Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A, Part 1

from: Melodic and Single-String Banjo with Bill Evans

This lesson is part of the course Melodic and Single-String Banjo with Bill Evans.

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Learn the two bluegrass banjo techniques that were added to Scruggs-style to create exciting bluegrass music from the 1950s to the present day, melodic-style and single-string.

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Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A

Bill shows you his melodic-style versions of “Arkansas Traveler” and “Red Haired Boy” in this video.

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The Melodic and Single-String Banjo Subscription Includes:

An in-depth look at melodic and single-string banjo, starting with the basics and moving on to more advanced techniques
Four sessions on melodic style, and four sessions on single-string style
High-quality video recordings of each session so you can review what you've learned and revisit them after the workshop has concluded
Tablature for all tunes and techniques taught
Basic techniques for both single-string and melodic-style banjo
Advanced melodic-style positions that players like Noam Pikelny, Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck, and most contemporary bluegrass banjo players use
Single-string scale positions based on chord positions in closed and open positions, in different keys, and up and down the neck

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Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A

Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A, Part 1

Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A, Part 2

Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A, Part 1

In this session, Bill shows you how to use melodic style to play fiddle tunes in the keys of C, D, and A, covering basic and more complex versions of “The Girl I Left Behind Me” (key of C), “Arkansas Traveler” (key of D) and “Red Haired Boy” (key of A). He reviews the differences between the scales used for these tunes and the more familiar G major scale and explores how to use similar positions for each key, adjusting just one note to accommodate each new key. He shows you his melodic-style arrangement of the “The Girl I Left Behind Me” in this video.

“The Girl I Left Behind Me” Key of C Tab (Available to subscribers)

“Arkansas Traveler” Tab (Available to subscribers)

“Red Haired Boy” Tab (Available to subscribers)

Session 3 Listening & Assignment (Available to subscribers)

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Session 3: Melodic Style in the keys of C, D, and A, Part 1

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