Video Banjo Lessons

“How do I get started playing the banjo?”

This is a question that we receive via email on a very regular basis, so we’ve decided to create a series of posts and videos answering this popular question.

1. Learn your instrument. This lesson will help you identify the parts of your banjo as well as pick out your next instrument. There are some things that you need to look for and some to stay away from.

2. How to set up your banjo. This lesson could very well change the sound of your instrument. When your banjo is set up correctly you will get the most sound for your money, and we want that.

3. Tune your banjo. I can’t tell you how important this lesson will be. In my opinion this is a critical part of picking. If it’s not in tune no one will want to hear it especially you!

4. Play your first tune. There are three tunes that I like to start with with good reason. If you don’t have a tune under your belt yet this one’s for you.

First lesson, this weekend! See you then.

Ryan Novice

Three things to know about your picking thumb!

1. Get comfortable alternating between the 3rd 4th and 5th string with your thumb. This is the most versatile of your picking fingers. When you get into advanced songs you’ll find that you pick all of the strings at times with your thumb.

2. Keep it loose. A lot of pickers have a bad habit of keeping their thumb stiff. Make sure that you focus on getting some movement in both joints of your thumb. This will enable you to find the sweet spot on your strings (more on this later).

3. Practice your brushes. This is a vital thumb technique that you really should practice to obtain the right sound. You might watch some Jim Mills video to get a good picture of some fast and very powerful thumb brushing.

p.s. I’ll post a vid soon on how to get that powerful thumb brush!

Keep on picking,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

Question:

Hi Ryan

I’m really enjoying the site – you have a very good teaching style and even in a week I’ve progressed. My wife came into the kitchen tonight when I was practicing rolls and thought I had a CD on! She couldn’t believe how much I have improved already.

1. Is there an exercise for the left hand – moving from one cord to the next to help get that in my head/fingers?

2. Is there a way of muting the banjo so I can play when the kids are in bed?

Cheers

Damian

Answer:

 

 Damian's Question [5:56m]: Play Now | Download

Ryan Novice

Question:

Hi Ryan

Just joined your site – looks good.

I’m from the UK and am brand new to Banjo playing. My wife bought me one for my 40th birthday last week – after years of hinting!

My real newbie question is this: how should I wear the finger picks? I know they will take some getting used to, but should they sit proud of the fingers, be snug against them or what? Perhaps you could post a photo of your fingers with the picks on and ask members to do the same?

Cheers

Damian

Answer:

The ProPik #2 picks are what you see on the videos and are what I am currently using. You can pick up a set of these at first quality music. I buy the standard #2 blade picks and then bend them a little up to touch the ends of my fingers.

There is a huge difference in the many styles of finger picks that are on the market. Using the wrong picks can really dampen your ability to play correctly. Stay away from the plastic and flimsy metal picks. I recommend the Propik. They’re very rigid and strong. They produce a great tone and stay on your fingers remarkably well.

The ProPiks are very stout and take some effort to bend. You might try a set of the angled #2’s as well to save yourself the extra bending. They do extend a bit beyond the tip of my fingers. I have found that this gives me a brighter tone, that’s not so tubby sounding. The ProPiks seem to stay on my fingers better in extreme conditions, and are more comfortable than most.

The wrong fit can also be detrimental to the ease of playing. You definately don’t want your picks sliding off your fingers and this is one of the advantages of the Propicks. The angle is just as important. I like a pretty steep angle. I used to use picks that were almost straight out from my fingers, but now I’ve switched to ones with about a 60 degree angle.

I’ll post a member’s video this week going into much more detail about thumb and finger picks. See you then!

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

Question:

I’m a beginner and trying to get the basic rolls down. Can you send me the string numbers for the forward, reverse, and forward/reverse and alternating rolls?

I’ve heard alot about not trying to get the left hand involved/playing tunes too early as that can lead to bad habits.

Also, I have really small hands and am having a hard time keeping both fingers down. Is it really ok to just plant the ring finger?

