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Old 02-22-2012, 04:19 AM
catdaddy catdaddy is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Backroads of Florida
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A lot of great info from wcap there!

I've been playing 5-string banjo for about 3 years now and love it! I learned to play Scruggs style by practicing the various rolls over and over and over.
The most difficult part of that process was getting my ear used to my thumb playing the high 5th string. Having first learned Travis style fingerpicking on guitar I kept experiencing a mental disconnect by expecting to hear an alternating bass pattern coming from my thumb. Once I got used to that the proficiency came fairly easily.

And yes, I'm a banjo snob too so my advice is to stay away from those 6-string banjo 'imposters'. You'll never get an authentic sound from them simply because the picking patterns on one of those will never be the same as on the traditional 5-string banjo.
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