6-String Banjo
Open G Tuning: Thumb In & Out Rolls #1

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Open G Tuning will offer an amazing doorway to new textures and harmonic possibilities. We're starting these open tuning lessons out with fingerpicking roll patterns. (These roll patterns can also be achieved with a flatpick...only, if using a flatpick, this approach, in conjunction with the rolls, would be called "Crosspicking")

Roll patterns are very common in bluegrass banjo and crosspicking guitar. The open G roll patterns presented here will give you a way to increase your versatility. For instance, these roll patterns, in combination with open G chord positions, will work well for back-up techniques, imitating 5-string banjo, developing new melodies, building textures behind other lead instruments, and more importantly, adding interest overall to most any performance or recording setting.

Performance Notes: When first learning the following patterns, try learning one roll well before tackling others ahead. You'll know you've accomplished the roll pattern when you can play without any hesitation between notes...and, you should not have to look at your picking hand while playing. All of the below patterns are played without any fretting to ensure that all your focus is on the pattern itself. Our future open G lessons will combine these roll patterns with chordal positions...and, this will then be followed up with adding melodies to the roll patterns. Therefore, do your best to memorize all of the roll patterns possible so that you will be well prepared for future lessons.

Further Notes: I use these roll patterns, with variations, quite often on the new CD: "12-String Guitar Drawings from the Acoustic Forest"...in fact, there are quite a few tunes on this CD that are played in the open G tuning of which apply to both 6 & 12-String Banjo.

Copyright ©2000-2008 Mickey Cochran

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