Cripple Creek - Earl Scruggs: Kickoff

Here's a song that's most banjo pickers first tune. If you haven't mastered the melody, and some rolling backup, please check those out before jumping into this.

The big thing to watch out for this is the timing on the slide note that comes in the A section. So many students don't let that ring long enough before playing the pinch that follows. Make sure to listen to this repeatedly before playing, each time you go to practice. That listening will pay off. You'll absorb the timing and memorize the tune in a natural way. Make sure to listen to the original recording as well. Check out the Apple Music or Spotify links we've provided.

If you notice, the song kicks off by playing the B part once. It could be kicked off with a count, or typical "potatoes", but this is how Earl did it. We are learning Scruggs style banjo here - in depth. After you are able to play the song once through, use the focus feature to loop all the measures in the A and B section, see how many times you can play through without stopping. Building endurance is critical for getting to the next level as a banjo player, and playing a song repeatedly will only help you gain control and mastery - as long as you are playing at a speed you can handle and play cleanly.