In bluegrass music, a banjo roll or roll is a pattern played by the banjo that uses a repeating eighth-note arpeggio – a broken chord – that by subdividing the beat 'keeps time'. "Each ["standard"] roll pattern is a right hand fingering pattern, consisting of eight (eighth) notes, which can be played while holding any chord position with the left hand." Banjo rolls serve a variety of functions within an ensemble: —  ...the activity of the roll patterns creates a counter-melody which enhances the effectiveness of the melody. —  The four essential 5-strong banjo rolls