Before I Met You - Teardrop Style Backup

Teardrop is a useful style of backup with a very unique sound. It's great for slow tunes and waltzes. Earl used this as backup a lot on the original recording. Listen to that as a regular part of practice. This is a very simplified version of teardrop style backup. It's designed to be accessible. That's why only one double stop shape is used at first.

Pay attention to the markings and fingerings in the banjo tablature. The little dot above some notes means to play that one staccato or short. dampen the string immediately after playing it. When shifting, or moving positions, it's ok to slide in and out of chord shapes and it will even add a great element of style!

If you want some more variety, then check out the licks for some alternate double stop shapes and patterns. If you've learned the common chord shapes and the pattern that connects them, then you may recognize the basic double stop shapes in this arrangement are the top two notes of the bar shape. Some of the alternate double shapes in the licks are also just pieces of those common chord shapes. That's why they are important to learn.

If you like this style of backup, then check out this up the neck banjo backup learning path. There's a lesson for some more embellished teardrop style backup in that series.