Tag Archives: Scruggs Style Banjo

Jingle Bells: Banjo Lesson

Jingle Bells on the banjo! Featuring both the verse and chorus melodies, this arrangement is in the key of G (standard tuning) and uses both the Scruggs style and melodic techniques, suited to the intermediate picker. It’s a great Christmas Carol and one well worth having under your fingers during the holiday season!

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Banks of the Ohio: Beginner Banjo Lesson

Banks of the Ohio is a fantastic traditional song and this arrangement on the 5-string banjo is in the key of G (standard tuning). This banjo arrangement is a great advancing beginner exercise that features some Scruggs licks, a little melodic technique, and some great rolling ideas over the chords. In the lesson we’ll break down how to approach the break and work through the techniques you’ll need to focus on. 

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Leather Britches: Banjo Lesson

Leather Britches is a great old-time fiddle tune, played at a medium/fast tempo, in the key of G (standard tuning). This arrangement features both the melodic and Scruggs style, up and down the neck, well suited to the advanced picker. There are 2 variations for each section, combining the different techniques, played over a Texas Swing stye backing.

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O Christmas Tree: Banjo Lesson

O Christmas Tree is a traditional German Christmas Carol, also known as O Tannenbaum. This arrangement on the 5-string banjo is in the key of G (standard tuning) and features a combination of the melodic technique and Scruggs style, played at a slow tempo in the 3/4 time signature and is suited to the intermediate picker.

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Go Tell It On The Mountain: Christmas Banjo Lesson

Go Tell It On The Mountain is a traditional Gospel Christmas Carol. This arrangement on the 5-string banjo is in the key of G (standard tuning) and features a combination of the melodic technique and Scruggs style, played at a medium tempo, and is suited to the intermediate picker. It will be a great addition to your Christmas repertoire and It’s a super fun tune to pick!

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Shove The Pig’s Foot A Little Further Into The Fire: Banjo Lesson

In this lesson, we’ll look at this great Old-Time tune, in the key of G (standard tuning). This arrangement on the banjo features a combination of the melodic technique and Scruggs, which works really well to support the melody, and is well suited to the advanced picker. It will be a great addition to your repertoire, It’s a wonderful tune to pick and the combination of melodic & Scruggs certainly works well!

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Turkey In The Straw (Adv): Melodic Banjo Lesson

Turkey In The Straw is a well known bluegrass fiddle tune in the key of G (standard tuning). This is the second version for the banjo on Pickin’ Lessons and in this arrangement the melody is embellished making for a very challenging tune to pick! Featuring the melodic technique, with a little Scruggs style, this version is certainly for the advanced picker, but is an awesome technique workout!

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Handsome Molly: Banjo Lesson

Handsome Molly is a traditional ballad and in this banjo arrangement we’ll look at a Scruggs style version in the key of G (standard tuning). There are three variations of the melody, up and down the neck with a focus on Scruggs style, but also featuring a little melodic at times and I’d suggest this would suit the advancing intermediate picker.

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Black Mountain Rag (Key of D): Banjo Lesson

Black Mountain Rag is a popular fiddle tune, commonly played in 3 parts. While the key can vary  depending on the instrument/version, a popular variation is to play in the key of D. This arrangement is in standard tuning (capo 2 – 5th string spiked at fret 7) and features both melodic & Scruggs techniques and is definitely a lot of fun on the banjo! Go to lesson...