would agree that this is one of the two most useful tools for a beginning Bluegrass player. In my limited Bluegrass experience, I have found that the Square Roll and the Pinch (usually first and fifth string) are the most useful and easily adaped tools that makes for easy pickin'. Both tools allow the player for fill in gaps or to make complex three-finger stuff much easier while still retaining the sound of good Bluegrass banjo.

All of the various three finger rolls are nice, and need to be used from time to time, but when it comes time to play an easy melody and still retain a good Bluegrass sound / rhythm, nothing beats a two-finger Square Roll and a thumb and index/middle finger pinch,

boyscout - Posted - 12/03/2010:  07:40:16

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So THAT's what I've been doing,....huh!

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 12/03/2010:  08:27:35

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HI Dave

Thanks for this I recently posted an enquiry over on the Other Styles Forum about the two finger style. I was thinking about trying it out... This is a great explaination..

Just a quick question.. Since the thumb is playing the melody is the first string primarily a drone string in two finger ?

It would be great to see a few close up example videos of the picking patterns and timings just to get some sense of the rhythm

dflowers - Posted - 12/03/2010:  09:12:04

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I have bluegrass album that has Ralph playing Molly and Tenbrooks at a very fast clip. I can play it in A with two fingers very fast but three fingers is choppy and I can only get five or maybe six picks. So, you are right it is much easier. I play Lonesome Road Blues in A on my guitar and use the same technique. Just like Doc. What a thrill.

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/03/2010:  09:24:58

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Hi Tam.

You wrote:
"Just a quick question.. Since the thumb is playing the melody is the first string primarily a drone string in two finger ?"

The answer is yes, the 1st string is primarily a drone note in this style.

I'll try to post some audio-clips in the next day or so with explanation, since there seems to be some interest in that.

The old-time two-finger roll is so easy that I think an audio-clip is all that is necessary.
(Plus I've never done the YouTubey thing before.)

BTW, what I am describing here is NOT what Nick Hornbuckle and a few others do--using two fingers to play a Scruggs three-finger roll.

- Dave

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Edited by - Dave Magram on 12/04/2010 00:42:59

andyboyman - Posted - 12/03/2010:  09:36:49

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With the first string being primarily a drone, what happens when you want to play something where the melody note falls on the first string, like cripple creek or big tilda? Should that be played higher up on the second string?

vrteach - Posted - 12/03/2010:  09:40:13

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Here is a video of Pete Seeger singing "Pastures of Plenty" while playing in this style. Woody Guthrie wrote the lyrics, set to the melody of "Pretty Polly".

youtube.com/watch?v=W0-w50YZgoI

I've attached a scan from Art Rosenbaum's "Art of the Mountain Banjo" where he tabbed out what he called the four main patterns in 2-finger thumb-lead picking. I also have a little sound clip of myself playing those patterns, I think with an additional thumb to finish it, and also my version of Wild Bill Jones (kind of an combination of versions by Dock Boggs and Jody Steicher).

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Edited by - vrteach on 12/03/2010 09:46:06

2-finger thumb lead patterns

2-finger thumb-lead example

2-finger Wild Bill Jones

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 12/03/2010:  09:59:09

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HI Dave

Thanks... Much apprecaiated

I think interest in this style of picking would grow if there were some elementry vid's available to introduce beginners to the style... Scruggs style pretty much dominates with the Frailing/Clawhammer, Reno and Melodic taking a big slice of the readership here on the HO..

vrteach - Posted - 12/03/2010:  10:00:41

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Another source on this technique, Mojo_Monk has the same 4 patterns shown more clearly on his BHO photos: banjohangout.org/myhangout/pho...albumid=0

He also has a valuable personal blog at 2ftlbanjer.wordpress.com/

phillygtr - Posted - 12/03/2010:  11:21:39

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When I first started I took to "Cripple Creek" easily because I learned the "square-roll" version. The alternating thumb was very symmetrical so it was easy to think directly in terms of 4 notes rather than 3 fingers playing 4 note pattern thing. I then moved on to other patterns from there. I just focus on the melody and things tend to fall into the right place.

blugraz - Posted - 12/03/2010:  11:31:09

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Dave,
Grateful thanks,.... for your time on this.
Looking forward to your Audio-clips or Vids .

Sean.

KI4PRK - Posted - 12/03/2010:  18:36:43

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The Rich-R-Tone Stanley Brothers recording of Molly & Tenbrooks is 3 finger, not two finger.

