Understanding Banjo Rolls

Basic & essential bluegrass banjo rolls with tips on how and where to use them.
Support to help cover the time it takes to put these videos together is greatly appreciated! paypal.me/BanjoEddieCollins

[@barrysmith8193]

Eddie….. as a struggling left handed picker I’ve avoiding playing with others due to a lack of learned skills and confidence. Right handed instructors typically only speak “right” so we are excluded due to their singular point of view. I’m pleased to have found your lessons as your narrative is presented such that both left and right handers can interpret and learn equally. Many thanks… please continue your unique lesson style.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Many thanks for that comment Barry. Glad to know the you are able to work with the lessons.

[@judwatkins9478]

As another "lefty" let me say I understand all too well what you are saying. I feel the same way, and these lessons are keeping me at the banjo, when otherwise, I might have hung it up!

[@banjobones8075]

This was an extraordinary helpful video to show how to incorporate banjo rolls

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks for taking time to comment. Always wonderful to know the effort is making a difference for folks!

[@genekinde1193]

Great refresher Eddie. Hope all is well with you and the family.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks 👍

[@oliverstrand3670]

This is such a helpful and clear explanation!! Thank you!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Glad it was helpful!, Oliver

[@lynnglidewell7367]

This is an excellent video that not only shows how to make the most often needed rolls but also tells where you would use them and why. Many instructional videos don't do that. I'm new to banjo and 70 years old so I need that information to jump ahead a little bit. I found each of your other videos to have the same eye opening information. I also like that you use a standard length banjo neck. I learned initially to play in the Pete Seeger style. As you know folk players tend to use the long neck banjo capo up to it's second fret to make a standard neck. But it can be confusing when they start trying to show you things. The visual is just confounded. Yours is far more understandable. I look forward to more. Thanks Eddie.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Lynn, really glad you're finding this helpful. The long neck players should be capoing the 3rd fret to get into G from E, but yes, that looks real confusing when trying to follow what they're doing. Good luck with all your picking!

[@herbsbluegrassjamchannel4222]

Hi Eddie thanks for a great video. I got a Deering Goodtime banjo as a Christmas gift for my self so there is now another banjo player in the world.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Herb, after all those other instruments, now banjo! Do the neighbors know??? Keep up the good work on your videos and I'll look for some added banjo soon!

[@Phoenixhunter157]

👏👏👏👏❤️congratulations 🎉

[@RyanHirschberg-ryanhphoto]

Great video. I learned the forward roll a different way, starting with the index. So it goes IMT IMT IM. This causes me to have to pluck index and middle back to back when going from measure to measure. I will def try your patrern as well. Thanks

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

What you are describing is a one-measure forward roll. Earl would start that with the Thumb for emphasis, whereas Ralph Stanley did it exactly as you describe it, so it's a matter of finding what works for you.

[@RyanHirschberg-ryanhphoto]

Thanks eddie. I have a literal brain, so a lot of these rolls I have learned them just one way. Then I practice them one way in order to get fast in one way. Then I get easily tripped up when trying to learn a roll in a new way, or mixing two rolls together. Any advice to get better at all the different variations of these rolls?

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

@@RyanHirschberg-ryanhphoto I have my students verbally say out loud what finger in the right hand is being played. It doesn't work if you jus think it, it requires saying it out loud. Then you will "hear" that you are using the exact same fingers in the same order, just striking a different set of strings...thus reaffirming it really is the same roll.

[@fuzzydunlop365]

Just got a banjo - very helpful video!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Great...good luck going forward (with your rolls, that is!)

[@silverlagomorpha3177]

Fantastic! Thanks

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Glad that helped.

[@blakejackson4483]

I love this video. Thank you for posting! Can you make a video on more in depth look at playing fiddle tune melodies while keeping the rolls going? Is it really as simple as just striking the melody note with my thumb every time? I just can’t play the melody while rolling.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Excellent post Blake. Fiddle tunes are indeed mostly a different beast. Many are played in the melodic style that doesn't rely on rolls, but a more scale-oriented approach. That does give me food for thought on a video demonstrating/explaining the difference. If you're subscribed with notifications you should get a notice when such a video comes out.

[@clawhammer704]

You’ve explained it the best Iv heard.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Appreciate that!

[@josefdetzer8717]

Helps!Thanke you.

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Good to hear...keep on picking!

[@thelordreigns2245]

Thank you!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

You're welcome!

[@tmmikko]

Thank you , Awesome !!!!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Thanks Tony

[@andyjprice7492]

I've searched and searched for someone to explain WHY they are called what they are. Every video I see explains HOW to do them without explaining why they are called that. I have the Scruggs book and even he doesn't really explain (at least clearly that I saw.) Thank you! The way my brain works, having the TIM MIT and alt T was very helpful. I always thought the alternating thumb was named that because it started in a different place!

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

Nice specific comment Andy. Some folks would just say "play 'em," but for others making sense of the labels really helps.

[@johnytuska2129]

hi eddie, what is the opening roll you started with ?, cheers , love your lessons

[@Genetherapy3232]

Thank you :)

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

You're welcome!

[@chrisfuller767]

I’m currently learning the bluegrass banjo and came across your video. How long should I be spending on learning each of the rolls

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

There is a lot crammed into this short video. Usually, you'll want to learn a roll and then a song that uses that roll. For example, learn Part B to Cripple Creek after working with the alternating roll. Banjo in the Hollow is a good song to try after learning the forward/backward roll. So work roll practice into your practice routine as you learn your first songs.

[@chrisfuller767]

@@EddieCollinsMusic thanks for your advice, it’s great to get proper advice from someone of your calibre. Maybe I’ll post a video once I have been practicing a while.

[@royplayer]

What is the purpose of the crumpled up hankie behind the bridge?

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

To try to keep the volume of the banjo around the same as my voice when recording the video.

[@mikebastiat]

I haven't figured out when to use the alternating roll yet, even though it's the most basic. I find myself just doing forward and forward reverse rolls. Maybe that means I'm doing something wrong..

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

If you've got an ear for bluegrass, you are going to hear more forward rolls, which gives the music its drive. Alternating is for those times when you really want to keep things on the beat, like Earl did with Cripple Creek. See my video on Forward rolls to get more understanding on where they are used.

[@mikebastiat]

@@EddieCollinsMusic Thank you. I'll definitely check it out. I just saw one forward roll of yours on the lick video (I think you called it the most important one, since it's a G backup roll) that ends with an alternating roll, and now I'm more confused, because the guys I've seen teach backup so far have had me starting with a quarter note, when you just start TIM right away. Your way sounds nice and syncopated, but now I don't know what is the real approach to backup. I don't see how to apply your most important lick/roll to backup playing. I can't figure out how sliding 2/5 on the G string and then rolling forward works in time.

[@Bascomblodge]

what is that behind your bridge?

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

A piece of cloth that I push next to the bridge to cut down on sharp overtones when recording.

[@rickc6726]

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👍🙂

[@EddieCollinsMusic]

5 stars! Gotta love it...thanks.

[@99999liquid]

The word mit is actually spelled mitt.