Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 1: Earl Scruggs’ Solo

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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Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 1: Earl Scruggs’ Solo

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 2: Variations

“Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” Play-Along Track

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 1: Earl Scruggs’ Solo

In this lesson, you’ll learn an Earl Scruggs solo to the jam session favorite “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” as well as some variations. Many people sing and play “Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms” in the key of B, and you’ll put your capo on the fourth fret to play it in B, but Bill teaches you the solo in G, without a capo. He starts by slowly playing Earl’s first solo, which Earl recorded in 1949 with Flatt and Scruggs for the Mercury Sessions, and then shows you how the solo matches the melody of the song. Then he walks you through the solo, phrase by phrase, pointing out licks that you may have already learned in other songs.

"Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms" (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← “Fireball Mail” Up the Neck, Part 2

Next Lesson

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 2: Variations →

Previous Lesson

← “Fireball Mail” Up the Neck, Part 2

Next Lesson

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 2: Variations →

Previous Lesson

← “Fireball Mail” Up the Neck, Part 2

Next Lesson

Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 2: Variations →

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Roll In My Sweet Baby’s Arms, Part 1: Earl Scruggs’ Solo

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