Fitting lessons into your busy schedule can be difficult, but online learning allows you to practice at your own pace. Videos can be paused and watched again whenever necessary.
Banjo learning can be relatively straightforward if you focus on bluegrass or clawhammer styles; however, there are some key things that must be kept in mind before getting started.
Getting Started
As with most hobbies, building banjos is often approached as a side hobby rather than taking any serious effort into learning the instrument itself. Many beginners build banjos with woodworking as their sole hobby and lack enough practice with playing their new instrument before giving up and buying one instead.
One of the first things to take note of when considering banjos is their wide variety. Each model is tuned differently and used for various styles of music – this can be somewhat disorienting; nonetheless it’s important to keep in mind that each style possesses unique characteristics.
Learning the banjo can be easier than many people expect, particularly if you choose an online course. A high-quality teaching material and flexible scheduling make this form of study much more practical than finding a local instructor willing to accommodate you – not to mention less costly!
Choosing a Banjo
No matter the genre of music you perform, banjos bring an unmistakable sound. Their precise setup and tuning determine their unique sound; most bluegrass/old-time banjos typically use five strings tuned open G (also called double C).
Banjo tone depends on its rim, tone ring and pot. To get the most out of your banjo experience, ensure all these parts are present in good condition.
One mistake many aspiring banjo pickers make when starting out is selecting one style of picking right away, locking themselves into that style without exploring how other styles may combine to produce different sounds. A better way is to learn fingerpicking techniques independent of any particular style – this opens up endless musical opportunities!
Tuning the Banjo
There is a range of banjo tunings out there for various purposes – musical requirements or preferences, traditional contexts or personal taste all play into what will sound different when played by each one.
Beginners typically start out with open G tuning. Openback banjos will suit a range of genres perfectly; even bluegrass fans should find one suitable.
Digital chromatic tuners can help you quickly and accurately tune your banjo. However, some tuners can be misleading since they will indicate your banjo is in tune when in fact it could be sharp or flat.
Problematic is when your focus on getting that green light without considering whether your banjo is actually in tune. A compensated bridge, such as those offered by Bart, may help mitigate this issue but may alter the tone significantly; you must do some experimenting in order to find what works for you.
Practicing
No one who wants to make serious progress on a banjo needs any convincing that daily practice sessions must take place; otherwise their playing will stagnate and they may quit altogether. Teachers must be strict with students who fail to practice.
Utilizing the capo sparingly is also crucial; otherwise it becomes too easy to overuse it and never learn new keys.
Starting off, new players should spend time learning Scruggs style picking patterns or “rolls,” and practicing them like drum rudiments with a metronome and steady tempo until they become second nature, becoming part of muscle memory and making improvisation possible. Once this has occurred, improvise using what has already been learned while making those rolls and licks personal. Doing this will increase proficiency as they build their own style and sound on banjo.