The forward roll is three notes - a bar or measure in 4/4 time is eight notes so three forward rolls do not fit. This roll pattern is eight notes long and therefore fits into a measure/bar of music. There are two main patterns one that utilises the second string and the other that utilises the third string. Both start with the thumb - 3, 1, 5, 3, 1, 5, 3, 1 from the second string the thumb starts with 2, 1, 5, 2, 1, 5, 2, 1. So basically we have two notes followed by two forward rolls = 8 notes. An alternative is that the two extra notes can be put at the end and then we would get 5, 2, 1, 5, 2, 1, 2, 1 with the thumb playing the last 2nd string.

1. 1
Syncopated Forward Roll
Making three note rolls fit 4/4 time (8 notes per bar)
Leo Crossfield
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 3 - 1

Banjo
D
B
G
D
G

G
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
0




T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 3 - 1 with rest
5
Ban.
G
 
  0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
0

0
0
0
0
T
T
1

0
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4
+
1

0
0
0
0
0
0
T
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4
+
1
+ 2
+ 3
+ 4
+
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 3 - 1 together
9
Ban.

 
G
0
0
0
0
0
0


0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
0


T
T
1
+
2
+
3
+
4
+
1
+
2
+
3
+
4
+
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 2 - 1
13
Ban.

 
G
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+ 3
0
0
0
+ 4
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+
0
+ 3
0
0
0
+ 4
+
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+ 3
+ 4




+
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 2 - 1 with rest
G
17
Ban.
 0 

0
0
0
0
0

0
0
T
1 + 2
+ 3
+ 4
0
0
0

0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+
0
+ 3
+ 4
+
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+ 3
+ 4
+
Thumb leading forward roll 5 - 2 - 1 together
21
Ban.

 
G
0
G
0
0
0
0
T
1
+
2
0
0
0
+
3
+
4
+
 
0
T
1
2
0
+
0
0
0
0
0
+
3
+
4
+




2. 2
Thumb leading roll with slides
G
25
Ban.


Slide
2
0
0
4
0
0
0
Slide
2
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Ban.

 
0
0
2
5
T
1
Ban.
+
0
0
2
+
3
+
4
5
T
1
+
+
0
Slide
4
5
0
2
+
3
+
4
0
0
+
5
T
1
0
2
0
0
Slide
4
+
5
0
0
0
0
2
+
4
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
Slide
5
0
0


Slide
2
3
0
3
0
Slide
0
3
2
3
0
3
3
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
+
4
+




T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Slide
0
3

0
0
0
G
36

0
0
Slide
G
0
0
0
0
G
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
2
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Ban.
0

0
0
G
Slide
0
0
0
4
0
0
G

 
Slide
2
G
Slide
32
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G
29
0
0
4
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Mixing them up
G
40
Ban.

 
G
Slide
2
Ban.

Ban.

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
T
+
2
+
3
+
4
T
1
+
+
2
+
3
+
4
+
G
Slide
2
3
3
0
0
T
1
46
0
4
T
1
43
0
+
2
3
0
1
+
3
+
1
2
0
T
1
+
2
0
0
4
+
1
2
0
+
3
+
3
0
0
C
2
3
4
+
T
1
+
2
0
0
+
3
+
4
+
+
2
 
2
3
0
T
1
+
3
+
3
+
0
4
3
+
0
0
+
3
+
4
+
C
 
0
T
1
2
1
+
0
1
1
2
1
2
5
5
0
+
3
+
5
5
0
4
+
T
1
+
2
5
5
0
+
3
+
4
+

3. 3
Mixing them up continued
49
Ban.


D7
5
5
5
5
5
0
0
0
2
2
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0

2
2
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G

0
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Another way to achieve 8 notes in a bar
53
Ban.
 
0

0
0
0
0
0
0



G
G
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+ 3 + 4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

T
1
+ 2 + 3
+ 4 +
and another way to achieve 8 notes in a bar
57
Ban.


G
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2
+
+ 3
+ 4
+
0
0
and another way to achieve 8 notes in a bar


T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G
G
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0
0
T
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Syncopating with backward rolls
61
Ban.

 
G
G
0
0
0
0
T
1
0
0
+
0
0
2
+
3
0
0
0
+
4
+
0
0
0
T
1
+
2
0
+
3
+
0
4


+
64
Ban.






