Fiddle Tune Backup: “Sally Goodin”

This lesson is part of the course Bluegrass Banjo with Bill Evans.

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Learn to make your banjo drive the band or play sweet melodies, with solos to well-known songs and tunes, backup techniques, and more.

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Blue Ridge Cabin Home

In this lesson, you’ll start adding roll patterns to the melody of “Blue Ridge Cabin Home.” Every melody has a rhythm and when Earl Scruggs was working out his breaks, he tried to keep the melody’s rhythm intact as he added the roll patterns, letting the melody dictate what kind of roll to use. Bill shows you some ideas for choosing rolls. For example, if you have a melody note that’s held out for a long time you can try a forward roll, and when the melody notes are closer together you can try an alternating thumb roll or a forward reverse roll. Bill walks you through an entire solo here, with embellishments and fill-in licks.

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Fiddle Tune Backup: “Sally Goodin”

Fiddle Tune Backup: “Sally Goodin” Play-Along Track

Fiddle Tune Backup: “Sally Goodin”

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to back up a fiddler playing a fiddle tune, either in a duet context, a jam, or a band. Bill is joined by Peghead Nation fiddle instructor Chad Manning to demonstrate Scruggs-style fiddle backup on the classic fiddle tune “Sally Goodin.” Bill shows you a number of different roll patterns, licks, and vamps that you can combine to create a compelling and driving backup sound.

Fiddle Tune Backup: "Sally Goodin" (Available to subscribers)

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← Hot Earl Scruggs Up-the-Neck Backup Licks, Part 2: “Salty Dog Blues” Lick

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Previous Lesson

← Hot Earl Scruggs Up-the-Neck Backup Licks, Part 2: “Salty Dog Blues” Lick

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Fiddle Tune Backup: “Sally Goodin” Play-Along Track →

Previous Lesson

← Hot Earl Scruggs Up-the-Neck Backup Licks, Part 2: “Salty Dog Blues” Lick

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