Banjo For Complete Beginners - Joff Lowson

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GET DISCOUNT Back to Top Intro 1. Hold Banjo Left handed? 2. Tuning 3. Make First Sound 4. Fingerpicking 5. Melody 6. Fretting Intro 1. Hold Banjo Left handed? 2. Tuning 3. Make First Sound 4. Fingerpicking 5. Melody 6. Fretting Members Contact Login MORE HELP

• Beginner Banjo
• Tune Your Banjo
• Thumb Lead Fingerpicking
• Clawhammer Banjo
• TAB

• Beginners
• Easy Songs
• Duelling Banjos
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1. Beginners

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Jump right in and learn a song.

Click the button below to go to our Easy Song page, where you can see how to play the melodies of 50 well known songs using only four simple fingering positions.

Easy Banjo Songs

Get that sparkling Bluegrass fingerpicking sound – learn to play rolls

More information further down the page.

Thumb Lead is an easy rolling style for beginners.

Go to our Thumb Lead page by clicking the big blue button below.

Go to Thumb Lead page

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Remember, we’ve got some great premium training videos in the store, so when you’re ready – take a look.

Where to start playing the banjo

So you’re a total beginner, you’ve decided you’d like to learn how to play the banjo. Maybe you’ve even brought yourself a new banjo. So where do you start? Well, this page is the right page for you. In the free beginners guide you’ll learn everything a total novice needs in order to play the banjo. From the different types of banjo you can use, and the type of banjo (a 5 string banjo) that most of our videos use, to how to get comfortable, tuning the banjo, making your first sound, different styles – plus so much more. This is the perfect place for you to start on your banjo journey.

My name’s Joff Lowson, and I’ve been teaching all sorts of musicians at different skill levels how to play the banjo for over 30 years. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, these videos will help you get on the right track.

Keep scrolling below to jump to the first tutorial, where you’ll start getting comfortable with your banjo. Keep scrolling down if you want to learn more about the 5-string banjo, one of the most popular banjos for people to play.

The banjo is easy and fun to play. Banjos come in many different varieties. The six-string version is tuned and played exactly the same as a guitar and sometimes called a guitjo. The four-string comes in two different varieties, the plectrum banjo (long neck) and the tenor banjo (short neck). These banjos are usually tuned like a violin or mandolin and commonly feature in Trad Jazz and Irish music. Both the four and six-string banjos are normally played with a plectrum.

The 5-string Banjo

The most popular type of banjo has five strings which are normally tuned to a G chord.

One of the strings, the fifth string, is shorter than the others and is attached to a tuning peg sticking out of the side of the neck. This is probably the easiest type of banjo for beginners to play.

Five-string banjos are commonly used in Appalachian, Old Time American Folk and Bluegrass music and can be heard in bands as diverse as Dolly Parton, Mumford and Sons, the Eagles and Led Zeppelin.

What are all the different parts of the banjo called?

The Anatomy of a 5 String Banjo

The peghead

The peghead, where you find the tuning pegs, is the slightly wider part at the end of the neck

The first string peg

The first string peg – adjusts the pitch of the first string, which is normally tuned to d

The second string peg

The second string peg – adjusts the pitch of the second string, which is normally tuned to b

The third string peg

The third string peg – adjusts the pitch of the third string, which is normally tuned to g

The fourth string peg

The fourth string peg – adjusts the pitch of the fourth string, which is normally tuned to low d

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings are called the Long Strings of the banjo.

The fifth string peg

The fifth string peg is found part way down the side of the neck. The fifth string is shorter than the others, it is normally tuned to a high g note

The fingerboard

The fingerboard is a special piece of wood on the front of the neck covered in markers and frets. You press strings against the fingerboard to change their pitch

The heel

The heel of the neck is a wider part of the neck that attaches to the body, or drum part of the banjo

The shell

The shell is a cylindrical piece of wood or metal that has the drum skin stretched over it and the neck attached to it.

The resonator

On the back of the banjo shell there is sometimes another bowl shaped piece of wood called the resonator. Some banjos don’t have this and are called ‘Backless’ banjos.

The tension hooks

The tension hooks are used to stretch the drum skin, which is usually called the ‘Head’ over the shell rim.

