Me to dam hard stuff, but this video got me started.

Yes and so was mine and still is a year later, dam mind bending hard shit, but this very video got me started on Reno Style so forever grateful to Bela for that. Still a learner though 18 months all up.

you prolly dont give a shit but does any of you know of a way to log back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost the account password. I love any tricks you can give me!

@Cyrus Samir instablaster =)

I am still working on this very informative short video 6 or 7 months later. The best part is the 3 open notes per string, as it works out hitting the next string with a different finger. Brain twister and very difficult stuff for me anyway, but helpful. cheers.

And still working on it, hard stuff. But it got me started on the Reno Style thanks to Bela a fantastic guy. cheers from Down Under

I disagree, and that is the beautiful thing about music, is neither of us are right

you clearly have never listened to bela fleck play single string before here is an example about 1:13 in kzfaq.info/get/bejne/sM2VfKqc1qq6pXk.html there is much more but im not going to waste any more time.

Jesse Personeni is correct; both of yalls are wrong.

I think you're making fair points about some risks to look out for when playing this style. But Bela is proof enough that single string playing can be done with beautiful tone. It also gives the soloing a lot more interval-precision than rolls do so I think it sounds great mixed in with rolls. Bela uses both styles of picking in his live work with the great Chick Corea, and there are solo structures that he bela has in those songs that would not be possible if he weren't single note playing. obviously bela is a master, but its one example of proof that single string playing can sidestep these tone dangers. and the advantage to new players to mix this in to their playing can be huge. banjo playing can fall into the trap of being a muddy soup of roll patterns where you're not choosing every note because you prehear it and are selecting it (which is what makes a solo musical), but choosing many because they are simply the next in a roll pattern. but single note playing forces you to think about every note, and I think it can help banjo players sound a lot more musical when they take a solo break or do fills. i love rolls but they are dangerous for other reasons than the single note playing, so I say learn to do both well enough that you can take the best aspects of both to maximize musicality.

I agree. Even the guitar is iffy on single note runs (and I play guitar). The best still employ ringing open notes. An occasional excursion up the fretboard is okay “as a side-dish” as you said, same as banjo. Mandolin and fiddle should handle the bulk of the single string stuff.