scatterjoy - Posted - 04/24/2026:  12:02:23

My new grandson seems to enjoy “moonlight” by blaze Foley. There’s only a few simple chords. It’s quite slow and I can remember the lyrics. it’s essentially a lullaby.

I’m trying to find a quiet, compatible slow banjo roll to pick this up while he’s goobering on my frets. In general is there an example I could follow?

Maybe a stretch, but I think this would sound lovely in the spirit of “Susan’s Gone” by Dirk Powell… but how? Is a beginner version of that difficult? I’m not trying to master that song, but just get to general picking competence on a simple song.

Is there a basic roll ?

Some YouTube links

Moonlight: youtu.be/lP0qs_Ogw5A?si=7yf-FGWJXN2VC7_x

Susan’s Gone: youtu.be/lP1VRvOPyqM?si=CYdV9G2XYWDoa2PZ

eagleisland - Posted - 04/24/2026:  13:46:51

Okay, the first thing to consider is that Moonlight is in 3/4 time. It's also being played out of the key of D in this recording, if that matters.

So the standard 8-note roll patterns (of which I hold a low opinion) don't really work here. But you can easily adapt forward and backward rolls - TIM/MIT to this; in the key of D, fretting the third string at the second fret to create an A note and basing off the open fourth, rolling to open first - will give you a 1-5-1 D chord. You might also consider spiking your fifth string at7, to create another A note.

Muck around with that for a bit and see if it doesn't lead you to interesting places.

The other song is being played clawhammer, and it sounds like it's in a non-standard tuning (could be wrong about that). Really can't give you much guidance with that one.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 04/24/2026:  14:02:34

You can also make chords and do double stops and use a root note as a first beat. Since it's a waltz you'd hit the root note and then do a 2 and 3 double stop.

chuckv97 - Posted - 04/24/2026:  14:08:37

3 beats per measure, so you need 6 eighth notes for rolling the chords. TIMTIM works,, TITMTI also ,, TMTIMI is another. Make sure you can change the chords quickly with your fretting hand- one way to make that easier is to play an open string right before the chord change, so à IMTIMT where the last T (thumb) plays the 5 string.

banjered - Posted - 04/24/2026:  15:54:54

There is a Bluegrass slow song?

Ok, I play Clawhammer and there are just a lot of slow songs that don't sound all that well in clawhammer. So I explored and learned two finger thumb lead which should adapt well and learn quickly to you being an already-thumber. With two finger 3/4 is just as easy as 4/4. Good luck! banjered

scatterjoy - Posted - 04/24/2026:  18:15:11

This is all good advice. Silly that I didn’t pick up 3/4. Really silly.
I think TIMTIM and its cousins was the missing piece.

For the chords, thanks too. I was looking at tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/b...s-2679483

Strumming along isn’t too far off and the tuning seems standard. G, C and F and. But more. I’m not asking for a music theory course. I guess the simplest songs can hide some unexpected sophistication.

Thanks!

geoB - Posted - 04/24/2026:  18:25:01

"Ever listen to the rythmn of a horse walking" Great Uncle Earl

Old Hickory - Posted - 04/24/2026:  20:01:40

For something basic for Moonlight  -- and to help you get the feel of 3/4 -- do: T - I+M - I+M |  T - I+M - I+M  picking or pinching notes on the counts of  1-2-3 | 1-2-3

"I+M" means pick or pinch two strings at once --probably 1st and 2nd -- with the index and middle.  Which string -- 3 or 4 -- you pick with the thumb is up to you. I think this is the same as what Sherry suggested. She referred to it as "double stops."

If you hear the 1-2-3 of quarter notes and play on those counts, you should eventually hear how notes can be added in between those, making the 6 eighth notes Chuck described.  You would count that:  1 & 2 & 3 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & |.    The numbers still come up at the same places at the same speed.  The "and"s just get added in between.

There are countless ways to pick T, I and M across 6 notes. Choose what sounds good to you.

As to playing an accompaniment to 3/4 "Moonlight" in the style of 2/4 clawhammer "Susan's Gone," that sounds like a good project in self-teaching. I mean no sarcasm. I truly believe discovering it for yourself is the way to adapt one style of play to an entirely different technique for a very different sounding song.

I think that exploration includes  finding versions of the chords in various locations, picking with a light touch very far from the bridge, and hammering on to notes every now and then. As to what notes or rolls (plural), that's more exploration. 

Good luck.