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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/407134
skydawg - Posted - 01/31/2026: 16:17:36
Hi,Earl Scruggs and the 5 String Banjo,or Earl Scruggs Banjo Songbook? Is one better than the other? Thanks.
pinenut - Posted - 01/31/2026: 16:34:19
I like a few of the instruction books; "Scruggs and the 5 String Banjo" is one of the good ones.
A large book of supplemental tablature is a good way to build repertoire. The Songbook, or something like it, fills the supplemental role.
Both fill important and separate 'rolls'. 
Edited by - pinenut on 01/31/2026 16:36:47
banjobob36 - Posted - 01/31/2026: 16:43:55
Instruction book then songbook. Earls instruction book includes songs.
earlstanleycrowe - Posted - 01/31/2026: 17:04:15
Scruggs Corner by Jack Hatfield is not to be slept on.
stumpkicker - Posted - 02/01/2026: 07:23:09
quote:Originally posted by earlstanleycroweScruggs Corner by Jack Hatfield is not to be slept on.
I totally agree! I still have my '70's Earl Scruggs and the 5 String Banjo, but the Scruggs Corner by Hatfield includes some tabbed out backup which is great!
Culloden - Posted - 02/01/2026: 08:52:57
The Earl Scruggs and the Five String Banjo book is good to learn from if you want to learn to play exactly like Earl Scruggs. If you ever want to branch out and develop your own style, it's not that great. I have never met anyone who learned from it, then went on to develop a style of their own.
RB-1 - Posted - 02/01/2026: 10:55:42
quote:
Originally posted by CullodenThe Earl Scruggs and the Five String Banjo book is good to learn from if you want to learn to play exactly like Earl Scruggs. If you ever want to branch out and develop your own style, it's not that great. I have never met anyone who learned from it, then went on to develop a style of their own.
Pleased to meet you!
After studying that book, Ive been influenced by so many players and my 'style' has absorbed some from all of them.
Just as important were physical limitations (size, shape of hands & maximum speed of reaction and so on...) and my previous exposure to many types of music.
A person's banjo playing never develops in some sort of vacuum.
I'd recommend that book and at the same time encourage anyone to look beyond and see what contemporary 3 finger pickers have come up with, basically everything between 1945 and today.
From Greylock to Bean Blossom - Posted - 02/03/2026: 16:11:26
quote:
Originally posted by stumpkickerquote:Originally posted by earlstanleycroweScruggs Corner by Jack Hatfield is not to be slept on.
I totally agree! I still have my '70's Earl Scruggs and the 5 String Banjo, but the Scruggs Corner by Hatfield includes some tabbed out backup which is great!
Jack Hatfield sells a book (I think it is $25) of all his Scruggs tabs. Maybe the best thing about this book is that he has a good number of songs he has tabbed every note for including backup. What a resource for learning backup. Listen to Flatt & Scruggs and see it on his tabs. You can study those tabs till the cows come home and keep learning.
ken
stumpkicker - Posted - 02/04/2026: 05:02:45
quote:
Originally posted by CullodenThe Earl Scruggs and the Five String Banjo book is good to learn from if you want to learn to play exactly like Earl Scruggs. If you ever want to branch out and develop your own style, it's not that great. I have never met anyone who learned from it, then went on to develop a style of their own.
I respectfully disagree. When I first began learning the banjo back in the 70s, I would stack tableture over each other, measured by measure. For example, the top tab would be a beginners cripple Creek, underneath that would be Earl's version, A beginners melodic version, and later one from Alan Munde. After a while, I would switch A&B parts between different tabs , and later transpose licks. To this day, this is still my warm-up exercise. Similarly, when my son took up guitar, he started with Chuck Berry note for note, and later began studying Brian Setzer and slowly developed his own style.
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