Playing in D Without a Capo, 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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Playing in D Without a Capo

Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 1

Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 2: “Man of Constant Sorrow”

“Man of Constant Sorrow” in D Play-Along Track

Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 1

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to play in the key of D without a capo, in G tuning, with the fifth string tuned to A. You can get a bluesy sound in this tuning, and Bill uses “Man of Constant Sorrow,” as recorded by Dan Tyminski, with Ron Block on banjo, for the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, as an example. Bill starts by showing you the chords you’ll need to play “Man of Constant Sorrow” in the key of D, along with some roll patterns that sound good with them. He also shows you a typical D fill-in lick that uses the minor pentatonic scale.

Playing in D: Roll Patterns (Available to subscribers)

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← “All the Good Times Are Past and Gone” Play-Along Track

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Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 2: “Man of Constant Sorrow” →

Previous Lesson

← “All the Good Times Are Past and Gone” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 2: “Man of Constant Sorrow” →

Previous Lesson

← “All the Good Times Are Past and Gone” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 2: “Man of Constant Sorrow” →

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Playing in D Without a Capo, Part 1

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