The tailpiece

The tailpiece is at the opposite end of the banjo to the peghead and the strings are attached to it. Some tailpieces allow you to adjuct the downward tension on the bridge to change the sound.

The bridge

The bridge sits on the head skin and supports the strings. The bridge transmits the vibration of the strings to the head, and there is a lot of downward pressure on it.

If you are looking to buy your first banjo and need more help, click here to find more information about the different types of banjos and the costs.

Buying a banjo

Now you’ve learnt all about the anatomy of your 5-string banjo, it’s time to get comfortable holding the instrument. We’ll also look at some advice for those of you who are left-handed. Keep scrolling to start getting comfortable with your instrument (it’s important!).

The One Secret To Easily Play The Banjo Songs You Love Fast, Even If You've Never Picked Up The Instrument Before!

WATCH HOW

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Don’t know how to hold the banjo? This is the video for you.

The most important thing is to get comfortable.

If you’ve never played a banjo before, it’s going to take a while to figure our how to hold it properly. Try moving the banjo around in your lap until you find a position that’s comfortable for you. Keep your body in a good upright, relaxed posture – move the banjo around to get comfortable, don’t bend or lean your body. Moving the elbows is a great tip.

You can either rest the banjo in your lap or on your right leg. Make sure to keep your hands on the instrument at all times, as the banjo tends to fall over if you don’t keep holding it.

Which hand do I pluck the strings with?

If you are a right handed player you play the strings with the right hand, whether by plucking, strumming, brushing or picking.

Which hand goes on the neck/fingerboard of the banjo?

If you are right handed you will be using the left hand to press the strings against the frets. The left hand holds the neck of the instrument.

Help for Left Handers

Left handed? Get more help here

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If you are left handed you will need to purchase a special left handed banjo.

You are going to pluck, strum or pick the strings with the left hand and do the fretting with the right. This video gives some guidance for left handers.

I’m left handed, can I learn to play with the Banjo Academy?

Yes, nearly everything is the same for left handers. The only difference is every time the teacher says ‘Right hand’ you will have to think ‘Left,’ and vice versa.

I’m left handed, do I need a special banjo?

Yes, you will need a left handed banjo.

I’m left handed, how can I be sure I will be able to learn?

Go ahead and try some of the free video lessons here on JoffLowson.com and see how it works for you.

Now you’ve got comfortable with your banjo it’s time to make sure it’s in tune. Tuning the banjo can be tricky, don’t worry I’ve created a training section to help you get your banjo sounding great. Keep scrolling to start tuning your banjo the right way.

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Learn about tuning game

We will be playing in Standard G tuning. This is one of the most common ways of tuning the banjo, and it’s also one of the easiest for a beginner because you get a G chord automatically.

What is ‘Standard G tuning’ on the banjo.

Standard G tuning is the most common way of tuning the five string banjo, you can play many different styles of music with this tuning.

Standard G Tuning

This graphic is clickable. Click each note to hear the equivalent banjo sound.

5th string g

4th string d

3rd string g

2nd string b

1st string d

You need to know the musical names for the notes for several reasons. If you have a friend who plays another musical instrument, for example the piano or the guitar, you can ask them to ‘Give you a g’ so you can tune your banjo to their guitar. Another important reason for knowing these note names is because most electronic tuners will give a read out of which note you are tuning to. It’s important not only to get each string on the banjo in tune, but also tuned to the correct note.

My banjo doesn’t sound good?

You probably just need to put it in tune. Watch the free videos to learn how to tune a banjo.

What’s the easiest way to tune a banjo?

For beginners, the easiest way is to use an electronic tuner. You can get help with that by clicking here.

How many ways are there of tuning the banjo?

There are two answers to this question. The process of tuning a banjo can be achieved three ways; by ear, by using an electronic tuner, and by matching open strings with fretted strings. Using any of these techniques, you can tune the banjo to a particular tuning. Most of the songs on this website are in G standard tuning. However there are other tunings you can use as well, for example drop C, Double C and so on. You use the same methods to tune a banjo to any of these other tunings.

I’ve tuned my banjo using an electronic tuner and it doesn’t sound good, what should I do?

There’s several possible reasons for this. One is that you have tuned one or more of the strings to the wrong note. You need to look carefully at the display on your tuner to make sure it is reading the correct note, as well as giving you a green light.

