Banjo History

Series Summary

The banjo is a stringed instrument, much like a guitar, that comes in four and five-string versions. Believed to be of African origin, the banjo has a distinctive sound and is now commonly associated with bluegrass and country music. Banjars (similar instruments that were made from gourds) were played in the historic American south by African Americans. Present day banjos come in electric or acoustic form, and they are sometimes equipped with resonators and pickups. The instrument is played by finger-plucking the strings that stretch from the base to the neck of the instrument. In this free video series, learn how to play the banjo. Our expert has been playing the banjo for a very long time, and he gives beginning banjo lessons. Learn about the different parts of a banjo and how they are played. Also, learn how to tune a banjo. Once it's time to start picking, learn about various picking techniques: forward rolls, backward rolls, thumb rolls, and more! It's always best to start with the basics. So, pick up a banjo, and start learning how to make banjo music today!

Video Transcript

"Hi, congratulations on buying a banjo. You've bought one of the finest instruments in the American folk tradition. What you may not know is the banjo originally came from Africa. There, it was not a drum like this. It was a gourd with an animal skin stretched over it, and a string running across the gourd plucked. Usually it was one string. Your banjo more then likely has five strings and there is a different technique to playing it, involving your right hand and three finger picking styles. In this series I'm going to teach you about these picking styles and get you on your way to becoming a banjo expert. But I'm also going to teach you is about the parts of your banjo and how to set up your banjo so it sounds the way it should. I'm also going to teach you how to tune your banjo and the alternate tunings for banjo so you can play with other people. And get well on your way to becoming a banjo expert."