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Playing in octaves
In case of DGdg or CGcg tunings the fingering of octaves is very easy on Patek style tenor banjo so one can use octave soloing known from jazz guitar. The jazz guitarist mostly associated with octave solos is Wes Montgomery.
Look at http://www.duke.edu/~mjs4/wes/index.html
http://www.anthonymontgomery.com/wes_m.htm
http://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artists/2001/0106.axmus.html
On the DGdg or CGdg tenor banjo neck left hand fingers are paired in a way that index and middle finger play one octave and ring and little finger play another octave.
Example in DGdg tuning:
m l m l l m l m m l
i r i r r i r i i r
g-------0--------7-|-9-11-12-14-
d-0-2-4---7-9-10---|-----------
G-------0--------7-|-9-11-12-14- etc.
D-0-2-4---7-9-10---|-----------
|_|_|_| |_|__|_| |__|__|__|
I I I M I I I M M M M M
T T T T T T T T T T T T
Practice familiar slow melodies in octaves.
By playing in octaves you can put the emphasis into some strong motive not only in your solo, but also in backup (e.g. walking bass line doubled in higher octave). Using octaves also harmonically simplifies the backup, which can prevent the collision of backup and solo instrument.
The octaves can be incorporated into Travis picking in order to emphasise the melody or walking bass.
Example of simple backup riff for G-D harmony
It requires to put all four fretting fingers of your left hand in one fret in one moment. Hold ring and little finger during whole second measure, put them on the fingerboard bit closer to the bridge than the moving pair of fingers (index and middle) which press and release the strings twice in the measure.
Play with bounce.
LISTEN
hold..............
m m l m (l) m
i i r i (r) i
g-0-------0-------|-2-------2-------|-
d---0-2-0---0-2-0-|---0-2-0---0-2-0-|-
G-0-------0-------|-2-------2-------|-
D---0-2-0---0-2-0-|---0-2-0---0-2-0-|-
|_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_| |_|_|_|
M I I I M I I I M I I I M I I I
T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T