Another explanation is that the human ear is more sensitive than the electronic tuner, so sometimes you might get all five strings in tune as far as the electronic tuner is concerned, but it still doesn’t sound good to your ears.  The best way to solve this is by developing your listening skills, or sense of ‘Pitch.’

Finally, there’s a possibility that your banjo might not be set up properly. First, check if all the open strings sound good, and your electronic tuner says they are in tune. If the fretted notes don’t sound good, your banjo needs to be ‘Set up.’ You should check notes lower down (close the nut) and also higher up (nearer to the drum) to make sure the banjo sounds good all the way up and down the neck. If you have some notes that do not sound good, take the banjo to a professional repairman.

Get more help tuning your banjo

Click the link to access a whole page of free content to help you get your banjo in tune

You will learn how to use an electronic tuner; more about tuning by ear; learn about the note names, what ‘Flat’ and ‘Sharp’ mean and more.

Click below to get extra help with tuning.

More Help Tuning Banjo

Is it hard to tune the banjo by ear?

Find out by playing the tuning game!

Develop your musical ear by playing this simple interactive game. You will hear two different banjo notes, all you have to do is decide which one is higher or lower in pitch. By playing this game over and over, you will quickly improve your pitch recognition skills. Tuning the banjo by ear will become easier and easier for you!

Go ahead and click below and practice tuning with the tuning game.

Play Tuning Game

Now you’ve learnt how to tune the banjo it’s time to start making some sounds and playing notes! Keep scrolling below to move to the next section, where you’ll start making your first sound using some simple note playing techniques.

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In this video, you’ll learn the basics of making a sound on the banjo. We usually use the right hand to sound the string. You’ll learn the importance of keeping your hand straight so that you don’t strain your wrist to make sure your left hand is in the correct position. We’ll take a look at the different methods for making sounding the strings.

Here are some of the main ways you can make sounds:

Strumming / Brushing

Fingerpicking

Clawhammer / Frailing

Strumming

Learn this important basic skill with a free lesson video. Strumming can be done with or without fingerpicks, and is normally done with the Thumb of the Right Hand, if you are a right-handed player.

Strumming with the Thumb is one of the most important techniques on many stringed instruments, including the banjo.

Every five-string banjo player at some time will brush across the strings gently with the thumb. It’s an easy way to check if your banjo is in tune, and it’s a great way to play a few chords. You will often see experienced players gently brushing across all the strings of their banjo whilst holding down a few chords or fingering positions with the Left Hand, to feel their way into a jam session or song, or to find out what Key the music is being played in.

This technique is used equally by Clawhammer players as by Fingerpicking players. Click the button to learn a skill that’s used in all styles of playing the five-string banjo!

Strumming is a simple way to make sounds on the banjo

I’ve created an easy to learn tutorial on strumming in G for you

Along with the video, I’ve also added a few tracks to play along with, including ‘Frere Jaque’, ‘Cumberland Gap’ and ‘Little Rabbit’. Click below to get started strumming in G.

Strum a few easy chords

Old time fingerpicking

You can play Old-Time banjo with either the Fingerpicking or Frailing techniques. Watch two free lesson videos to learn basic old time single Thumb banjo.

Get your first free Thumb Lead lesson in Old-Time Fingerpicking banjo part two. You will play a simple pattern that sounds great playing along with some other musicians or backing someone up.

You can make a whole style out of this one technique! Learn it free here on JoffLowson.com

Alos learn free how to add in an offbeat ‘Pinch’ with the fingers to change up the rhythm. Most top Bluegrass players use this technique often, or variations of it – it’s a really great way to jam along with a band, especially when other musicians or singers are taking the Lead.

Meet some of the pioneers of five-string banjo finger style. Roscoe Holcomb, Dock Boggs and Charlie Poole were al playing professionally before Earl Scruggs exploded onto the scene in the late 1940s.

Discover Old-Time Banjo

The Rootsy sounds of single thumb!

Back in the 1920s and 30s, Charlie Poole played in the Old Time Single Thumb pattern, which gives a rich and rootsy sound.

It’s a great fingerpicking pattern which easily lends itself to backing other musicians or singers alike!

Explore Old-Time

Clawhammer

If you love the sound of Old-Time banjo, you are probably thinking of the Clawhammer playing style, also called Frailing.

