Some typical beginner banjo questions:
How to wear fingerpicks?
What are the important rolls?
What are the important chords?
Explore more posts to find out all of the ESSENTIAL Beginner Banjo information you need to know.
One thing you may be called on to do at a jam session is play in a different time signature than your standard 4/4. If all you’ve done is practice your standard 4/4 forward, forward-reverse, or alternating thumb rolls, you may be in for some…
In today’s blog post, I want to discuss the top things you should watch out for as a beginner banjoist. These are a few of the things I see a lot with new students; the quicker you catch them, the better this journey will go….
In this article, I will make the argument that you need to practice both fast and slow. By only playing one way, you are impede your musical progress: What Speed to Practice Music? One of the things I’ve heard the most over the years is,…
For bluegrass banjo playing, the most common banjo tuning is g D G B D, sometimes referred to as “standard tuning.” For clawhammer/old-time banjo playing, the tunings are more variable. However, there are some tunings you’ll find in both styles of playing. I thought I…
When playing the banjo in different keys, one thing you have to consider is where to capo the 5th string. Why? If you are in say the key of E major and you leave the 5th string tuned to G, your ears will soon cringe…
This is something I often hear from new students-I’m playing the exact notes from the recording but I don’t sound anything like them. It just doesn’t sound right! Making the notes sound RIGHT Understand that with music you have an equation (Let’s say X, Y,…
One of the things I felt missing from the very beginning of my musical studies was How to Practice? It’s funny that all this time is spent on how to hold the instrument, where to put your fingers, and learning chords and scales, yet many…
Today we will talk about finding the vi minor chord all over your banjo neck. Why the vi minor? Because it is the most common minor chord that occurs in songs. Listen to “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” for a good example; I did a write-up on…
These are three most types of woods for banjos. There are all sorts of other woods for banjos these days. Cherry, White Oak, and Bamboo….I’m not sure about that last one but there are all sorts of new woods out there. I’m only concerning myself…
Over the years, I’ve had a number of potential students ask, “Should I take up banjo or mandolin? Which one is easier?” First off, never take up an instrument based on which one is easier. Pick an instrument based on which one whose sound you…
If you’re looking for the “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” TAB, sorry, you’re at the wrong place. You don’t need me for that, just go buy the black Earl Scruggs book: However, what I will do is show you how to think about “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” so…
Those metal fingerpicks dangling from your fingers are a serious nuisance in the beginning. They are uncomfortable, feel strange, and poke out. Do you HAVE to use them? Are they required to play banjo? Let’s dive into this question. Can I Play Banjo Without Picks?…
Today we’re going to learn how to play a banjo scale on one string. This allows us to see the fingerboard vertically, as opposed to horizontally. Think of horizontally as ACROSS the strings and vertically as up and down the banjo fingerboard. People often ask…
When beginners decide they are ready for the banjo journey, many are left wondering- Do I buy a 4-string, 5-string, or 6-string banjo? Today I’ll go over the different types of banjos and explain what each is best suited for. By the time you are…