Forward-Roll Style, Part 1: Exercises

from: Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo with Wes Corbett

This lesson is part of the course Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo with Wes Corbett.

Get immediate access to this lesson and all of the lessons in this course when you subscribe.

Start Course
Browse Courses

About This Course

Learn the style of contemporary three-finger banjo used by Béla Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Ron Block, and others. With lessons on single-string and melodic style, fingerboard theory, improvisation, and more. For intermediate to advanced players.

Try a Sample Lesson

VARIATIONS ON “CRIPPLE CREEK”

Wes shows you some ways to vary the melody of “Cripple Creek” and introduces the concept of “melodic style” banjo. Melodic-style was invented by banjoist Bill Keith, who devised a way to play linear note-for-note melodies where you never play the same string consecutively. Wes walks you through the variations phrase by phrase, pointing out how each variation relates to the original melody.

Try a sample lesson

The Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo Subscription Includes:

More than 40 extensive lessons in the three-finger style used by Béla Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Ron Block, and others
Essential right- and left-hand technique lessons
Theory and fingerboard lessons relevant to contemporary banjo
30 complete tunes to play
Detailed tablature for every lesson
High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see closeups of both hands in action
Play-Along Tracks so you can practice what you’ve learned

$20/Month For One Course

Additional courses only $10/month each! • Save 20% with an annual subscription

Start Course

Get started now!
Use promo code WesLand at checkout

and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription.

FORWARD-ROLL STYLE

Forward-Roll Style, Part 1: Exercises

Forward-Roll Style, Part 2: “You Are My Sunshine”

Forward-Roll Style, Part 3: Forward-Roll Style in Other Keys

Forward-Roll Style, Part 4: “You Are My Sunshine” Play-Along Track

Forward-Roll Style, Part 1: Exercises

In the forward-roll style of banjo playing melodies are played primarily by the index finger on the inside strings—second, third, or fourth strings—using forward and backward rolls. It’s a style you can hear in the playing of contemporary banjo players like Ron Block, who plays with Alison Krauss and Union Station, and Harley Bray. Wes gets you started in the style with an exercise that combines the G major scale played entirely on the third string with forward rolls, followed by similar exercises using the G major scale on the second and fourth strings.

Forward Roll-Style Exercises (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← Guide Tone Shapes, Part 3: “Foggy Mountain Special”

Next Lesson

Forward-Roll Style, Part 2: “You Are My Sunshine” →

Previous Lesson

← Guide Tone Shapes, Part 3: “Foggy Mountain Special”

Next Lesson

Forward-Roll Style, Part 2: “You Are My Sunshine” →

Previous Lesson

← Guide Tone Shapes, Part 3: “Foggy Mountain Special”

Next Lesson

Forward-Roll Style, Part 2: “You Are My Sunshine” →

Banjo Articles

Watch Evie Ladin’s Workshop | Demystifying the Banjo Neck, Part 1: G Tuning

Our Clawhammer Banjo instructor gave a fun Zoom workshop recently, covering movable banjo chords in G tuning, playing up the neck, and more. Watch the full session here.

Banjo Videos

Banjo Extravaganza: “The Train That Carried My Girl from Town”

A performance from the 2016 CA Banjo Extravaganza, with Bill Evans, Joe Newberry, and Danny Barnes, and an all-star band of Sharon Gilchrist, Chad Manning, John Reischman, and Jim Nunally.