Any tips/tricks on how to keep your hand arched like a tennis ball most appreciated. Someone suggested rolling up a sock and putting it under my forearm just in front of the arm rest to get my hand used to approaching the strings from that angle but I’m afraid I’d get dependent on it.

Thanks Ryan,

Tam

Answer:

1. I would start with practicing these roll patterns.

Forward Roll: 3,1,5,3,1,5,3,1 repeat
Reverse Roll: 1,3,5,1,3,5,1,3 repeat
Forward / Reverse 3,2,1,5,1,2,3,1 repeat
Alternating Roll 3,2,5,1,4,2,5,1 repeat

Notice that all of these patterns have 8 notes. This would complete one whole measure in 4/4 time.

2. Here’s the deal with the left hand. Get it involved as soon as you start. If you don’t it will get boring real quick and you might be tempted to quit all together. Use both hands when you play the banjo. It’s a whole lot more fun.

There are times when you can focus on your rolls with your right hand but I would encourage you to spice it up with your left hand as well.

3. It doesn’t matter which finger you plant with your right hand as long as you plant something and keep it off of the bridge. The whole point is to anchor your hand. Use one or two fingers, it doesn’t matter.

4. Play with your right hand how it’s most comfortable to you. You’ll probably move it around and change it several times in the first few months. It’s good to experiment. Most importantly watch other pickers and try to imitate what they’re doing. This will give you some good ideas on what works best for you. There is no right or wrong way to hold your right hand.

These are great questions. I’m encouraged to hear that you really thinking this through. You going to go a long way on the banjo with such a positive and inquisitive attitude. Hope to see you at a festival this year.

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

Question

Hi Ryan

I have a 5 string banjo which I cannot keep in tune…the 5th string always breaks when I try to tune it
I want to get a new banjo but since i don’t even really know how to play I don’t know what to get.
I am an average size woman and the one I have is a bit large for me anyway. Do they come in smaller sizes?

Can you direct me where to even look or start? I can’t afford a lot, but am so anxious to start working with your lessons….yet so frustrated that I can’t get past tuning!

If you have a moment to advise I would appreciate it

Thanks
Patricia

Answer:

Patricia, I would start with purchasing a Read more…

Ryan Novice

Question:

Hi Ryan,

I just signed up for the lifetime membership and I think I am going to get a lot of info from this site. I found out about your site while Googling for info on removing the finish from my banjo’s neck. I own a Deering Saratoga Star and I find that with a bit fatter neck, it also is more sticky; my hands tend to be wet versus dry.

As far as experience, I have been playing for about 4 1/2 years. I stopped for two years and started back up again about 5 months ago.

Let me know what you think of my playing with any constructive criticism would be appreciated…

First of all I just want to thank Martin for being humble enough to ask for some constructive criticism. I’m sure we all (myself included) could take a very valuable lesson from Martin.

Here is his audio clip. I encourage you to comment at the end of the post with your own remarks.

 

 Molly Bloom (Martin) [1:17m]: Play Now | Download (443)

Answer:

Martin,

Hello, I’ve listened to your audio clip and it seems like you have worked very hard on obtaining a smooth and timely roll. Your timing sounds Read more…

Ryan Novice

Hello, I just went back through and watched the Amazing Grace video as a student would and I wanted to make some comments.

I would encourage you to be dramatic with the simple aspects of this song.

For Example:

1. Emphasize your bends. Make them stronger or quicker than normal to add a highlighted affect.

2. Be Chromatic! Look for some extra ways to add half steps into your music. What I mean by this is to play a fret lower or a fret above your landing note to lead into the melody.

3. Implement dynamics. When playing softly really back off of the music and then come in quickly to the areas that you want to add volume.

4. Be liberal with your hammer-ons and pull-offs. This will really add the complexity to this tune.

5. Try to create your own ending. This song is slow enough that you should be able to invent an ending for yourself. When you’ve mastered it don’t forget to name it (ex. The Sleepy Slide, The “B” String Twist). Now you can teach it to others and most importantly, they’ll remember it.

