Understanding Banjo Backup

Categorize and string backup licks together to perform top-notch vamp and fill, rolling and high backup.
0:00 Live Scruggs style backup performance
0:41 Five Categories of useful licks
3:28 Mama Don't Allow complete Vamp & Fill backup demo
4:20 Two more categories of licks
5:40 Mama Don't Allow complete Rolling backup demo
6:47 Mama Don't Allow complete High backup demo
7:41 All three backups played up to speed as a complete song
Support to help cover the time it takes to put these videos together is greatly appreciated! paypal.me/BanjoEddieCollins

[@thebrj5144]

Your videos are wonderful. Especially this one with your definitions of all the licks and the complete song example with tab. I am almost embarrassed to say I have owned a banjo for 18 years. I can probably play 50 solos and could learn one in a few hours. But I still can't backup one song with a guitar or a singer. That is still a mystery to me. This video is exactly what I needed to get me going. Thank You.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Brandon, I hope you have a break through and get...it's a blast to play great backup.

[@JohnClarke-lq4ko]

I hope People realize how much work goes into these videos. Thank You. Seriously, Thank You.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks for that comment, John. Like a lot of things in being a professional musician, you do it for the love of the music. Great to know folks appreciate it.

[@Thexnavyguy]

Good stuff Eddie! Thanks for sharing.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Good to know its appreciated!

[@josefdetzer8717]

I'm glad to here it often!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

thanks.

[@josefdetzer8717]

Thank you Eddie!Helps a lot.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Glad to hear it!

[@raballist]

Oh Man your lessons are so great and usefull, never seen anything better. Thanks a lot

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Really appreciate the high praise Ralph. Good luck with your picking!

[@joesshitguitar3116]

This is some really good instruction. Can’t wait to get into the back up rolls, love it thanks Eddie

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks Joe, I this one in particular does hit on the right points. Glad it was helpful.

[@brucesargeant6589]

Ha, I think you have a lot of fun doing these:). You make it look so easy. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Knowing good folks are enjoying these is very rewarding. Thanks for taking time to respond.

[@kimstewart9152]

Great video Eddie! I look forward to learning and implementing some of these ideas, thanks for posting!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Glad it was helpful Kim and I hope you are able to work some of it into your backup!

[@stevepearson4160]

Excellent explanation of how to fit all these backup phrases together - this should keep me busy for a while! Thank you!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Appreciate that Steve, be sure to call in your order before the restaurants close so you can keep on practicing!

[@rickc6726]

Hi Eddie, this is great information and perfect timing in my banjo journey, that I found it/you! 🤗👍🇬🇧

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Super Rick, good luck with your progress.

[@banjomark9900]

Very nice instruction Eddie. I’m blessed to have found a good local teacher who is going over a similar approach with me. It’s so nice to be able to understand through your videos too that this is a universally acceptable approach to backup in the world of bluegrass music. Thanks much for sharing 🪕

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Likewise, I appreciate you sharing your comment. Sounds like your teacher has a good plan that is getting reinforced here. All the best with your picking!

[@smilingvulture]

my understanding of backup banjo is so much better - thx

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Glad that helped!

[@mikebastiat]

That D fill with the pulloff 3-2 on the high D string is what I've been looking for. I can't nail it yet though. I'm pretty sure I've heard it in Clouds over Carolina, Larry Rice.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Great, keep your ear out for all the licks demonstrated. They are mostly fairly common licks.

[@jessejames1040]

Best explanation that I have seen. Do you have any books that have this same type of explanation for other songs/chord progressions?

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks for asking. The main one I have is Blazing Backup for Bluegrass banjo, the physical book has 10 songs, the Apple Book ePub has 12. You can find more information on those at my website: www.eddiecollins.biz. Also, check out my video, 15 Cool Backup Licks for Banjo. Good luck with your picking!

[@finnposner1425]

Hi Eddie. Sunday mornings are my time to revisit your banjo lessons and I was just watching this one again. I have your Blazing Backup book, however, it does not have your great compilation of Mama Don't Allow. Is the tab available and if so how would I obtain it? Thanks again.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Finn, send me an email [e-mail] and I'll get it to you. Thanks and Happy Picking!

[@mikebastiat]

You the man, Eddie. Is that "pad lick" (forward roll in G) always what you do for backup? Eli Gilbert got me going on the quarter note, forward, and forward/reverse for backup, and now I don't know what's right. Yours sounds more syncopated. Would you also do that same thing over chord changes? 3 forwards and an alternate?

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Be careful, there is no one "right" way to do it. A lot of this will come together more if you are playing with a group of players regularly where you get the chance to hear what works. It's hard to do just imagining what the other players are doing.

[@mikebastiat]

@@EddieCollinsMusic Thanks. So filling in 8th notes in any way you can is half way legit? What was Scruggs doing? As you showed?

[@Bascomblodge]

I cannot figure how to purchase the book of apple books. Can you help me? Maybe I can't do it with just a windows 10 pc. I am still a flip phone person.I think I found it on your website.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Email me and I'll walk you through it: [e-mail]

[@smilingvulture]

slower version Dirty Old Town is being played C# minor --122 BPM how would you retune banjo to play along with this version , or is it a matter of chords kzbin.info/www/bejne/rITHeIZqiselZ8U

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Sorry, I'm not too familiar with that tune. They change keys in the middle of it. Maybe look for a guitar tutorial where they tell what chords they are playing and adjust it for banjo.

[@chuckgordon8179]

OK, so I think my brain is backwards, I feel like the Banjo is playing so much more than the guitar and seems to be the lead, not the backup.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

In this kind of video I have the banjo up so folks can really hear what it is they are trying to learn. The trick is to blend in with the background. The guitar provides a foundation and the important thing will be that whatever you play, its played in time and "helps" the rhythm, not detract from it. If you're new to banjo, your ear will focus on the solos, once folks dig deeper, there's this whole other fascinating world of banjo!