5 String Banjo Lesson with Hank Smith - Drive

Today we’re gonna be talking a little bit about drive. Drive is most commonly associated with how the music is played. It tends to be the soul. It tends to be the heart. It has a rhythmic and emotional center to it. It is also an extraordinarily difficult thing to teach other people how to do without actually doing it. So, we’re just gonna talk about a few technical aspects of drive so that you can incorporate this into your playing when playing with others.

Drive doesn’t necessarily mean fast. It can, but it doesn’t have to. So we’re going to use a little mid-tempo phrase in 2/4 and 3/4 time because drive can also be in 3/4 time. essentially drive can be explained in a way that essentially means staying just ahead of the beat. In bluegrass, you want to be just a little forward of the beat. The banjo’s job is to move forward the band. You’re driving the band.

Let us know if this lesson helps you and if you have any questions or things you would like demonstrated in the comments below. Good luck!