Discover how to play openback banjo from the comfort of your own home using video lessons that can be watched multiple times over. This makes learning much simpler, fitting better into busy schedules than taking lessons in-person from an instructor.
Choosing a Banjo
When selecting a banjo, it’s essential to consider your musical preferences and genres you intend to play. Resonator banjos tend to work best for more energetic genres such as bluegrass and country as they provide brighter sounds; on the other hand, open-back banjos feature deeper tones more suitable for traditional forms like old-time folk or mountain folk music genres.
Budget should also play an integral part when looking for a banjo. Beginners have access to several cost-effective models, as well as those featuring scooped fingerboards which make playing higher up easier – something especially beneficial for clawhammer players. Furthermore, metal strings should be preferred when first starting out on an instrument like this one.
Getting Started
To play banjo, you will require some basic essentials, including strings (which often come included with your instrument), a gig bag to protect it and some accessories like fingerpicks and tuners.
Unhonoring musical ear is key in developing your banjo skills. Use this interactive game to practice tuning by ear, and gain experience recognizing pitches as you tune by ear – such as which notes sound flat or sharp.
Familiarize yourself with the parts of a banjo, including its head, rim, neck and resonator. This will enable you to follow tutorials more easily while making adjustments as necessary. Furthermore, understanding Scruggs style vs clawhammer banjo playing will enable you to decide which styles to prioritize when starting out.
Strumping
Ultimately, selecting a banjo comes down to sound preference and genre of music you play on it. Harder woods tend to produce bigger and brighter tones while those made of softwood are generally more subdued and affordable. Furthermore, open-back banjos tend to weigh less and provide greater affordability than resonator banjos.
Resonator banjos are preferred by bluegrass musicians due to their louder sound that stands out in a band setting; clawhammer players tend to prefer open-back banjos due to their subdued, melodic tones. Though adding a resonator could potentially increase volume significantly, remember that any banjo can also be outfitted with an amplifier via installing a pickup.
Fingerpicking
Bluegrass music is perhaps best-known as employing banjo-based instruments, yet other genres such as Country and Rock often incorporate them.
Fingerpicking requires your right-hand index and middle fingers to pick upward, while your right-hand ring and pinky fingers remain on the head of the banjo to support it. A metal fingerpick may be helpful; these often come as one size-fits-all solutions so just choose what feels most comfortable on your fingers!
If you want to play rhythmic clawhammer or rolling bluegrass music, an open-back banjo may be just what’s necessary. Its resonator helps raise its volume, so your audience can hear every note you play!
Scruggs Style
I find it troubling that some members on these forums either directly negate Earl Scruggs contributions, skill level and professionalism or spread misinformation regarding learning his style of blugrass improvisation. While adding something new is great, changing what made Earl special would be like saying you cannot learn Shakespeare and become an excellent author.
Ross Nickerson’s book and CDs provide an ideal foundation in Scruggs style banjo playing. First he walks you through banjo fundamentals before delving deeper into Scruggs style playing; furthermore he provides guidance for tuning a banjo (an essential step!) as well as songs based around certain rolls or positions.