I do have a radio show of the Stanley's from around that time, I guess just before, where they do that song but Ralph plays it 2-finger.

Ralph Stanley played a 2-finger Index Lead style on Little Maggie, I believe, with the "roll" being I-T-I-T, Index on the down beat. I've been wrong before, but that's sure what it sounds like to me

73, Brennen

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Edited by - KI4PRK on 12/03/2010 18:38:15

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/03/2010:  23:42:09

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Hi Brennen,

You may be correct about Molly & Tenbrooks--I haven't listened to my LP of those Rich-R-Tone sessions in over 25 years.
However, I do remember reading a few years ago in a book on bluegrass that when the Stanleys "scooped" Monroe by recording Molly & Tenbrooks first, Ralph hadn't yet learned how to play it with three fingers.

Regardless of the exact history, my point was simply that Ralph did record and perform some bluegrass material (such as Little Maggie) with a two-finger style, which he then evolved into three-finger style--and this "back to the future" approach of learning two-finger picking first may help new players.
After all, it worked out pretty well for Ralph.

I'm glad to see that some of the younger bluegrass musicians (judging from your photo) are interested in the historical details of this wonderful music.

Are you a big Ralph fan?

- Dave

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/04/2010:  00:26:11

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for your interest in learning some two-finger picking.

I hope no one got the impression from my initial posting that I was saying that Ralph Stanley played everything over the years with just two-fingers!
What I meant was that I can teach you how to play a two-finger picking style very close to what Ralph did up until about 1948, when he learned to pick with three fingers, like Earl Scruggs.

I’ve attached an audio-clip of me playing just the two-finger roll and the pinch that you sometimes need.
I realized on playback that I may not have explained the “pinch” very well on the clip.
It is just really the thumb playing either the 4th, 3rd, or 2nd string, followed by a pinch.

Andyboyman asked:
“With the first string being primarily a drone, what happens when you want to play something where the melody note falls on the first string, like cripple creek or big tilda?”
Andy, I’ve never tried to play Cripple Creek before with the 2-finger style—I‘d normally play it with three fingers.
But if I had to do it with just two fingers, one way would be to get that high G note on the 1st string 5th fret with a pinch.
Ralph played Big Tilda with three fingers, which is what I would do.

I hope you find this helpful.

- Dave

2-Finger Picking

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/04/2010:  00:40:44

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for your interest in learning some two-finger picking.

Here’s an audio-clip of me playing my version of Pretty Polly in the two-finger picking style.

I’d recommend that you first listen to the audio-clip that I posted of “2-Finger Picking”, that teaches the basics of this style and are comfortable with the basics before you study this one.

On this “Pretty Polly – 2-Finger Style” clip, I first play just the melody, and then I incorporate the melody into the 2-finger picking style.

I hope you have some fun with this.

- Dave

Pretty Polly – 2-Finger Style

KANINJACK - Posted - 12/04/2010:  05:05:18

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Interesting post. I'm reading Ralph's new book right now, and he goes into his recording history fairly in depth in the first 150 pages.

Zirbman - Posted - 12/04/2010:  07:43:21

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Great thread Dave! Do you still teach banjo?

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/04/2010:  10:04:07

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I got an IM from someone:
“hi dave i just read your post.... thank you i always wanted to learn ralphs style. the gentleman who has been playing for him, has got his stuff down great. but I have never been able to figure it out hope you can teach an old dog something lol

Hi ,

I'm sorry to disappoint you. I must confess to a bit of a ploy to get people to read my posting.
If you read it carefully, I am actually offering to teach how Ralph played bluegrass (with a two-finger picking style) before 1948 or so, when he learned to play three-finger style.

If you learn the two-finger style from the two audio-clips I have posted, it will be as if you were Ralph back in 1947.
I will post the third audio-clip shortly of how to move from the two-finger picking to three-finger picking, which is what Ralph did in 1948.
It will give you some insight into his style, but I am not promising to teach you to to play like Ralph Stanley's three-fingered style that he did from 1948 onwards.

I love Ralph's playing also, but I must admit I have studied Earl's style much more closely.


Good luck,
Dave

To all:
I'm sure that someone has put together a tutorial on Ralph's three-finger style--can anyone suggest one for this gentleman?
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Hey Dave (Zirbman)

Thanks for your kind words.

I am sending you an IM re: your question..
Please try out my audio-clips, and see if they help you get started.

