Banjo roll on mando

[pickinpox]

I have just recently begun playing banjo. I really like the sound of the "square roll." #Just tonight I thought I would try to pick that pattern on the mandolin to see how it works and sounds. #Although it is a 5 string banjo arpeggio I don't belive it falls into the category of "crosspicking." #I am getting it up to speed enough to use it as a backup rhythm and it sounds kind of cool. #Does anybody else use a pattern like this on mando?

Here is a link to a Tabledit file I created of a 1 4 5 1 4 1 5 1 progression to demonstrate.

Tabledit file of square roll (http://members.aol.com/pickinpox/squareroll.tef)

[hedding]

sounds good....do you play it dudu or duud......it sounds like crosspicking to me. i use that one and others

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page5297.htm

this crosspicking lesson goes through a bunch that are kinda cool, i don't know how practical but you could probably use them for something and they really give your right hand a good work out if you play them with some speed.

[red7flag]

Jessie McReynolds was the first I am aware of that applied that style to bluegrass mando. He is simply amazing. I had the pleasure of seeing him pick at a suite at IBMA back when it was in Owensboro, KY. He even does some things where he notes one of the coupled strings to create a harmony effect. Definately worth watching.
Tony

[John Flynn]

Well, let's see. I heard a "forward roll" is when you hit the banjo player in the back of the head so hard he somersaults face first and a "reverse roll" is when you hit him in the front of the head so hard he rolls over backwards. I'm having a hard time visualizing a "square roll" though. You have any pictures?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Dfyngravity]

I'm having a hard time visualizing a "square roll" though.

Me too haha. Maybe it's when the banjo player just gets too loud and out of control and you take something square, maybe a 6' long 4x4 and smack em' on either side of the head and it doesn't matter which way he rolls. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[pickinpox]

....banjos always add some form of amusment http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

The Square Roll is also known as the alternating thumb roll. #It is a pattern that utilizes alternating basses, not really a mando thing but an interesting backup alternative. #It seems to be different than the McReynolds crosspicking I am familiar with, that's why I brought it up.

now, back to our regularly scheduled banjo teasing...

[ShaneJ]

Square rolls are what you get when the banjo player packs 'em into the pan too tight before baking. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[jmcgann]

Crosspicking (http://www.johnmcgann.com/crosspicking.html)