Joy to the World is a great holiday song that uses a descending major scale run in the first phrase of the melody. The G major Scale is a foundational element of music and the banjo. It's something worth memorizing and practicing regularly. If you can play it with ease, then most basic melodies will also become easy to play.

After learning the basic melody you can try to start Playing the Syllables. This is a secret of the pros. Learn to play a more rhythmically detailed melody just like a singer. Each note is tied to a syllable in the song. This adds challenge and requires a bit of single string technique with your picking hand. Use the single string exercise as a warmup before playing the tune.

After mastering the melody, learn the basic chords that go along with it. Those are usually listed above the banjo tablature. Just click on the chord bubble to see the banjo chord diagrams. If you have an understanding of chords, melody, and can do a few banjo rolls, then check out one of the Scruggs Style arrangements. There is one in the key of G and another in the key of C. Learning both will help you see how certain chord shape patterns repeat, even in different keys.