A banjo roll is a repeating pattern of eight notes picked with the thumb, index finger, and middle finger. Rolls are the engine of bluegrass banjo. Four rolls cover most of what a new player needs: the alternating thumb roll, the forward-reverse roll, the forward roll, and the Foggy Mountain roll.
Earl Scruggs made this three-finger style the sound of bluegrass banjo, and players still call it Scruggs style.
Before you start
Tune to open G. From the short fifth string to the first string, the notes are G, D, G, B, D.
The strings are numbered from the floor up when you hold the banjo. The first string is the one closest to the floor. The fifth string is the short one, closest to your chin.
Wear a thumb pick and two metal finger picks. Rest your ring finger, your little finger, or both on the banjo head to steady your hand.
In the charts below, T is the thumb, I is the index finger, and M is the middle finger. Each roll has eight notes of equal length. Count them “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.”
Two rules hold for every roll. The same finger does not pick twice in a row. The same string does not sound twice in a row.
1. The alternating thumb roll
| Note | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Finger | T | I | T | M | T | I | T | M |
The thumb plays every other note and moves between the third, fifth, and fourth strings. Learn this one first. It trains the thumb, and it has a steady, even sound.
2. The forward-reverse roll
| Note | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Finger | T | I | M | T | M | I | T | M |
The fingers roll toward the first string and then come back. This roll fits well under slow and medium songs.
3. The forward roll
| Note | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Finger | T | I | M | T | I | M | T | M |
The fingers move in one direction: thumb, index, middle, again and again. This is the driving sound of fast bluegrass. Teachers show several versions of the forward roll that start on different strings. This is one common version.
4. The Foggy Mountain roll
| Note | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Finger | I | M | T | M | T | I | M | T |
This roll opens Foggy Mountain Breakdown, which Earl Scruggs wrote. The thumb reaches up to the second string on the third note. That move feels odd at first.
The pinch
A pinch is three notes at once: the thumb on the fifth string, the index finger on the second string, and the middle finger on the first string. Use a pinch to end a roll or to mark the end of a line.
How to practice a roll
Play each roll on open strings with a metronome at a slow speed. One click for each note is a good start.
Keep every note the same length and the same volume. An even slow roll beats an uneven fast one.
Play one roll for two minutes without stopping. Then change to the next roll with no gap.
When the right hand runs on its own, add chords. Roll through four bars of G, two of C, two of D, and back to G. Change the chord on the first note of the bar and keep the roll going.
Rolls and the melody
A roll is not a tune. A bluegrass banjo break puts the melody notes of the song inside the rolls. The melody note falls on a strong beat, often picked by the thumb, and the rest of the roll fills in around it.
Start with a song you know. Find the melody notes on the third, fourth, and second strings. Then choose the roll that puts a finger on that string at the right moment. This is why players learn more than one roll.
Rolls for backup
In a jam, most of your rolling is backup. Hold the chord and roll at low volume behind the singer. Pick near the neck for a softer tone. Read how to play banjo backup in a bluegrass jam.
Common problems
Uneven timing. Slow down until every note is even.
A weak middle finger. Practice the forward roll with extra force on the middle finger.
A hand that floats. Keep a finger planted on the head.
Speeding up. Use the metronome and raise the speed a little each week.
What to learn next
Learn the G, C, and D7 chords and roll through a three-chord song such as Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms. Then learn Cripple Creek, a common first tune for banjo players.
For a different way to play the same instrument, read clawhammer vs Scruggs style banjo. For more on the instrument, see the bluegrass banjo guide and the list of bluegrass banjo players.