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Back-Up Banjo - Book/CD
by: Janet Davis

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by: Janet Davis

Basic Bluegrass Backup

Part 1

by Bob Altschuler

In part 1 of this 2-part article, we'll look at the purpose of and guidelines for playing backup. Tablature and a recording of basic chord based backup and F position vamping techniques you can use in many songs are included. Part 2 in the next issue will show more vamping techniques for F and D position chords plus roll backup.

When not playing lead breaks, the banjo plays backup, which is accompaniment for the song, including vocals and other instruments. Since the banjo generally only plays lead about 10 to 20% of the time, it's very important to learn good backup. Whether you play with one other musician or in a band or jam, you need to pay as much attention to backup as to leads. Don't be in the position of the banjo player who can play leads but is at a loss for what to play the rest of the time.

Banjo backup means support of the overall sound. Make the music sound good, don't get in the way of or compete with other instruments or vocals and work toward an uncluttered sound. Have a goal of playing tasteful backup and learn to tailor what you play to the particular song, overall sound and other instruments. Also remember that banjo volume can easily be overpowering if you're not careful. The banjo as it projects outward is louder than you may think when you are playing behind it. You want to stand out for leads, fill-in licks and "featured" backup, but stay in the background otherwise.

It's important to find others to play with. Playing by yourself is sort of like talking to yourself. Having a conversation with someone else is much more satisfying (usually). Playing with CDs and DVDs is good, but the really valuable activity is to play with others. Find a jam, advertise, check out music store bulletin boards and bluegrass organizations, ask banjo instructors and go to bluegrass festivals to find other musicians. Your lead and backup playing will improve much faster than by playing alone.

Generally, when you play backup keep your right (picking) hand near the fingerboard for a fuller sound. For leads, find the spot closer to the bridge where the lead sound is best. These are the X and Y positions Earl Scruggs uses in his book, with X near the bridge for leads and Y near the fingerboard for backup. You can also play leads and backup anywhere between these two spots, depending on the sound you want. For example, you can play some leads for slow songs at the Y position near the fingerboard to get a mellower sound.

Instruments in a bluegrass band usually take turns playing the dominant (featured) backup, and may switch off instruments on each verse and chorus. You may hear someone play the featured backup for the verse or chorus just before they play a lead break. Listen to live bands and recordings to hear backup arrangements for ideas about what you can play.

The particular musical situation dictates the type of backup to play. Generally, continuous rolls, fill-in licks and up the neck licks sound good behind vocals. To back up guitar or resophonic guitar leads, vamping (described below) and some chord-based and fill-in licks are useful. Lower neck Scruggs-style rolls and licks sound great as backup for the fiddle. For mandolin breaks, vamping plus a few fill-in licks work well. However, any tasteful combination of vamping, rolls, fill-in licks and chord based licks can work well in many situations. When in doubt, vamp until you decide what else to play for backup (if anything) for a particular song. As noted above, listen carefully to livebands and recordings to see how the banjo handles backup behind vocals and other instruments in all types of songs.

You also need to decide where on the neck to play backup- in the lower tones down the neck, at mid-neck or in the higher tones up the neck. For example, playing low tone Scruggs rolls is the classic way to back up the fiddle. A general rule is to play high tones up the neck when the lead instrument is playing low tones down the neck and vice versa.

"Vamping" has been mentioned several times. This is a very common and effective percussive backup technique using chords and rhythm to accompany vocals or instruments. It is usually combined with other backup techniques but can be used alone for a song. Vamping means to play a chord and then release pressure on the strings to mute the notes. Listen to the MP3 below to hear vamping.

To summarize the main guidelines for backup:

1. Support the sound and the other musicians.
2. Watch your volume- generally stay in the background; increase volume for fill-in licks and your featured backup.
3. Find others to play with to best practice your backup and leads.
4. Play backup with your right (picking) hand at the Y position near the neck.
5. Tailor backup to the song, overall sound and the instrument or vocal you are backing up.
6. Play featured backup when appropriate- don't clutter the sound or clash with other players' leads or backup.

The tablature shows a sampling of backup patterns you can use for many chords and songs. Measures 1 through 8 show basic backup with simple G, C and D7 chords. Measures 9 to 16 show F position backup vamping for a G chord, with patterns that can be used for any F position chord. Measures 17 through 20 are the F position vamping patterns played for G, C and D chords. For more information about F and D position chords, see the February 2007 Banjo Sessions article by Gerald Jones, "How to Quickly Find the I, IV and V Chords."

Part 2 in the next issue will include more vamping chord-based patterns for both F and D position chords, plus roll backup.

Happy picking!

Basic Bluegrass Backup 1 mp3
Download the mp3:
BasicBluegrassBackup1.mp3

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About the Author

Bob Altschuler lives in upstate New York and has played bluegrass banjo since 1970. As a banjo instructor, his 25 years of experience includes teaching many students at Banjo Camp North, where he has been the Beginner Bluegrass Track Coordinator since 2003. Bob's training and work as a public school teacher sharpened his teaching abilities, and helped him become a patient and sought after banjo instructor (his day job is now with the NY State Retirement System).

Bob performs with the Dyer Switch band at concerts and festivals across the Northeast, Midwest and South, and recorded American Airwaves and Family Business CDs with the band. His banjo playing has also been heard on Northeast Public Radio and on television and radio commercials.

You can contact Bob at arobanjo@aol.com, or through the Dyer Switch website at www.dyerswitch.com.