Frailing styles have traditionally been played with both upstrokes and downstrokes, or even with a mixture of both. The most popular way to play Old-Time banjo these days is using mostly downstrikes. This gives a great rhythmic feel and a distinctive folk dancy style. It’s one of the best ways for a beginner banjo player to get a strong rhythm. All you have to do is master one simple skill – the basic clawhammer stroke.

Click the button to access over half an hours free highquality video instruction lessons with closeups of both hands. Begin your journey into the world of old-time banjo frailing.

Clawhammer / Frailing has a great sound to it.

We’ve created a whole series of free clawhammer lessons.

Frank Evans teaches you Clawhammer banjo in this beginner-friendly video series. All completely free, so you can enjoy this classic rhythmic banjo style.

Click below to start learning with Banjo Frank.

Learn Clawhammer

You’ve made your first sound on the banjo and also learnt how to make sure the other hand is doing what it should. Next, let’s look at my personal favourite way to play Fingerpicking. Keep scrolling below to learn this classic banjo style.

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check the basics the two ways of playing a song Circle Be Unbroken slowmo What is Fingering? How to play fast with Rolls

Fingerpicking is one way of playing the banjo. With the fingerpicking technique, you can play Bluegrass, Classical and Old-Time styles, although Bluegrass is by far the most popular.

Earl Scruggs is one of my favourite banjo players and arguably one of the greatest banjo players ever lived (1924 – 2012). [Earl Scruggs doesn’t endorse this content]

The Bluegrass picking style was originally developed in the 1940s by Earl Scruggs (pictured on the left, or above if you’re on mobile), building on the 2- and 3-finger styles of banjo he heard in his native North Carolina. You can adapt these techniques to play any type of music you like, whether it’s Rock, Pop, Jazz, Blues etc.

We will be learning to play with three fingers – the Thumb, Index and Middle fingers of the right hand. (In music, the Thumb is counted as one of the fingers).

For a beginner, it’s good to start off by just playing a few notes using the simplest fingering positions. You can play a lot of songs using just the four basic left-hand positions and picking the correct string, or sequence of strings, with the right hand. You can get more help with that in the ‘Melody’ section below.

Which string should I play with which finger?

When you get more experienced, you can play all the different strings with each finger, except for the 5th string, which is normally only played with the Thumb. To start with, it’s best to use the Middle finger only on the 1st string.

You might be surprised to know that Earl Scruggs usually only used his Middle finger to play the first string. In fact many top players mostly only use the Middle finger to play the 1st string – although you can use it to play the 2nd string; and much more rarely the 3rd.

The Index finger is normally used to play the 2nd and 3rd strings although you can also play the 1st and 4th with it. The Thumb can play all the strings, although some people say you should not use it to play the 1st. The 5th string is also called the ‘Thumb string’ because only the Thumb normally plays it.

Learn this classic banjo tune Cripple Creek and practice fingerpicking at the same time…

Cripple Creek | Part 1 | Introduction

Classic banjo favourite made of of just three short pieces of music! Learn how to coordinate your right and left hands to play a low melody on the 3rd & 4th strings.  Add extra notes with the Middle finger to double the speed!  Total running time   12:18

Start Lesson

Cripple Creek | Part 2 | The Roll

Learn the roll section of this great tune with this free video.  As demonstrated by Joff in the video above. Learn how to use a simple left hand fingering to modify the sound of the basic square roll.  Total running time 8:24

Start Lesson

Cripple Creek | Part 3 | The High Part

Kicking off from the 1st string, 2nd fret, learn how to use a short forward roll to play a really catchy melody.  Also learn your first chord change, to C major, one of the most popular chords.  Free. Total running time 9:30

Start Lesson

Picks

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closeup of the picks playing without picks

‘Picks,’ also called ‘Fingerpicks,’ are little pieces of metal or plastic you wear on the tips of the fingers of your right hand when you play the banjo. With picks, you can get a louder and brighter sound and it also makes it easier to play fast. Most bluegrass players wear a metal fingerpick on the Index and Middle fingers and a plastic thumbpick.

Picks can take a while to get used to, so it’s a great idea to wear them right from the start. You might need to bend the picks to fit you more comfortably.

Do I need to wear picks to play the banjo?

It’s completely up to you. Wearing picks will give you more volume, a bigger dynamic range and a brighter sound, as well as making it easier to play fast.

