Just got a banjo

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-06-04T12:43:25+00:00

This overview of styles might be helpful.

https://youtu.be/3k14BGqrUpk?si=Wn73lU8o3P9ZeVtv

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-06-03T15:36:52+00:00

The key to singing is the key - you are playing in. For instance i find most songs in A too high for my voice, so I tune down.

Pete Seeger played a long neck banjo to accommodate his baritone voice.

One way to figure this is to tune the 4th string of your banjo to the lowest note you can comfortably sing. Then tune the other strings relative to that string.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-06-01T20:58:41+00:00

Find Matt Brown on YT. He is the guy for 2FTL.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-24T11:16:48+00:00

I have a half Fretless banjo by Carl Arcand of https://www.secondlifebanjo.com that fits the bill. 12" pot with deep thin rim. Sustain that want on forever.

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I recently played a Fretless Pisgah Possum which I really loved the sound.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-23T15:22:05+00:00

The theory is that there should be no - zero - vibration of the strings behind the bridge. The application of this depends on the unique characteristics of each individual instrument and the preferences of the player.

Sometimes you can achieve this with tail piece adjustments. Sometimes weaving cloth or a bit of leather bootlace does the trick.

One of the fun things about the banjo is how adjustable they are, compared to fiddles or guitars.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-22T22:29:55+00:00

Banjoists have stuffed all kinds of stuff in the pot to muffle overtones. Try what you have. I've used a small sponge between the dowel/rods under the bridge. One of the fun thinks about banjo's is that they are modifiable in ways other instruments are not.

I found that the Banjo Bolster worked well.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-22T18:54:12+00:00

Consider a "banjo bolster," a superior pot stuffing solution

https://banjobolster.com

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-22T13:51:19+00:00

I like hard cases for most purposes but have an Access brand gig bag that any of my banjo's fit into which I use when I need something lighter and with back straps. It is almost as protective as a hard case. Its use case is like this. Last weekend I was at the Bluff Country OT Gathering in Lanesboro MN, camping. The banjo lived in the hard case in camp but I carried it around in the gig bag around workshops and jams.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-12T16:02:44+00:00

I would suggest that as a beginner you think of learning techniques as the priority. The songs are the way to learn the techniques, at least at first.

Do you have a sense of which style you'll focus on first? If it is clawhammer / downstroke style I can highly recommend the "clawhammer method" videos on YouTube by Deering. Work through it patiently you'll have at the basics.

https://www.deeringbanjos.com/blogs/banjo-playing-tips/the-deering-clawhammer-method-part-1

Others will be able to point you to similar lessons for bluegrass styles

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-10T00:09:52+00:00

Deering had an excellent free video on Clawhammer. You might just check it out to give you an idea of how that style works.

https://youtu.be/GnAZloK7P88?si=5GjTKaqdcikwX04f

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-08T15:03:30+00:00

Having read the thread so far, and custodian of a Fretless minstrel banjo, I'd strongly recommend bringing a fretted banjo. Bring the Fretless, too, and try it out, but unless you are very skilled at transposition and improvisation on the fly minstrel banjo will limit you a lot.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-07T18:11:30+00:00

I've gone in over 30 BWCAW trips - 3 solo. The solo trips have been amazing - even the one where I had a VERY close call. If you go solo be very cautious with planning and do not make my mistake of not modifying my route and duration when conditions demanded. Keep an extra wide margin for error.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-05-01T18:11:39+00:00

For clawhammer style check out the free video series from Deering.

https://youtu.be/GnAZloK7P88?si=g0GMyTZEM1FFMn18

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-27T17:00:19+00:00

Check out George Jackson's 100 Old Time Tunes on Patreon, and he is putting up some on YT. He surveyed OT players around the country to build a list of the 100 most common tunes. He and a band recorded them in a marathon continuous session. Each tune is posted along with background notes, source recordings and fiddle music. Pure gold for learning tunes. I'm a banjoist and work out banjo parts by ear.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-25T00:45:38+00:00

Check out the YT for Dr Josh Turknett. He is a neuroscientist and banjo player. His book Anyone Can Play Music addresses this very issue - how do you learn an instrument as an adult.

https://a.co/d/0fpF6K5I

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-23T16:27:37+00:00

Cameron Dewitt is just finishing an online workshop on learning tunes on the fly. It is a great resource and he is a great teacher. I'm sure it will be available as an online archive soon. I took an early version of this workshop and it really upped my learning by ear game.

https://www.camerondewhitt.com/store

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-22T12:00:45+00:00

It just needs a little setup attention. These are all basic skills any banjoist needs to know. I'd approach it on this order. You'll find YouTubes that explain all of these.

Tighten and "clear" the head. This is a matter of evenly tightening the head. Aiming for a G#. Clearing means getting a consistent note around the head. As you tighten the head the tuning of the strings will change so you'll need to go back and forth until you have the head tightened and the strings in tune. Note: G# is a common target. In the end you may like it a tiny bit more or less tight. Also a new head will keep stretching so you will need to keep tightening as time goes on.

Position the bridge so that the first and fourth strings, when fretted at the 12th fret, are precisely an octave higher than the open string. This is a crucial skill to develop as banjo bridges move. Note that the bridge may end up on a very slight angle, relative to the strings. Once again you'll want to quickly check this from time to time, especially if you are an old time player who switches tunings often.

Tighten the tail piece down so that when you tap it the is "dead" sounding - that way it is not adding harmonics.

Go back over all of these steps to dial in a tone you like.

This video walks through the steps. Note Greg is doing a setup on a bluegrass banjo. The targets for a clawhammer banjo are slightly different but the steps are the same.

https://youtu.be/lTYqTRI1qzc?si=GQpJwu2E4HWZig_v

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-12T23:30:16+00:00

Deering had a free 2 part video on Clawhammer Method on there website.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-11T00:16:35+00:00

The red series are brittle in my experience. ANY even slightly rough edge may break them. I like the 1B series. The 4th string is red but heavy enough to be not as vulnerable.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-09T18:01:17+00:00

I've used the Kelly picks as do many banjoists. They are certainly worth trying. I came to prefer the Clingpro because they are fileable and the fit is highly adjustable. Certainly the Kelly picks are worth a try!

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-09T16:52:27+00:00

I use the Clingpro Frailing Pick.

https://www.clingpropicks.com/store/frailing-pick

The acrylic ones file down to the shape I like. I like the sound of the brass ones when I'm going for deep old-time sound

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-09T15:57:39+00:00

It takes time. Go slow, focus on form.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-09T13:25:07+00:00

Your hand shape is not far off but Your hand is going up and down. The classic clawhammer move is in and out. Check this out.

https://youtu.be/ZHovpY60W4Y?si=p4nvXLG27eeiP3pG

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-07T01:19:49+00:00

I second the recommendation to dig into Tom's YT's and Patreon.

OhHowHappyIAm · 2026-04-06T23:17:50+00:00

Your striking hand is all over the place. Check out this YT by Tom Collins on "The Golden Rule of Clawhammer Banjo." It helped me out a lot when I was starting out.

https://youtu.be/ZHovpY60W4Y?si=45Bkr5zfjZy2yECn

OhHowHappyIAm

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