The big breakthrough Earl Scruggs contributed to banjo technique was the forward roll, which he developed after putting a fingerpick on his middle finger. With that added digit he was able to articulate individual notes more clearly across all five strings than was possible with earlier clawhammer and two-finger styles. In this set of lessons, Bill introduces the forward roll and several variations, and then he shows you how to apply them in a number of contexts, including the classic songs “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” and “You Are My Sunshine.” In this video, Bill shows you the fundamental forward roll pattern: thumb, middle, thumb, index, middle, thumb, index, middle (t m t i m t i m). Bill points out that playing this eight-note finger order naturally breaks the notes into a 2 + 3 + 3 rhythm pattern.
