Banjo Lessons for Beginners: Tuning, First Chords and Notes

How is a banjo tuned?

A 5-string banjo is usually tuned to open G: G4, D3, G3, B3, D4 from the 5th string to the 1st. Four-string tenor banjos are tuned in fifths, C3 G3 D4 A4, or G2 D3 A3 E4 for Irish traditional music.

To check by ear: the 4th string at the 5th fret should match the open 3rd string (G); the 3rd string at the 4th fret matches the open 2nd (B); the 2nd string at the 3rd fret matches the open 1st (D); and the 1st string at the 5th fret matches the open 5th string (G4).

What kind of banjo should a beginner get?

Most beginners choose a 5-string banjo: a resonator model for bluegrass picking, or a lighter open-back model for clawhammer and old-time music. Choose a tenor banjo instead if you want to play Irish tunes or jazz chords.

• 5-string resonator: loud and bright, 22 frets, played with a thumb pick and two finger picks.
• 5-string open-back: lighter and mellower, played clawhammer style without picks.
• Tenor (4-string): 17 or 19 frets, played with a flat pick.

Ask for a setup at the shop so the strings are not too high: it makes a big difference to how easy the banjo is to play.

How do you play the banjo?

Hold the banjo with the neck tilted up, fret notes with the left hand just behind the frets, and pick or strum with the right hand near the bridge. Beginners learn a few chords and simple right-hand patterns called rolls.

1. Tune to open G with the notes above.
2. Learn the right hand first: in three-finger style, the thumb plays the 5th, 4th and 3rd strings, the index finger the 3rd and 2nd, and the middle finger the 1st.
3. Practice a roll – a repeating pattern of thumb, index and middle-finger notes, eight to a measure – on open strings, slowly and evenly.
4. Add the chords G, C and D7 from the chart and keep the roll going while you change.
5. Play a simple traditional tune, such as Cripple Creek or Boil Them Cabbage Down, with a teacher or a book.

What are the easiest banjo chords?

G (all strings open), C, D, D7 and E minor are the first chords most banjo players learn. With G, C and D7 you can play many folk, country and bluegrass songs.

The short 5th string is usually left open (G), so it sounds in every roll.

Banjo notes chart: frets 0 to 5 (open G)

The 5th string starts at the 5th fret, so its open note (G4) is the same as the 1st string at the 5th fret.

Classfern’s free music tools on lessonplanner.info run in your browser. The banjo shares many chords and songs with the guitar and ukulele: see beginner guitar chords and the guitar tab and chords play-along.