Learn banjo and experience its transformative power! When learning any musical instrument, there will be breakthrough moments and long periods where it seems you aren’t making progress – this can especially apply when starting out on banjo!
Open-back banjos without resonators have more subdued tones and tend to weigh less, making them ideal for slow genres such as old time music or faster styles like bluegrass as well as beginners.
1. Learn the Basics
Starting out playing banjo can be intimidating. There are so many choices when purchasing one and lots of terminology to learn! For beginners looking to start banjo playing right away, Washburn offers their Americana B8-Pack that contains everything needed for you to start banjo!
Start off by learning to tune and practice playing basic rhythm on your banjo, once this has become second nature to you, move onto mastering rolls and songs – it may take weeks or months before you’re playing something recognizable, but don’t give up; mastery takes time!
When choosing a banjo, the first decision will be between open back or resonator styles. Both have their own advantages; ultimately it comes down to what kind of music style interests you most. Bluegrass players tend to favor resonator banjos as they help project sound loudly towards audiences while old-time players often prefer bassetier and more subdued sound from their banjos.
2. Practice Strumming
Strumming can help develop left hand skills and gain comfort with playing the banjo, while at the same time honing chord changes and increasing rhythmic sense.
Be sure to use a clip-on tuner to monitor each string individually for pitch and match pairs of notes to make sure that they sound in tune. Tuning the banjo correctly ensures a high quality sound experience.
Keep your banjo in good condition by regularly inspecting it for loose parts or wear-and-tear, wiping the strings after each play and storing in a climate-controlled environment. Furthermore, find one with a comfortable neck shape so as to maintain proper finger positioning without fatigue.
3. Learn Scales
There is much advice available regarding which banjo is appropriate for which style, but it is wise to remain impartial when taking this advice. When serious about learning the banjo it should be purchased as soon as you can afford.
Resonator banjos produce louder tones than open-back models, making them popular choices for bluegrass and clawhammer styles. You can reduce volume by taking off or installing simple bridge mutes.
The tenor banjo is an excellent instrument to explore Irish/Celtic and bluegrass music styles, such as Sweetwater’s Goodtime Two 19-Fret Tenor Banjo that can be tuned for standard tuning, GDAE (like an octave mandolin), Irish/Celtic modes or beginners’ picking techniques with ease. Beginner models typically feature geared fifth string pegs to help transition to advanced picking techniques more seamlessly.
4. Learn Fingerpicking
No matter if it be banjo or golf, running or fashion design, no one knows if they will succeed until they try something out for themselves. Unfortunately, many people purchase cheap banjos from mail order or volume stores only to discover they are the wrong key (or have poor mute action).
If you have the patience and dedication, a resonator banjo may be worthwhile investing in. This instrument allows for higher volumes, making faster genres such as Scruggs or clawhammer easier to play live. If you prefer less sound output, take off or install a simple bridge mute; alternatively learning two-finger thumb lead is always a good start!