Edited by - banjola1 on 02/27/2026 01:10:08
Let me give you a plug Pat.
For those of newer/ younger banjo players who may not be familiar with Pat Cloud and his contribution to the 5 string banjo, He is in my view, the king of be-bop jazz banjo. He is the very last artist who's in depth interview is in the iconic Masters of the 5 String Banjo book.
Although having a solid grounding in bluegrass banjo, he wound up mastering the melodic style and applied that knowledge to jazz music. His album Higher Power(1983) brings the banjo into the realm of Charlie Parker and other Jazz greats. The tab he has provided may be from his Key to the 5 String Banjo booklet, which is an in depth look at pentatonics and how they relate to the banjo . A must for anyone who wants to branch out from the same old routine and feel more at ease with the neck. It helps take out some of the guesswork in learning their way around the neck.
(I was not paid for this endorsement. lol)
https://youtu.be/dB8mr9wDt1E?si=bYfvSbda3bbnAByo
Edited by - stanleytone on 02/27/2026 13:33:19
When I was first learning to make my own breaks and play by ear, my teacher introduced me to the pentatonic scale. He said that most melody notes (not all) could be found in those 5 notes. After much trial and error, I found that he was right and from then on, it seemed much easier to figure out my own breaks.
So, my recommendation: learn the pentatonic scale. It helped me a lot and maybe it will help you, too.
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