Ryan Novice

 Amazing Grace Technique Lesson [10:16m]: (Protected Content)

In this lesson you’ll learn:

1. The Haunting Bend!
2. The Slow Slide
3. 2 & 1 Pinch
4. Very Cool Ending for Amazing Grace.

Ryan Member's Video Lessons

 Amazing Grace Melody [3:49m]: (Protected Content)

Hello, in this lesson we’re going to go over the melody for Amazing Grace. Very simple, yet very powerful part of this song.

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Hello members here’s a little video lesson update and some info on where we’re going to be jamming this next month.

See you there!

 Update050 [3:56m]: (Protected Content)

Ryan Novice

Hello,

I wanted to share something with all of the other beginners here on your site. When playing “up the neck” I found that part of my problem was not being able to rapidly identify the fret locations fast enough.

The solution was simple and caused no harm to my banjo. I numbered the upper frets using the numbered stickers from a small book that electricians use to ID wires they have pulled. Most home improvement stores and all electrical supply outlets have them for only a few bucks.

The numbers are just the rite size (approx 1/8” sq) and are in strips of 10. Just cut one off of the strip and apply it to the fret location. It will peel off later with out leaving a mark.

Thanks,
Bob R.

Thanks Bob for the great tip we always enjoy getting new ideas. If you have a piece of wisdom to share just email it to ryan@banjoexpert.com.

Enjoy the day!
Ryan

Ryan Novice

Hello, we have had a request from one of our Australian banjo students. By the way, I very glad to have the wonderful folks from Australia on the site they seem to have a marvelous sense of humor. Sometimes I wish I could post their emails to the blog for you to enjoy.

Amazing Grace is a staple in acoustic music. The requester for this song stated that they would like to see a simple version that any beginner could learn.

This is going to be somewhat of a chording / melodic version. This would be a good time to take a look at these type of banjo songs. You might use this style of playing when your faced with a slow paced song that’s highly focused on the vocals.

Stay tuned for Amazing Grace on the banjo!

Ryan Novice

 How to use a Metronome [6:38m]: (Protected Content)

In this video you will learn how to practice with a metronome along with a little timing secret that you need to know!

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

Ryan,

One area where I have great difficulty as a lone learner is with timing/using a metronome, is this an area you could cover at some future date?

Thanks,
Peter

Peter, thanks for the great lesson request. Yes, timing is a huge issue when it comes to playing the banjo. It can become a great barrier for those who struggle with timing. The facts are this: Every banjo picker struggles with timing on a regular basis.

I just previewed Ron Block’s new dvd and one of his major practice habits is to use a metronome on a consistent basis while practicing. We all know what a great established player he is and it’s no wonder when you consider that he practices on a routine basis with a metronome.

Personally, I haven’t used a metronome a lot in the past few years. I did use one fairly regularly during the first years of banjo picking but it got lost somewhere in the closet.

My theory has always been to play with others and your timing issues will pan out quickly. It’s very difficult to play in a band with poor timing; however, it does happen and you can tell when you’re in the audience. Jamming as much as possible will do a great deal for your timing.

I am going to take some of Ron’s advice as I hope you will and get back into the metronome as we all should. It can be mind numbing at times to just pick through a few tunes with a metronome but I think it will do a great deal for our timing and will keep us right on the beat.

Below are a few great online metronomes that I have found. Check them out. Thanks to the internet you no longer have to purchase a metronome. You can even download one to your cell phone for about five bucks!

I’ll be uploading our member’s video on how to properly use a metronome this week. We’ll discuss how to pick right on top of the beat and a little exercise that will get you there quickly. You’ll discover whether you’re a lagger or a rusher. See you then! Thanks Peter for bringing this topic to our attention.

Keep the lesson requests coming.

Very cool Metronome. (It even looks authentic)

Free Online Metronome with Cell Phone Download!

