Earl Scruggs, whose banjo-picking technique on hits such as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” changed the way people play the instrument, has died. He was 88.
Scruggs died yesterday of natural causes at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, the Associated Press reported, citing his son, Gary.

Scruggs invented his style as a child in North Carolina, where many banjoists picked with three fingers instead of the usual two. His variation on that method let him play a song’s melody and rhythm simultaneously, making his sound unique.

Earl Scruggs, Banjoist Who Invented ?Scruggs Style,? Dies at 88 - Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-29/earl-scruggs-banjoist-who-invented-scruggs-style-dies-at-88.html)