Miniseries #001, Beginner Backup II

Hi Everyone,

We are going to use this pattern over three chords.....those chords being G,C and D. A lot of songs in Bluegrass will have the same flavor to them, and in this video a song instantly comes to mind.........Bill Monroes' most popular song Wink

In this video, when we play the C chord roll with the one finger at the second fret, fourth string, we are actually getting the flavor of a Cadd9. All that means is that we take a Cmaj triad and add the ninth degree of the C scale to create a chord extension. We can use extensions on any chord to create different colors or feeling in our backup. We can use chord extensions over any major chord that maybe be played by other musicians. An example would be the guitar playing a chord of Cmaj., and the banjo can use Cmaj, or any extension of Cmaj., like a C7, C6, C9, Cadd9........or any chord extension you would like to use. Adding these extensions to your backup rolls and chords will change the feel in your backup. Playing a C7 will give it a bluesy sound, a C6 a more Jazzy sound.....and so on.
I'll be explaining much much more about this in future lessons, If it doesnt make sense right now.....no worries....it will in the future. We have to start with small steps first, then move forward from there. Again I'd like to say that simple backup, usally sounds the best.

We are also using the same roll pattern of the D chord in this vid.
When we play the third string fretted behind the second fret, we are rolling this pattern through the chord of D. Again we are using using notes of an extension of the D chord, in this case the sound of the open fifth string may be thought of as the fourth degree of the D scale, but again, don't worry about any of this theory right now, it will all make sense in due time.

We can also use simple licks anywhere we want, in this video I used a simple Scruggs lick to end the roll pattern. The use of a simple lick can fill up empty space, an example would be when the singer stops singing for a breath, or before another verse starts, we can fill up the space with a simple lick.

Roll On Everyone!

David