Ryan Novice

Question:

Hello,
I’ve been practicing and have made it to the point that I can play most rolls “like a machine gun”. My problem is, when I play a song (any one) I can’t quite get that fumbling, clip-a-de clop rhythm down pat.

Do you have any suggestions? I have purchased several instrumental bluegrass cd’s. I’m hoping that listening too much more music will help.

Many thanks,
Bob

Answer:

Yes, the way to eliminate this problem is to play with other bluegrass musicians on a regular basis. This isn’t always easy do get accomplished; however, it will resolve the problems of poor timing and unsteady or inconsistent roll patterns. You will be forced to hang with the other musicians as they’re picking and singing.

Here are a few quick solutions:

1. Play along with CD’s (daily). Bluegrass Album Band would be my number one recommendation.

2. Form a bluegrass jam or find one in your area. Call some buddies and invite them over for bluegrass and pizza.

3. Record a rhythm track with another instrument and play along with it. Audacity works great for recording on a PC.

Thanks for the great question. Keep up the good work! Your rolls will sound better soon. It’s just a beginner stage that will fade if you work at it.

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

 7th Fret Bend / Chording Basics [10:31m]: (Protected Content)

Hello, in this lesson you’ll learn an advanced bend on the 1st string and also learn some ultimate beginner banjo chording techniques. The advanced part is the fist half of the vid and the beginner chording is the second part.

I probably should have split this lesson into two separate weeks but thought you might like a jam packed video with lots of info. Enjoy!

Ryan Expert, Member's Video Lessons, Novice

This is one of my all time favorite bluegrass video clips. Tony is a master at “Freeborn Man”. All of the musicians in this vid are phenomenal. See if you can figure out part of Bela’s break. It’s pretty exciting.

Ryan Novice

I must say that this has been a stress filled evening. Little did I know that I have a habit of picking up my banjo, sitting on the floor and ripping through some fast banjo tunes when I’m stressed (my wife pointed this out).

I guess you could say that this is a good form of stress relief for me. There’s just something about picking the banjo that tends to lighten your day. It has a cheerful soothing affect.

One of my favorites is to play through every version of Cripple Creek that I can come up with. You’d be surprised how many different variations of that song that you can create if you just let your mind drift a bit.

It’s interesting to me how the most creative music (banjo breaks) come from the most challenging times in life. Read more…

Ryan Novice

1. Change those dead strings!

One of the most common causes of stretchy strings is playing with those that are dead, and I do mean the strings you just purchased two weeks ago. Strings can lose their tone or become damaged very quickly. You’ll know they’re bad when you see black spots or a discoloration on your strings. Do what it takes to keep fresh strings on your banjo. I’m just as guilty as the next picker.

2. Be Careful not to Mute.

Keep an eye on your right hand while your picking. Make sure that it’s not muting the strings just above the bridge, or worse yet, pressing against the bridge. You wouldn’t want to be the root cause of a weak sounding banjo.

3. Make a Song List.

Be prepared next time you go jamming. Sometime this week sit down and make a list of all of the songs you can pick or know breaks too. Organize your tunes in the way that fits your style. If you know a lot of good picking tunes then list them first. Keep your gold nuggets at the top, so you can find them at a moments notice.

Ryan Novice

 Right Hand Techniques part 3 of 3 [1:58m]: (Protected Content)

This is the 3rd part of the Right Hand Techniques series. We’re going to go over the alternating and backward rolls. In the next lesson we’ll be covering a Power Roll that I created to help you make the connection between mind and right hand in order to make the melody line stand out.

Practicing your alternating and backward rolls will advance you quickly in your playing.

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

This weekend we will be posting the final 2 videos of the Right Hand Techniques series. I have this series on DVD if you’re interested. At this time, there are only 10 copies available. If you’re interested just let me know (ryan@banjoexpert.com). I’ll be shipping them out to your door for a flat fee of $10.00 each.

See you shortly with the next 2 vids!

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

 Right Hand Techniques Part 2 of 4 [4:35m]: (Protected Content)

In this video we discover a new exercise to help you develop a stronger and more consistent right hand in your banjo playing.