- Dave

lucydog - Posted - 12/04/2010:  16:55:20

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I like the fact that the 2-finger styles are coming to the forefront. Between the OT styles and the BG styles, I'm learning all kinds of stuff.

KI4PRK - Posted - 12/05/2010:  16:45:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Magram

Hi Brennen,

You may be correct about Molly & Tenbrooks--I haven't listened to my LP of those Rich-R-Tone sessions in over 25 years.
However, I do remember reading a few years ago in a book on bluegrass that when the Stanleys "scooped" Monroe by recording Molly & Tenbrooks first, Ralph hadn't yet learned how to play it with three fingers.

Regardless of the exact history, my point was simply that Ralph did record and perform some bluegrass material (such as Little Maggie) with a two-finger style, which he then evolved into three-finger style--and this "back to the future" approach of learning two-finger picking first may help new players.
After all, it worked out pretty well for Ralph.

I'm glad to see that some of the younger bluegrass musicians (judging from your photo) are interested in the historical details of this wonderful music.

Are you a big Ralph fan?

- Dave

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Hey Dave, I am a Stanley Brothers fan by default, as the people I play with play LOTS and LOTS of Stanley songs. I haven't listened to hardly any Ralph from after Carter's death, but I sure do love the Stanley Brothers.

And I don't profess to be an expert on three-finger picking (or any other type of banjo playing), but I can say with 99% certainty that the Stanley's Rich-R-Tone recording is 3 finger banjo playing — and darn good 3-finger picking, too! I'm not sure where the book you read got it's information. I'm also not trying to be a know-it-all, so if I'm wrong, somebody please correct me! But I'm pretty darn sure

73, Brennen

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/05/2010:  17:49:01

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The best studies of Ralph Stanley banjo that I know of come from:
1 Steve Sparkman who played Stanley Style banjo with Ralph for about 14 years. He has a DVD out on Stanley style banjo.
2. John Wright wrote a Stanley banjo article that included a tab for Banjo Newsletter for years. You can get back issues of these. John traveled a lot with Ralph and also wrote a book on Ralph. John also had some small books out defining Ralph's playing style and giving some tabs. At the time they were only $3-5 and you could get them from John. John is a professor an Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. If you cannot find his pamphlets on Ralph's playing on line you can get his e-mail address from the university web site.
3. Ralph did a tape of him presenting his playing style. You can get it from Homespun tapes and he gave a little concert on it with a great band that included Curly Ray Cline.
Ken

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Edited by - From Greylock to Bean Blossom on 12/05/2010 17:50:10

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/05/2010:  17:58:15

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Hi everyone,

I need your feedback.

I’m curious if the first two audio-clips I posted a couple of days ago have been helpful to you.

1. Has anyone been able to learn how to pick the basic two-finger style I demonstrated in the first audio-clip?
2. Has anyone been able to learn to play Pretty Polly in basic two-finger style that I demonstrated in the second audio-clip?

If not, please tell me what additional information you need on the two-finger picking basics, or Pretty Polly to be successful.

If so, great, and I will post the third audio-clip which should help you transition from the two-finger style of playing Pretty Polly to the three-finger style-- in two steps (index-lead, and thumb-lead).

-Dave

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/05/2010:  18:02:22

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Hey Greylock,

Thanks for that info--not just one, but three sets of instructional material on how to play like the great Ralph Stanley!

-Dave

From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 12/05/2010:  18:31:52

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Dave,
Thanks for the thread. I am looking forward to learning a new thought process. In response to your other question: yes was able to play it with 2 fingers but it did not sound as good as yours. As you have mentioned before I need to listen to yours a bunch more times.
Ken

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/05/2010:  23:22:24

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Brennen wrote:

quote:

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Originally posted by KI4PRK

The Rich-R-Tone Stanley Brothers recording of Molly & Tenbrooks is 3 finger, not two finger.
I do have a radio show of the Stanley's from around that time, I guess just before, where they do that song but Ralph plays it 2-finger.
Ralph Stanley played a 2-finger Index Lead style on Little Maggie, I believe, with the "roll" being I-T-I-T, Index on the down beat. I've been wrong before, but that's sure what it sounds like to me

73, Brennen

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Brennen, you are correct.
I dug out my LP of those Rich-R-Tone recordings, and Ralph is playing M&T with three-fingers.
Thanks for correcting my recollection about M&T.

