24 January 2023

Hank Smith shows how to play 'efficiency sweeps'

Banjo maestro Hank Smith (right) of North Carolina, who took part in the New Year's Day bluegrass jam in Dublin (see the BIB for 3 Jan. 2023), has contributed many videos of banjo instruction and advice to the Deering Banjos YouTube channel, some of which can be seen here.

Hank's latest is a seven-minute exposition (also on YouTube) of how to play 'efficiency sweeps'. The term may be more familiar to players of jazz, classical music, or rock than to bluegrassers, but the exposition is clear and may be helpful to many pickers. One important point for a smooth sound is that Hank's method avoids using any one finger for two successive notes; and, as he explains, this can be a useful warm-up exercise.

© Richard Hawkins

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