How to Play the Banjo

The banjo is a very complex string instrument that is challenging to play. It takes much time, patience and perseverance to master. Practice a lot, and follow the tips below to learn how to play the banjo.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Warm up with scales and practice drills. Do them over and over until you can do them at a quick tempo with smooth transition between the notes. If notes are not smooth, then slow down until the tempo can be sped up.
2. Choose a style. There are various styles of finger-picking and strumming to choose from: frailing, 3-finger picking, single string and chord melody.
3. Get books to help. A good book should include how to tune, chord exercise and a few basic songs. It should also include an audio CD. A good choice is "How to Play the 5-String Banjo" by Pete Seeger. The book demonstrates different styles of picking and strumming.
4. Learn the left-hand chord positions. Practice them until the sound that comes out is loud, clear and smooth. While doing this, use a guitar pick or fingers to strum or pick with the right hand.
5. Listen to a lot of banjo music. It also helps to watch the music live or on DVD so that techniques can be seen as well as heard.
6. Find a good music teacher. If serious about playing the banjo, it is important to learn the basics correctly. A teacher can give feedback on what is being done correctly or incorrectly.