Bill Cheatham, Part 1: Scruggs Style

This lesson is part of the course Bluegrass Banjo with Bill Evans.

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Learn to make your banjo drive the band or play sweet melodies, with solos to well-known songs and tunes, backup techniques, and more.

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Blue Ridge Cabin Home

In this lesson, you’ll start adding roll patterns to the melody of “Blue Ridge Cabin Home.” Every melody has a rhythm and when Earl Scruggs was working out his breaks, he tried to keep the melody’s rhythm intact as he added the roll patterns, letting the melody dictate what kind of roll to use. Bill shows you some ideas for choosing rolls. For example, if you have a melody note that’s held out for a long time you can try a forward roll, and when the melody notes are closer together you can try an alternating thumb roll or a forward reverse roll. Bill walks you through an entire solo here, with embellishments and fill-in licks.

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Bill Cheatham

Bill Cheatham, Part 1: Scruggs Style

Bill Cheatham, Part 2: Melodic Style

“Bill Cheatham” Play-Along Track

Bill Cheatham, Part 1: Scruggs Style

The fiddle tune “Bill Cheatham” is a bluegrass jam session favorite and, fortunately, it sits well on the banjo. You’ll learn two versions in this lesson, a Scruggs-style version you can play when the tempo is high, and a melodic-style version that is closer to the way a fiddler would play the tune. “Bill Cheatham” is played by fiddlers in the key of A, but Bill teaches it in G. To play it in A, you’ll just put the capo at the second fret. Bill walks you through the Scruggs-style version in this video.

"Bill Cheatham" Scruggs Style (Available to subscribers)

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Bill Cheatham, Part 2: Melodic Style →

Previous Lesson

← “Billy in the Lowground” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Bill Cheatham, Part 2: Melodic Style →

Previous Lesson

← “Billy in the Lowground” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

Bill Cheatham, Part 2: Melodic Style →

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Bill Cheatham, Part 1: Scruggs Style

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