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As a regular feature I will be demonstrating some banjo licks that can be used to make your playing more interesting. This post demonstrates a couple of popular licks that can replace any measure of G chords, or replace another lick. Be careful not to overuse licks, as they can make you sound over-rehearsed and they can become a crutch. Use licks to learn and then modify them to suit your needs.

The first lick is one you have heard many times before and is very useful to know.

Listen here:

This second lick is another common one to add to your repertoire.

Have a listen here:

Practice these two licks until you can play them comfortably and then introduce them into some of the songs you already know.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Have you ever heard the term drive used to describe someone’s banjo playing? When people talk about J.D. Crowe or Earl Scruggs they often mention that they drive the banjo, or give it drive, or are driving the music. Last time I checked, a banjo didn’t have a steering wheel, so what does drive mean?

Drive is achieved by accenting certain notes in your banjo rolls. If your are playing in 4/4 time (4 beats per measure), the accented beats are the 1st and 3rd beats. If we translate this to a measure of eighth notes we are accenting the 1st and 5th notes. I know this sounds awfully simple, but there is a bit more to it, the 1st note is accented a bit stronger than the 5th, and the rest of the notes should be played at an even volume. In order to play a roll with drive, you have to be able to play your rolls very consistently and comfortably, so don’t try to drive a song before you are ready.

Here is an example to get you on the right track:

In the example above the 1st beat and the 3rd beat are accented.

Listen to some of your favorite banjo players and try to figure out which notes they are accenting, it is often the 1st and 3rd beats. Banjo isn’t that simple though, accents can fall on any beat, depending on the feel you are trying to get.

Popularity: 28% [?]

When should you change your banjo strings? I hate to tell you this, but you need to change them often. The metal finger picks are hard on the strings and it doesn’t take long for them to start sounding a bit off. If you are having trouble tuning or one or more of your strings sounds funny, then the first step is to replace your old strings.

I replace my strings often, about once every two weeks or so, and it’s not that bad, and it makes me sound a lot better (new strings ring so nice for the first few days). There are a lot of choices as far as strings go and I have recently made it easy for you to research and purchase them, by compiling a list of some of the best banjo strings: http://banjoblogger.com/the-best-banjo-strings/

Replacing the strings is easy, just take the 1 st string off and replace it, making sure to wind at least two or three wraps on the post. Do not wrap the string on top of itself or you will have problems keeping in tune. Repeat this process for each string, one at a time until you have them all replaced. Now, tune it up, stretch the strings and you’re ready to go.

If you want a good article with some great string changing tips, check out banjoexpert.com, Ryan has some essential tips to make it easier to change your strings.

Popularity: 32% [?]

What are the best banjo strings? Well, that depends on who you ask, everyone seems to have a favorite. I’ve tried a lot of strings; D’addario, Martin, Gibson, GHS and Ernie Ball, and I was sure each new set of strings would make me sound better. I don’t know if using signature J.D. Crowe or Earl Scruggs strings can make you sound like the masters themselves, but it sure can’t hurt to at least try their strings.

Strings are inexpensive to buy and can make a big difference in your sound, so you might as well experiment with them. In this article I will talk about six of the most popular brands of banjo strings; D’addario, Elixir, Ernie Ball, GHS, Gibson and Martin. If you would like to purchase strings, you can click on the links and buy them at Amazon.

D’addario

One of the world’s leading string makers, and a lot of choice in gauges. With strings in phosphor bronze and nickel, and of course durability and great sound you can’t go wrong with D’addario. Here are a few of their most popular sets:

D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Wnd 9-20 Lite

D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Lite Plus

D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Custom Med

D’addario J60 Light Nickel 5 String Set Banjo Strings (9-20)

D’Addario Set Banjo Phos Brz Lite

Elixir

A long lasting, coated string, these are very popular strings with guitarists and are gaining in popularity on the banjo scene.

Elixir Medium Polyweb Banjo String

Elixir Light Polyweb Banjo String

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Popularity: 37% [?]

As you get better at playing the banjo, you need to change up your song arrangements, and one way to do that is to use some different chord formations. In this exercise I’m going to show you a few different spots on the neck that you can play a C chord.

The first C chord is the one closest to the nut, it is a D shape chord. The root note or in this case, the C is fretted on the 2nd string. When you use any D shape chord this applies, the root note is on the 2nd string. The C chord is made up of three notes- C. E and G: the 1st and 4th strings are both E, the 2nd string is C and the 3rd is G.

Listen to the C chord (D Shape):

The F shape C chord is next, the root note ( C ) is on the 1st and 4th strings, G is the 2nd string and finally E is the 3rd string.

Listen to the C chord (F Shape)

This last C chord is a barre chord, and is played by simply laying your index finger across the frets at the fifth fret. The root note ( C ) is the on the 3rd string, 1st and 4th strings are G and the 2nd string is an E.

Listen to the C chord (Barre Shape)

Knowing these three C chords is essential, you will use them a lot. A good way to practice is by playing a song you know well, but use different chord formations. In an upcoming post I will show you a some new G chords.

Popularity: 39% [?]

I have bought a lot of books to learn the banjo, some are good and some aren’t so good. Here is a list of some of the best and most popular banjo books. I get something out of almost every book that I buy, but some stand out of the crowd. If you want more information or would like to buy one of these books, just click on the pictures. I’m sure I’ve missed some, but here they are - The Banjoblogger’s Ten Great Banjo Books:

You Can Teach Yourself Banjo - Janet Davis. A perennial best seller and always highly praised.

Earl Scruggs and The Five String Banjo - Earl Scruggs. The one and only Earl Scruggs, a must have book.

Banjo For Dummies - Bill Evans. Loaded with all kinds of banjo information.

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Popularity: 39% [?]

There are many different banjo rolls to learn; a difficult, but important one is the inside roll. This roll is played on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings, which are the three inside strings, hence the name. Scruggs style and melodic style both use these rolls and I have included a couple of exercises to get you started.

The middle finger usually plays the 1st string, but in these exercises your middle finger picks the 2nd string. Picking the 2nd string with your middle finger is a little bit tricky, as you don’t have much room. So, take your time, practice, and you’ll get it. The thumb plays the 4th string on both exercises, except the last note of the second exercise.

Here is a forward roll on the middle strings.

Have a listen:

This next example is a pretty common lick, you’ve probably heard in a song or two.

Press play to listen:

This type of roll needs a lot of practice time to sound good, so add it to your routine and work at it.

Popularity: 31% [?]