How Hard Is It To Play The Banjo

by Ross Nickerson
That is important showtime question for those of you are itching to take upward the fun of playing 5 string bluegrass banjo. In my years of teaching the banjo and also handling much of the client service at BanjoTeacher.com, the question "Is learning banjo hard?" or "how hard is information technology to play the banjo" is one that comes up a lot and oftentimes first!

It'southward an understandable question but it still about always takes me past surprise. I don't normally have problem answering the question just information technology has to be answered in more one sentence though, well unless you lot are willing to drop a one liner remark on a vulnerable and unsuspecting aspiring banjo picker which I make a bespeak to never practise.

It's not difficult to learn the nuts rather chop-chop and fifty-fifty play a song within a calendar month. I recollect what separates the newbies and the pros is the relaxed way experienced players evangelize the banjo music with skilful timing, good tone, proper technique and at faster tempos.

It's safety to say that learning to play the banjo is much more of a physical challenge then a mental one. It takes lots of repetitions and concrete exercise to build up the skills needed to play the five string banjo. One of the beauties of the iii finger Scruggs' style technique is in its simplicity. It delivers simple solid rhythmic music in a direct frontwards fashion. This not only makes information technology pleasant like shooting fish in a barrel to hear musically but the technique besides makes sense to learn.

Some of the puzzles of learning banjo can be solved with the heed but most of it has to be solved with developing the power to physically go control of the instrument. Some sports analogies come to mind. For example it is piece of cake to learn to do a "push upward" but difficult to exercise 100 of them. That takes practice, conditioning and some delivery. Another analogy to learning to play banjo could exist with learning and improving at the game of Golf. Golf practice could be described as working on unlike aspects of your game, putting, driving, short game, chipping etc. With banjo practise, it may be picking practice, fretting manus flexibility exercises, developing muscle memory with repetitions and then on. Then the illustration could be drawn that playing a round of golf brings together all the elements you've developed in practice. The aforementioned comparison could be drawn that executing a song on the banjo brings together the skills you've developed focusing on unlike areas of importance while practicing your banjo.

"Muscle retention" when playing a musical musical instrument is much more powerful and useful and so remembering things with your mind. Your mind can but store and so much information to be pulled up apace and relayed to your fingers in a split 2d but muscle retentiveness amazingly lasts and lasts. With a little refreshing my fingers nevertheless recall songs that I played over xx years ago.

The principal job at hand is learning some basic techniques and repeating them till they are firmly in your musculus memory and get second nature. If you find y'all become hooked on practicing and cannot put the banjo down, I tin can almost guarantee success. Nearly students as they take up the banjo develop a physical sensation picking the strings and can't wait till they pick up the banjo over again to play and do.

The business of going about practicing or knowing what to do does non e'er come clear to students. There is a DVD calledHow to Do Banjo which is geared towards beginners, advanced beginners and newer intermediate players struggling and want to reach the next step. Details

Here are a few common questions and answers on how difficult it may be to acquire the banjo.

Am I too old?

Of course not, and what is the definition of old anyway. I had a call from a student starting at 83 and then chances are y'all have a big head start in comparing. Anybody wishes they started younger merely as it turns well-nigh people have time to larn an instrument in ii phases of their lives. Beginning is when they are younger and have more costless time and less responsibility. The second being when you are older and have created a life for yourself and now have the time and want to take on something new.

Is banjo harder to learn than the guitar?

Certainly not harder! Some things well-nigh the banjo could be considered easier; the strings are lighter guess than a guitar and easier to push down. It does not have long to primary a few simple things on both instruments. To play in a bluegrass band with a banjo may accept more practice than playing only rhythm guitar in a bluegrass band if the guitar player is simply strumming chords. If the guitar player takes on soloing information technology volition take every bit as much practice and likely more. The banjo thespian has some advantages using 3 fingers as opposed to just one flat pick a guitar player uses when playing bluegrass music.

What's a good banjo to start with?

It'south important that the banjo is stable and stays in tune. Tuning a banjo or keeping a banjo in tune is not as easy equally tuning a guitar so you don't desire to start two steps back with a banjo that does not stay in tune well.

The banjo should take good "action", activity meaning the strings are non too high up over the fret board, or too depression which causes the strings to buzz. This can be adjusted in a few different ways simply if it'south a used banjo information technology could signal problems with the neck, warping or a cracked rim. It's of import to starting time with a adept musical instrument. Expect to pay 350 to 650 for a new beginner banjo that will serve yous right. It's worth it to become a adept one to learn on, it volition aid your progress or maybe better put, a bad one will slow your progress!

Beginner Banjos

Should I use Book or DVD?

Both are fantabulous, I would not personally recommend a book to learn from if information technology does not take at least a CD or a DVD, and both are preferable these days. I have written a lot of books and would non dream of putting one out without either sound or video demonstrations of the lessons at slow, medium and faster tempos. This beginning banjo book is very comprehensive and includes two CDs and a high quality thorough DVD. Beginning banjo book

Practise I need to learn how to read music to learn the banjo?

No, in that location is very little "written music" for banjo. Anything that is written downward for banjo is 99% of the time in something call tablature. Tablature is a very easy to read number arrangement that works not bad for banjo. Because of the lack of sustain on a banjo you are only using ane/four notes and 1/eighth notes making information technology even more unnecessary for written music and even easier to use tablature instead.

Most of all I encourage you to give it a try. In that location is nothing to lose and much enjoyment to be gained. There are lots of lessons and back up out there for yous as you are learning and the banjo customs is a big one with lots of very squeamish people from all walks of life and age groups.

Thanks, Ross Nickerson