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Bluegrass Banjo Picking 101  

 
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 There are two picking patterns and three fretting techniques needed to start picking a banjo. The pinch is the first picking pattern to learn followed by the alternating thumb pattern. The fretting techniques are the slide , hammer on and the pull off. A mixture of these five things allows us to play songs.
  Lets get started. The first pattern every banjo picker needs to learn is the pinch. Lets take a look at the Tablature.
  1.) First the thumb plucks the third string  2.)Then the thumb plucks the fifth String at the same time the index plucks the second  and middle finger plucks the first string. When all three strings are plucked together at the same time. This is called a pinch.

 Click To View Video>>>>The Pinch.wmv (UPDATED 4/11/06)

Click wave practice files
40 BPM Pinch
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Next is the alternating thumb pattern. This is the first basic roll pattern we need to learn. It goes like this. 1.) The thumb plucks the 3rd string 2.) Then the Index finger plucks the 2nd string 3.) Next the thumb plucks the 5th string 4th.) And last the Middle plucks the 1st string.  Click To View Video>>> Alternating Thumb 3rd string (NEW VIDEO 3/26/06)
 
Now try the same pattern but using the 4th string as the one to start on
 Click To View Video>>> Alternating Thumb 4th string (NEW VIDEO 3/26/06)
 
Now put them together
 Click To View Video>>> Alternating Thumb 3rd string then 4th string (NEW VIDEO 4/11/06)
MP3 practice files that you can pick along with 
Alt Thumb 40 BPM
50 BPM
60 BPM
 70 BPM
80 BPM
90 BPM
100 BPM

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Last Updated  by Glenn Author Glenn Miller.
Copyright © 2003 [Kentucky banjo]. All rights reserved. Revised: 03/23/08