Miniseries #002, Playing By Ear IV

Hi All,
Once you have the melody notes in your head, and you are able to hum those notes, then try to find them on the banjo fretboard. You can usually find the melody notes to alot of songs within the first five frets. Knowing the chords is important too. If you know the basic scales that go along with the basic chords, it will make it easier to find the melody notes, because usually, you can narrow them down to notes within the particular scale.
Once you have the melody notes on the banjo, then you can apply the rolls around them. Try different rolls and pinches to complement the melody notes. You can think about the rolls as being like "strums" of a guitar. Its a filler sound, only instead of strumming, you are rolling or pinching.

Keep it going,
David