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How to do the Forward Roll
By Ryan Crist | January 15, 2008
Welcome to the forward banjo roll.
Your fingers will, more than likely, feel very uncoordinated in the beginning days of banjo picking but don’t lose heart. When you start to experiment with different banjo rolls you might find that you miss notes, get your picks caught up in the strings and a whole host of other complexities. This aggravation won’t last long, considering you spend a few minutes with your banjo each day.
The key is to spend some time strolling around the house or in your favorite easy chair working on some steady banjo rolls. In order to reach that foot stomping rythm you must become efficient with the forward, reverse, and alternating roll. In other words, you should be able to play them quickly for an extended period of time with your eyes closed.
How it’s done
Today we’re going to analyze the forward roll. This should be one of the first things you start to practice after arriving home with your first banjo. The forward roll is basically a combination of playing three notes in a simple progression.
Start with your index finger on the 3rd string (it’s the one in the middle). Then pick the 1st string with your middle finger (it’s the one closest to your feet). Lastly pick the 5th string with your thumb (5th string is the one closest to your chin).
The strings are numbered 5,4,3,2,1 from top to bottom with the 5th string being the highest in pitch and the 4th string being the lowest in pitch.
Below you’re going to find one measure of the forward roll written in tablature and also in standard notation. If you have trouble understanding this piece of tablature simply send me a quick email and I’ll be glad to walk you through it in more detail.
Forward roll tab
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