A banjo player in a jam spends most of the night playing backup. Backup means supporting the singer or the player taking a break. On banjo, backup comes in three forms: vamping, rolls, and fills. Each one has a place in the song.
What banjo backup does
The banjo adds drive. It fills the space between the bass and the fiddle with a steady stream of notes or a sharp offbeat chord. It is also the loudest instrument in most circles. Good backup means choosing the right pattern and playing it softer than you think you need to.
Vamping
Vamping is a short, muted chord on the offbeat. Count “1 and 2 and.” The bass plays on 1 and 2. The vamp lands on each “and.”
Use a closed chord shape up the neck, with no open strings. Pinch the strings with your thumb and two fingers. Then relax your left hand right away so the chord stops ringing. The sound is a short “chick.”
Vamp when the mandolin player takes a break. The mandolin plays the offbeat chop the rest of the time, and somebody needs to cover that job. Vamp behind a soft singer or a quiet instrument such as the Dobro or the guitar.
Learn the F shape, the D shape, and the barre shape. Those three movable shapes give you every major chord on the neck.
Rolls
A roll is a repeating picking pattern across the strings. The forward roll, the forward-reverse roll, and the alternating thumb roll are the three to learn first. Earl Scruggs built the bluegrass banjo style on rolls like these.
For backup, hold the chord and roll at low volume. Keep the roll steady through the chord changes. Rolls work well behind a fiddle break or a strong singer. They give the song motion without adding a second melody.
Pick closer to the neck for a softer, rounder tone. Pick near the bridge for a sharp tone that cuts through. Backup calls for the softer spot most of the time.
Fills
A fill is a short lick in the gap at the end of a sung line. The singer stops, the banjo answers, and the singer comes back in.
Keep fills short. Two beats is plenty. Do not play a fill while the singer is singing. Share the gaps with the fiddle and the Dobro. If the fiddle took the last gap, leave the next one alone.
Stay out of the lead player’s range
Two instruments in the same range fight each other. When the fiddle or mandolin plays a high break, play your backup low on the neck. When the guitar takes a break low on the neck, vamp up high, and keep it soft. Guitar breaks are quiet, and a banjo roll will bury one.
Capo and fifth string for each key
Most banjo players learn songs in G position and use a capo for other keys. The short fifth string needs to move too. Players use a fifth string capo or small spikes set in the fingerboard.
| Key | Capo | Play as | Fifth string |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | None | G | Open (G) |
| A | 2nd fret | G | 7th fret (A) |
| B | 4th fret | G | 9th fret (B) |
| C | None | C | Open (G) |
| D | 2nd fret | C | 7th fret (A) |
Tune again after you move the capo. A banjo goes sharp under a capo more than a guitar does. For the guitar chart, see how to use a capo in a bluegrass jam.
A plan for one song
Here is one way to back up a singing song from start to finish.
Kick-off: stay out unless you are the one playing it.
Verses: roll at low volume, and add a short fill at the end of a line.
Chorus: roll with a little more drive. More voices are singing, so the band can come up.
Fiddle break: roll low on the neck.
Mandolin break: vamp.
Guitar break: vamp soft, or stop and let the bass and mandolin carry it.
Your break: play the melody. See how to take a break in a bluegrass jam.
Last chorus: watch the leader for the ending. See how to end a song in a bluegrass jam.
Common mistakes
Playing lead licks through the whole song. Rolling at full volume over the singer. Playing a fill in every gap. Forgetting to retune after moving the capo. Each one makes the circle sound crowded.
Practice at home
Put on a recording of a singing song. Vamp through one verse. Roll through the next. Add one fill per verse and no more. Record yourself and listen for the singer’s words. If the banjo covers them, pick softer.
For the instrument itself, read the bluegrass banjo guide and the list of bluegrass banjo players.