I agree with you, he is definitely using two fingers to play Little Maggie, and it sounds to me too, without taking out my banjo and trying to figure it out, that he is playing a more complex two-finger style than the basic one that I am teaching here.
Presumably Little Maggie was recorded first, and Ralph learned three finger style before they recorded M&T.

At any rate, my point was that Ralph was playing bluegrass with a two-finger picking style before he learned the three-finger style picking, and that if we step back a bit and follow that same path, it might make it easier for some people to understand three-finger picking style by learning two-finger picking first.
Would you agree?

- Dave

Banjophobic - Posted - 12/06/2010:  07:40:09

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Magram

Brennen wrote:

quote:

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Originally posted by KI4PRK

The Rich-R-Tone Stanley Brothers recording of Molly & Tenbrooks is 3 finger, not two finger.
I do have a radio show of the Stanley's from around that time, I guess just before, where they do that song but Ralph plays it 2-finger.
Ralph Stanley played a 2-finger Index Lead style on Little Maggie, I believe, with the "roll" being I-T-I-T, Index on the down beat. I've been wrong before, but that's sure what it sounds like to me

73, Brennen

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Brennen, you are correct.
I dug out my LP of those Rich-R-Tone recordings, and Ralph is playing M&T with three-fingers.
Thanks for correcting my recollection about M&T.

I agree with you, he is definitely using two fingers to play Little Maggie, and it sounds to me too, without taking out my banjo and trying to figure it out, that he is playing a more complex two-finger style than the basic one that I am teaching here.
Presumably Little Maggie was recorded first, and Ralph learned three finger style before they recorded M&T.

At any rate, my point was that Ralph was playing bluegrass with a two-finger picking style before he learned the three-finger style picking, and that if we step back a bit and follow that same path, it might make it easier for some people to understand three-finger picking style by learning two-finger picking first.
Would you agree?

- Dave

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Interesting thread Dave. And as you pointed out, learning to play Like Ralph is more complex than it appears. Playing two finger style can yieled some great sounding banjo, for sure. Im not so sure about it making it 'easier' to transition over to true three finger style, as in Scruggs style, for instance. Ive taught many 2 finger players and the ones that had been playing this way for many years had mixed results in regards to how quickly they adapted to 3 fingers. I think learning to play any style of banjo will teach you some musical basics, and is valuable as it prepares your fingers to play it. Once you get into playing a particular style, then you hone in on what makes it tick.

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/06/2010:  20:29:24

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Hi everyone,

Thanks for your interest in learning some basic two-finger picking by ear and possibly using it to transition to three-finger picking.

I’d recommend that you first listen to the first two audio-clips that I posted of “2-Finger Picking” and “Pretty Polly- 2-Finger Picking”, and are very comfortable with those before you study this one.

Here’s an audio-clip of me playing my version of Pretty Polly in the three-finger style-- in two steps: first using all index finger-lead, and then using a thumb-lead.

I hope you have some fun with this.
Please let me know if you find this helpful.

Good picking!
- Dave

Pretty Polly - 3-Finger style

RyanHerr - Posted - 12/08/2010:  11:54:51

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dave Magram
At any rate, my point was that Ralph was playing bluegrass with a two-finger picking style before he learned the three-finger style picking, and that if we step back a bit and follow that same path, it might make it easier for some people to understand three-finger picking style by learning two-finger picking first.
Would you agree?

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I'd agree! That's the path that I took when I broke my tab addiction and learned to play my own arrangements on the fly. That's also the path used in the book "Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus" by Wayne Erbsen.

-Ryan.

Banjonbama - Posted - 12/08/2010:  15:00:22

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I've been playing around with 2-finger thumb lead for a few weeks now, banjochris on youtube got me started on it with this video youtube.com/watch?v=GXRooshOGuc, and this thread helped a lot too.

It all works out pretty well for me, except when the melody moves up to the first string it can get a little tricky. I can't quite get the high part on 'Soldier's Joy' for instance, but have no problem on the low part.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've got a couple tunes up on my music page now, hopefully they might provide some listening pleasure as well as an expanded sample of two-finger stuff.

pick it - Posted - 12/08/2010:  17:58:15

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I don't know if this has been said or not ,theres just too many post to read them all.but I'll say this.
picking like Ralph or anyone else in one easy lesson or a hundred lessons is pure HOGWASH! get used to it,it ain't going to happen.you may pick Ralph style but not LIKE Ralph

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Edited by - pick it on 12/08/2010 18:02:00

mikey5string - Posted - 12/08/2010:  18:11:25

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quote:

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Originally posted by pick it

I don't know if this has been said or not ,theres just too many post to read them all.but I'll say this.
picking like Ralph or anyone else in one easy lesson or a hundred lessons is pure HOGWASH! get used to it,it ain't going to happen.you may pick Ralph style but not LIKE Ralph

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i think you can. raplh stanleys early style was pretty simple. im sure you could teach someone who already played scruggs style how he approached playing a tune in one lesson or less.