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

Here’s a few banjo tunes to inspire your banjo picking. We’ll see you tomorrow with another high powered banjo lesson!

Ryan Novice

You can now download the b part of Old Joe Clark here. This was a great lesson series. Check out the 3rd video in this series to get the most out of this piece of tablature.

Enjoy!

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

 Right Hand Techniques Part 1 [5:56m]: (Protected Content)

The fact is that you have to build a strong consistent right hand if you want to add some drive to your picking. In this four part lesson series we’re going to discuss several very powerful techniques that will get you on the right track to becoming a hard driving banjo player.

To many this can be very mysterious and difficult, but when you break it down in to practical exercises that you can practice as a beginner it becomes very digestible and suprisingly easy to learn.

Join me this month as we dive into the complexities of the picking hand. You’re going to learn some very valuable techniques and practice drills that will clean up and straighten out your picking hand.

I guarantee that you won’t find these secrets anywhere else! I’m going to reveal some of the real hard-core banjo tips.

If you’re not yet a member on the site, sign up now. This will be a great lesson series!

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

Question

Ryan,

Hello, I got a banjo for Christmas this year from the family. I’ve never played a musical instrument in my life (now 48). I find it easiest to be guided through one string at a time. Whether it be a forward or backward role, 3-2-1, 4-1-2. Thats how it seems to work best for me.

I find the left hand a little harder. My fingers get in the way of each other. Can you help.

Cheers,
Adrian

Answer

When you’re a very new beginner and just learning the roll patterns and chord fingerings. It will be much easier for you to learn one step at a time as you have mentioned.

1. A steady consistent forward roll is crucial. I would spend a considerable amount of time working on your right hand. By this I mean practice the forward (3-1-5-3-1-5-3-1), reverse (1-3-5-1-3-5-1-3), and alternate (3-2-5-1-4-2-5-1) rolls over and over until they become second nature. This is the core of your banjo playing!

2. Start memorizing the three main chord positions and work on switching back and forth between positions. You must be able to move your left hand smoothly between chords without looking at the fingerboard.

3. In regards to the left hand. Don’t become too concerned with the crowded feeling that you are experiencing with your fingers. Most of this comes from poor finger posture. It’s best if your fingers come straight down on to the strings. It should look like the ends of your fingers are pointing directly into the heart of the fingerboard.

You don’t want the fingers to be laying in a flatter position while your trying to fret the notes. This will result in buzzing and the feeling of your fingers crowded against one another.

Thanks for the great question! Our next member’s video will go into detail about step 1 and 2. I’ll also cover the three main chord positions that you need to be working on as a beginner.

Click here to get our member’s videos.

Ryan Novice

 Old Joe Clark part 1 of 4 [4:31m]: (Protected Content)
 Old Joe Clark part 2 of 4 [4:36m]: (Protected Content)
 Old Joe Clark part 3 of 4 [4:05m]: (Protected Content)

Check out our 4 part lesson on Old Joe Clark. In this post you will find the first three videos plus the tablature to the “A” part. We will post the final lesson later this week along with the tab for the “B” part.

Click here to download the tab for the “A” part.

Enjoy!

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

 Down The Road [6:59m]: (Protected Content)

In this video lesson we’re diving into “Down the Road”. This is a very cool banjo tune that demonstrates a lot of drive. If you want to learn how to play with drive in your picking then this is the one to learn. Simple tune; however, when played with solid rolls will sound like magic.

Enjoy this hot member’s video. If you’re not yet a member click here to get started.

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

 

 Names of the Banjo Strings [2:37m]: Play Now | Download (2685)

Hello, if you’ve recorded a banjo tune and would like to have it featured right here on banjoexpert.com then send send me an email at ryan@banjoexpert.com.

I’m would like to add some of our students picking to the site this year. I would be great to hear what songs your working on and how you and your band are sounding.

Send us a recording and we’ll air it on the podcast!

