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Playing Since: 2003
Experience Level: Purty Good
Rich Weill has made 122 recent additions to Banjo Hangout 
Interests:
[Jamming]
Gender: Male
Age: 56
My Instruments:
Gibson Earl Scruggs Standard
Classified Rating: 0
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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 5/6/2004
Last Visit 5/22/2012
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Wednesday, October 06, 2010 @9:00:45 PM
I'm not saying that playing the banjo is easy. There is a lot to learn and, more importantly, a lot of good habits to ingrain: hand position and tone, rhythm and timing, finger patterns, chord formations, left-hand techniques, etc. But the basic concepts behind playing the banjo Scruggs-style are relatively straightforward:
Music is made up of rhythm, harmony, and melody. Not all instruments play all three. Some instruments are single-note instruments and thus cannot play both melody and harmony. All instruments play rhythm; some instruments play only rhythm.
Backup banjo plays rhythm and harmony. Lead banjo plays rhythm, harmony and melody.
Rhythm on the banjo is produced by right-hand patterns: rolls, vamps, pinches -- played with proper timing.
When those right-hand patterns are played over a chord progression, you have both rhythm and harmony -- all you need to play backup.
When you choose right-hand roll patterns that allow you to pick a sufficient number of melody notes (which generally are found either in or near the chord) close to where they fall in the tune, you have rhythm, harmony, and melody.
All the rest is style. Some people use a wide variety of right-hand patterns. Others use very few. Some people play with bounce. Others space their notes evenly. Some people use a lot of left-hand techniques to embellish the melody and give it flavor. Others prefer a leaner, cleaner sound. Some people use the entire neck, jumping from octave to octave. Others stay in the first five frets. Some people go for all sorts of hot licks. Others choose to play things more simply.
But the basics are just rhythm, harmony, and melody. Let's not make it more complicated than it really is.
Recent Forum Posts
Court-Ordered Banjo Instruction (2 days ago)
Bury Me Beneath The Willow (4 days ago)
Jamming question (4 days ago)
Feds threaten to disrupt summer concerts... (5 days ago)
Left hand (6 days ago)
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Rich Weill has 32 friends. View entire friends list.
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pstroud1 replied to topic 'Vending machine controversy' 5/22/2012 10:08:35 PM |
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pstroud1 posted forum topic 'Some have some don't,,,,' 5/22/2012 10:05:12 PM |
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pstroud1 posted forum topic 'Don't get caught speeding in this town. ,,,,,;)' 5/22/2012 9:46:46 PM |
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oldwoodchuckb replied to topic 'Heavy strings or light strings?' 5/22/2012 9:28:30 PM |
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pstroud1 replied to topic 'trying out my new droid,,,, ,' 5/22/2012 9:24:05 PM |
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oldwoodchuckb replied to topic 'Bum-Ditty in E' 5/22/2012 9:05:49 PM |
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pstroud1 replied to topic 'I am going to need your prayers....please.' 5/22/2012 8:20:55 PM |
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pstroud1 replied to topic 'Manual clutching' 5/22/2012 8:15:19 PM |
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pstroud1 replied to topic 'For bconk,,,,,,;)' 5/22/2012 8:10:59 PM |
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Banjoal posted forum topic 'Disco?' 5/22/2012 7:17:59 PM |
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jimh269b replied to topic 'Guard your Gibson's' 5/22/2012 6:59:31 PM |
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jimh269b replied to topic 'Heard some awesome picking today' 5/22/2012 6:57:17 PM |
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jimh269b replied to topic 'Don Reno's "Double Banjo Blues" (Full Band)' 5/22/2012 5:06:41 PM |
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jimh269b replied to topic 'Foggy Mountain Chimes' 5/22/2012 5:04:08 PM |
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jimh269b replied to topic '"Soldiers Joy" & "Home Sweet Home"' 5/22/2012 5:01:42 PM |
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