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/09/2010:  00:13:01

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Hi Tim (Pick It),

I read your bio which says that you played for Larry Sparks, so I know you must be the real deal!

Ralph has always been one of my favorite banjo players, and the Stanley Brothers one of my favorite bands, so please believe me when I say that I am not implying that I or anyone could teach someone to play Ralph's THREE-FINGER STYLE in one lesson.

If you read my initial posting carefully, I said that I used to teach some of my banjo students TWO-FINGER STYLE-- similar to the way Ralph played and recorded bluegrass songs like Little Maggie in 1947, before he learned the three-finger style--and they found this helpful, because two-finger style has a more predictable pattern than three-finger style.

I'm just trying to offer novice players who may be having trouble with three-finger style a different way to go about learning it--a "back to the future" approach using the legendary Mr. Ralph Stanley as a model.

Am I forgiven?

Best,
Dave

RyanHerr - Posted - 12/09/2010:  09:39:17

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quote:

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Originally posted by Banjonbama
It all works out pretty well for me, except when the melody moves up to the first string it can get a little tricky. I can't quite get the high part on 'Soldier's Joy' for instance, but have no problem on the low part.

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Couple of options:

-Use your thumb on the 1st string.
-Move up the neck to find the same melody note on the 2nd string.
-Syncopate the melody note by delaying it a beat, play it with your index or middle on the 1st string.

- Ryan Herr.
Cute & funny video. Vote to help my family win Disney vacation! banjohangout.org/topic/192932

pick it - Posted - 12/09/2010:  14:13:46

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Dave the post said,"pick like Ralph in one easy lesson.".

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Edited by - pick it on 12/09/2010 14:19:29

pick it - Posted - 12/09/2010:  14:15:20

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quote:

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Originally posted by mikey5string

quote:

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Originally posted by pick it

I don't know if this has been said or not ,theres just too many post to read them all.but I'll say this.
picking like Ralph or anyone else in one easy lesson or a hundred lessons is pure HOGWASH! get used to it,it ain't going to happen.you may pick Ralph style but not LIKE Ralph

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i think you can. raplh stanleys early style was pretty simple. im sure you could teach someone who already played scruggs style how he approached playing a tune in one lesson or less.

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maybe as you learn more about the banjo and know what to listen for you'll know differently.

mikey5string - Posted - 12/10/2010:  09:02:50

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quote:

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maybe as you learn more about the banjo and know what to listen for you'll know differently.

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maybe when you learn more about figurative language youll understand that this thread isnt promising to teach someone to literally become
ralph stanley. most people get that.

and it helps to understand what the term "like" means in this context.

that car looks like mine... is that car mine?
no. but it can still look like mine.

again, im willing to bet that 99.9% of the people who read this thread understand this concept.

Dave Magram - Posted - 12/10/2010:  13:05:03

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Hey guys,

Let's take it easy out there!
It's just banjos, not nuclear war that we're talking about here.

I think it should be pretty clear from my original posting "Want to play like Ralph Stanley in one easy lesson?" that I was referring to teaching "the older two-finger picking style, which is the way Ralph Stanley actually played bluegrass banjo on the The Stanley Brothers’ first recordings for Rich-R-Tone ca. 1947...(It wasn’t until later that Ralph learned to play the three-finger style like Earl.)"
I did not mean to imply that anyone could learn Ralph's three-finger style (or even his two-finger style) in one easy lesson.

No one is disrespecting Ralph Stanley.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have titled the thread "Want to learn to play somewhat similar to the way that Ralph Stanley did with two-finger picking before 1947 in one easy lesson?", but it was too long to fit in the posting window.

And if any novice player is able to learn the two-finger style version of Pretty Polly and the two three-finger style versions that I posted in audio-clip form, then they will have followed the same path that the great Ralph Stanley took--which was all that I was trying to demonstrate.

The next step, of sounding like Ralph, is far beyond the scope of three little audio-clips.

- Dave