One of the fascinating things about the banjo is the many ways the instrument is played. For every player, there is seemingly a different method. Some styles have distinct names with many practitioners, whereas other styles are distinctly unique to one musician. When I first started, I didn't really know another style existed beyond how Earl Scruggs plays, which is a three-finger picking style that involves syncopated "rolls," alternating the thumb, index and middle fingers. Scruggs elevated this style to point that it now bears his name, Scruggs style. However, Scruggs was not the first to pick the banjo with three fingers, nor was he the first to use metal finger picks, but he was the most popular. Now, his style is emulated by the majority of Bluegrass banjo players. Aside from Scruggs style, there were many other finger-picking styles. Old-Time banjoists like Dock Boggs , Charlie Poole , and sometimes Uncle Dave Macon (who played any way he wanted) used ...
How to learn to stop worrying and love the twang. A journey into old-time music.