On the other hand, there are plenty of professional banjo players who don’t wear picks. Some people prefer the sound without picks, and it’s great to play with bare fingers if you are playing late at night and you don’t want to disturb your neighbours! Some people just don’t like wearing the picks.

If you find that you enjoy playing more without the picks, that’s absolutely fine!

Which way round do I wear fingerpicks?

Picks have a band that goes around the tip of the finger/thumb and also a blade part, which is the part that touches the strings. The blade part normally goes on the opposite side of the finger to the fingernail. The same is true of the thumb, the blade part goes on the opposite side of the thumb to the thumbnail. Most beginners assume they are like artificial fingernails and put them on the wrong way round.

Right Hand Positions

You will be playing with the Thumb, Index and Middle fingers so the best thing to do with the Ring finger and Pinky is rest them on the head (Skin).

Resting the unused fingers on the head gives you more stability so you can pick accurately and with more confidence. When you have a good right hand position you don’t need to look at your hand at all, you can feel where the strings are. It’s really helpful to remember the Middle finger is usually only going to play the 1st string.

The optimum position is with both unused fingers (Ring and Pinky) resting on the skin, but some people find the Ring finger tends to move around when they are playing, making it difficult to anchor the finger. If this is you, don’t worry! There are many well known professional banjo players who only rest the little finger (Pinky). Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead was missing part of his middle finger so he picked with the ring finger instead – so obviously couldn’t rest that on the skin!

The most important thing is to avoid any tension getting into the hand. When you are first learning, it’s a good idea to take your hand away from the instrument regularly and gently shake it, to make sure the hand stays completely relaxed.

I’ve made a video showing you how to get the right hand relaxed and into a good position for fingerpicking, click here to see the video.

Melody

Playing a melody is a great way for a beginner to get used to the basic techniques of picking and fretting. Since you are not playing a roll, you can use the same right-hand finger to play consecutive notes – in other words, the fingering is not so critical as when you are playing fast. We will add pinches and rolls later.

The main thing you are learning is how all the different notes sound and feel. You can play an incredible variety of music just using the basic hand positions, and playing the melodies of a few songs is a great way to become familiar with the instrument.

Try these free song tutorials

In the academy you get 18 songs each with indepth tutorials where I’ll break down each song so you’ll be able to play classic well-known tunes with ease. See which songs you get inside the academy.

Learn to play the melodies of these well known songs!

You can play each using the 3-finger picking technique

I'll Fly Away

A free video lesson to learn the basic verse melody of this wonderful old song that was featured in the film ‘Brother where art Thou?  Suitable for complete beginners.  Total running time 6:01

Start Lesson

Country Roads

Learn the chorus of this fantastic song that everybody knows!  A complete free lesson for beginners.  Total running time 5:23

Start Lesson

Duelling Banjos

Learn the ‘Walk up and down in G’ part of the most famous song on the 5-string banjo.  Free. Total running time 8:41

Start Lesson

Amazing Grace

Learn to play the melody of Amazing Grace. Complete free lesson for beginners.  Total running time 8:21

Start Lesson

Jingle Bells

Learn to play this well-loved Christmas song on the banjo. Complete free lesson for beginners.  Total running time 12:56

Start Lesson

Man of Constant Sorrow

Learn to play the melody of this catchy song on the banjo. As sung by George Clooney in the film ‘Brother where art Thou?’  Free.  Total running time 3:35 

Start Lesson

What are Banjo Rolls?

Essential Right Hand skill

Rolls are simple repeating patterns that make up a lot of the sound of Bluegrass banjo. Click the button below to learn more about Rolls.

Learn Rolls

Want more help with Fingerpicking?

I’ve made some more content to help you

Click below to get some extra help with the fingerpicking style of playing the banjo. You will learn the best position for the right hand; which strings to play with which finger; also see the four basic left hand positions.

More Help Fingerpicking

You’ve learnt the basics of Fingerpicking, but what about the other hand? What do you do with that? Great questions, and in this next video, I’ll be showing you exactly what to do with that other hand in something we call Fretting. Keep scrolling below to learn basic fretting.

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How much pressure to use? Basic LH fingering positions

Learn how to stop the strings against the fretboard of the banjo with this free video.  Learn which fingering positions to use and also how to stay relaxed and comfortable whilst playing.