Getting Started with Bluegrass Banjo
Tuning, reading tab, and playing roll patterns
These beginner banjo lessons will help you get started with the basics from tuning your banjo to playing essential bluegrass roll patterns. You'll follow a step-by-step process on how to learn the banjo in the form of mini-lessons. Each mini-lesson includes a video and banjo tab for you to play with. Go ahead, jump in and have fun!
- 7 Video Lessons
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1
FreeHow to Tune Your Banjo
Learn how to tune your banjo using an electronic tuner
First, let's go over the tuning of the banjo. Although banjo players use many different tunings when playing, the most popular one and the one primarily used for bluegrass music is open G, which lo...
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2
FreeHow to Read Banjo Tab
Lines, Numbers, and Letters
Tab is one of the most popular learning tools available. Tunefox features tabs for all of it's banjo songs, licks, and lessons so to prepare you for the rest of the site, let's talk about how to re...
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3
FreeRight Hand Position
And How To Wear Fingerpicks
Where your banjo is positioned in your lap will help you find the correct right arm and hand position. Make sure your feet are planted flat on the ground and you're sitting with nice, upright postu...
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4
FreeThe Alternating Thumb Roll
Your First Roll Pattern
Learning roll patterns is a great way to get familiar with right hand technique on the banjo. In this lesson, you'll learn your first roll pattern - the alternating thumb roll.
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5
FreeThe Forward/Backward Roll
An Eight Note Pattern
This eight note pattern is an essential part of Scruggs style picking. For learning purposes, let's split this up into two phrases of four notes.
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6
FreeThe Forward Roll
The Ultimate Bluegrass Roll
In this lesson you're going to learn one of the most essential roll patterns for playing Scruggs style melodies and backup - The Forward Roll.
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7
FreeBONUS: Combining Roll Patterns
Forward Roll, Alternating Thumb Roll, and Forward/Backward Roll
Here you'll learn how to combine roll patterns. In bluegrass banjo songs you wont really ever stick to one pattern so it's good to practice playing different rolls together.
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8
FreeWhere to now?
Learn three chords in the next lesson series!
We've talked in depth about right hand technique and how to practice your roll patterns. Now it's time to bring in the left hand and play some chords! The great thing about banjo is that you can pl...