Getting Started

• Practicing
• Finger Picks
• Roll Patterns
• Chords

Practicing

Get your finger picks, banjo and strap and watch this.

"You don't have to give up your life, but you do have to play it every day. I'm going to suggest you play 30 minutes every day"

Finger Picks

How do you put on finger picks? Don't put them on upside down! How should you position your picking hand?

"The right (or picking) hand is about 80% of banjo playing."

Roll Patterns

"The essence of Scruggs-style banjo playing is taking a melody line and embedding it into a series of notes which are a pattern. There are four basic
patterns which you will need to own."

Learn these essential patterns now!

Chords

The banjo is tuned in its standard way to an open G chord. The two other primary chords you will learn here are the C chord and the D7 chord.

Learn to play with simple brush strokes of the picking hand. Then try chords with roll patterns. See how clearly you can play chords will roll patterns.

"It's not exactly bluegrass pickin' yet, but you are on your way."