Banjo lessons in Davis, California and online (worldwide)
Banjo is one of my favorite instruments to play and one of the main instruments that I teach in the studio.
I teach both 3-finger Scruggs style picking, clawhammer, and various progressive and hybrid styles. I teach traditional bluegrass, as well as old time, progressive and modern/experimental banjo playing, adapting to various styles of music.
Banjo is a great instrument for people that haven’t had much musical experience because it’s really easy to pick up and learn the basics in very little time—AND you can learn for a lifetime!
You don’t even need your left hand to play a G chord, and within a lesson or two, you might already be able to jam with your friends or play some familiar tunes.
When I was living in New Orleans, I would go to the bluegrass jam session at the Hi-Ho Lounge and play with 5-10 other pickers, pluckers, strummers, and fiddlers every Monday. It was great fun and challenged me to improve my own playing and enjoy the simple melodies and folk songs with some great players.
Banjo seems to be becoming a more popular instrument to play thanks to the resurgence of bluegrass, old time music, and banjo in popular contemporary music.
Contact me if you’d like to set up your first banjo lesson.
Out-of-towner who’s looking for a banjo teacher?
My banjo students (and mandolin students a close second) tend to be the most willing to commute for lessons. I’ve had students come to Davis for banjo lessons from Sacramento, Elk Grove, Woodland, Dixon, Vacaville, Winters, Nevada City, and Rio Vista (among other places). If you’re willing to commute to the studio, you are welcome, and we can mix in some distance learning lessons for when you prefer to stay at home 🙂
What kind of banjo should I get?
Generally, banjos with resonators are used in bluegrass music and for 3-finger picking style, while open back banjos have been traditionally used in African American and Old Time banjo music, clawhammer style though there are no hard and fast rules. Both sound nice…just depends on your preference.
If you don’t have a banjo yet, you can probably find a used one on craigslist or banjohangout.com. Unless you have a lot of money, a cheaper one will be fine…but beware, some cheaper banjos fail to stay in tune and can make practice less than fun, so find one that seems playable, has good reviews online, and sounds nice when you try it out.
If you don’t know how to play yet, you could ask the seller to play something on it for you.
I play a Deering Goodtime Open Back Banjo and I love it! I also have a custom-made bluegrass-style resonator banjo.
Want to learn more about the history of the banjo, including it’s African American roots, and tracing the history to similar instruments in Africa?
Check out the Black Banjo Reclamation Project, and support their wonderful project!
Getting a banjo book
Books books books…they can be helpful or they can completely set you on the wrong path in your musical learning pathway, if you don’t have the right context for engaging with it. That said, it can be useful to have a beginner book that has all of the roll patterns in it, and some songs that you like. I love the Melbay Complete Bluegrass Banjo Method, but there are many others that are good too. Get something with print big enough that you can read it! Watermelon Music in Davis has some good banjo books that you can check out.
Taking Lessons
Even a few lessons can get you on the right track towards learning and enjoying the banjo. Contact me today to set up a lesson if you’d like!!