Thanks,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

We finally recovered our site tonight and we’re back in full force. I must say that it’s quite a relief. It’s certainly been a long week since everything fell apart on January 9th. As it turns out, we have been able to recover the entire website. I’m sure there will be a few wrinkles here and there but we’ll get them all ironed out.

You all have been very patient with me and have been quite supportive. I just want you to know how thankful I am for your generosity. I can’t really explain what happened to start the chaos (because I don’t know) but it appears to be over. We have moved the site to a new server and all appears to be working well.

By the way if your in to building websites I can’t tell you enough good things about our new host (server) gatorhost.com. I highly recommend them!

We’ll be going through the site over the next couple of days making sure that everything is working as it should. If you notice anything funny or out of place feel free to email me at ryan@banjoexpert.com.

We’ll jump in to some new lessons as the weekend approches.

Thanks again for your patience. You guys and gals are great!

Sincerely,
Ryan

Ryan Novice

 Advanced Bluesy Lick Video [3:20m]: (Protected Content)

Today we’re going to jump into a fun bluesy lick on the banjo. If you’re an absolute beginner watch the video and see what you think.

I would encourage you to take a stab at it. See if you can get through the notes. If you do, you’ll end up with a really cool lick under your belt.

If you’re an advanced banjo picker this ones for you. I get several requests for bluesy banjo licks so here’s a good one.

Let me know what you think!

Ryan Expert, Member's Video Lessons

 Float Your Picking Hand [4:57m]: (Protected Content)

There seems to be a common theme with new pickers not wanting to relax their right hand while picking the banjo.

Stop stretching so much

This can be corrected very quickly. New pickers tend to keep their right hand perfectly still while reaching or stretching for the strings with their fingers. It’s almost as though we’re stretching our picking fingers to the limit to pick the strings when it’s simply not necessary.

What’s the right way?

When your picking with your right hand let it move freely up and down in a rocking motion. Don’t keep your hand in one spot with a vengeance. Let your hand move. You will still need an anchor point with your pinky, ring finger, or both; however, your hand should still be able to compliment your picking fingers.

When you reach up for the fifth string with your thumb, your hand should Read more…

Ryan Novice

 

 Hot Banjo Lick Below 5th Fret [3:19m]: Play Now | Download (1718)

Click here to get the free tab to this song in tabledit format

Ryan Podcasts

I’m going to offer one FREE webcam lesson this week to any member who is interested.

This will be a full one hour banjo lesson via webcam. I’m only going to offer a limited number of these lessons, so jump in quickly. They won’t last long.

Just email me at ryan@banjoexpert.com and I’ll fill you in on the details. Talk to you then!

Ryan Novice

With the conclusion of our dueling banjo lesson series I wanted to post the tablature to the fast part of the song as promised. This piece of tab is written in tabledit format. You will have to have tabledit software to view these tabs.

Click here to download the fast part.

Here is a link to the dueling part found on banjohangout.com.

If you missed this series, be sure to join as a member and get these hot vids.

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

I just started my twitter page and we’ll see how it goes. I’m curious to know… Read more…

Ryan Novice

Can you rattle off 3 kick-offs right now if you were asked? What comes to mind when you think of a bluegrass kick-off? In this member’s video we’re going to go over three different kicks.

1. The first kick will be based off of the fourth string sliding up to the 5th fret.

2. The second kick will start with a slide on the third string and end with a 4th string slide.

3. Lastly will do a pinch kick-off. This is one that you need to know.

 Three Kick-offs [9:47m]: (Protected Content)

What are your favorite kick offs?

Ryan Member's Video Lessons, Novice

What would make this a better place for you to learn the banjo? Is there something that you feel would help you learn quicker.

Now’s your chance to give us some feedback. We’re currently brainstorming some new ideas for 2009 to enhance your banjo experience. If you… Read more…

Ryan Novice

Don’t miss your chance to grab Ron Block’s new DVD!!! If you’re one of the first few to get your order in… Read more…

Ryan Novice