Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 1

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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Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 1

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 2

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 1

June 2, 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and in honor of that momentous event in the history of pop music, in this lesson you’ll learn Bill’s arrangement of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Bill’s “chord-melody” arrangement features the melody as the top note of the chords, which are played mostly with pinches. The first part of the melody includes the bass line as well as the melody. Bill walks you through each section, phrase by phrase, talking about how he’s decided to arrange it as he goes. You’ll learn the verse of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” in this video.

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (Available to subscribers)

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Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 2 →

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Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Part 2 →

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