Reverse Banjo Slides – How To Guide
Most banjo players get exposed to slides pretty early in their training. “Cripple Creek” is one song that uses them. However, it may be quite some time (or never) before they find out about what I call Slide backs or reverse banjo slides.
I learned about this technique in my guitar training. However, it wasn’t until I got into Don Reno that I started using it on the banjo. Scruggs didn’t use this as much, he primarily did it when sliding from higher positions to the open position.
In this video below, I cover a few licks using these reverse slides. One is a lick I use in “Cripple Creek”, the other is a Reno flavored lick I picked up somewhere. TAB within the video or if you want printable copy, it’s here.
How to do “Slide Backs”
The difference here is you are sliding from a HIGHER to a LOWER note instead of the usual LOWER to HIGHER pattern.
Using slides is a great way to add a more vocal quality to your playing. Think of how a singer scoops up or down into their notes. I think it will be a great addition to your toolbox, giving you your own unique sound!
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