jimmyb1 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  17:45:01

---

I got a Banjo (Johnson JB100) now where do I start? Very confused on were to start I don't know any body that plays so any help would be appreciated. What book or DVD should I start with? An also I am left handed.
Thank You
Jim

steve davis - Posted - 11/19/2009:  17:57:13

---

Hello, Jim.There's a ton of help here for you.Lots of knowledgeable folks
willing to help.Any of Pete Wernick's instructional material is a sure way to go.

Welcome to the Hangout.

KANINJACK - Posted - 11/19/2009:  18:06:41

---

The Murphy Method might also be a good place to get a start. Welcome and have fun.

beegee - Posted - 11/19/2009:  18:33:49

---

I asked my friend who is a professional violinist/teacher/conductor, if my left-handed 7-year-old grand-niece should buy a left-handed violin as she wants to play violin. She told me that a left-hander would have an advantage with a "normal" violin. Having just gone through a series of lessons with a lefty banjo student playing a lefty banjo, i would encourage you to remain with a "normal"(right-handed)banjo if that's what you have.

I 2nd the Murphy method if you are reticent about reading tablature. Janet Davis has an excellent beginner's book, You Can Teach Yourself Banjo

backtothefuture - Posted - 11/19/2009:  19:03:38

---

I definitely agree with beegee, above on lefties playing as a righthand person would. Is your banjo a lefty or a righty?

I'm speaking as a fellow lefty and as a music teacher with 37 years experience. BTW...if your banjo is a lefty....don't worry there are a lot of people on this site that swear that lefties should play lefty. I'm just not one of them.

I've heard good things about the Murphy DVD method.

If you know a bit about music...you might want to try to read tabs (with the notation). There is a free computer program called Tabledit (just google it). You will find a LOT of tabs here on the BHO and also on the net. The nice thing about this computer program is....you can slow down the music to a snail's pace it you need to.

This is how I got started on Bluegrass banjo, but then again....I had some musical knowledge (notation) to fall back on.

Good luck!

Dennis

Surveyor - Posted - 11/19/2009:  19:10:59

---

In my humble opinion I would learn the neck. I wasted many years just "slapping" at the banjo. Yes, I got my rolls down (mostly) and the like but I was still stumbling. A wise Sage (he will probably read this) taught me more in and hour and a half then in years of trying to learn songs. Anyway, lots of good books and fun thing to learn but spend some time with someone. Practice learning your chords in different positions (least three) all over the neck. You will need these basics to jam, or to frail or pick bluegrass. Most of all, enjoy that thing. Its the least demanding thing in your life. Listen to these folks. They know their stuff but it can be overwhelming. Find a friend and ride their coattails. :)

Have fun.

BvilleDon - Posted - 11/19/2009:  21:20:48

---

Welcome! Like others have said, there is a world of help here. Check out the Tabs and Lessons link on the left hand side of the page. A ton of free info that can be very helpful. The only thing I would add, is that if you can find a bano picker who also teaches, it can get you light years ahead of going it alone. I would suggest that it really be someone who picks the banjo and not just a music teacher willing to take on a banjo student. You have already made some smart moves, as this is a great place to come for help and advice. When you have the chance and are not pickin the banjo, listen to a lot of Bluegrass. Realize that there will likely be times when it seems overwhelming, that is one reason there are so many used banjos for sale. Just stick with it, don't be afraid to do your own thing and keep in mind that there ought to be at least a little fun in every lesson or practice session. Knowing you can do it if you stick with it is half the battle. Whatever or whomever you use for teaching, set realistic goals.

kingfisher78 - Posted - 11/19/2009:  22:02:53

---

I'm also a lefty and I play so called right handed, so I can practice the fancy left hand stuff while my right hand lopes along. It's a no brainer for me.
As for learning, I bought over half a dozen books and the only one that has helped so far is "first lessons banjo". a Mel Bay book by Jack Hatfield. Every tune's a winner.

Shane.

Texasbanjo - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:03:37

---

I'm also a lefty and play right=handed. Both hands have to do something, so what makes the difference wehther you're fretting or picking?

As far as starting out, if you can find/afford a teacher, get one. You'll learn faster and have fewer bad habits to break.

If you can't find/afford a teacher, start off with a good beginner book like (as said above):

Jack Hatfield's Beginning Bluegrass Method Book #1 and CD. Jack highlights the melody notes on the tab so you know where they are and they plays the song slowly so you can pick along and at temp so you can listen to how it sounds. Jack also has book 2 and 3 to follow up with and then many other good tab books from which to choose. hawww.hatfieldmusic.com.

or Janet Davis' You Can Teach Yourself Banjo with CD. Janet is a prolific author of banjo books and after you finish with the beginner book you can go to Back Up Banjo, Up the Neck, Splittin' the licks or any of the many other good books she has authored. www.banjostore.com.

Of course, there are many other excellent books out there, but these two are books I've worked with.

And, if you don't want to go the tablature way, then the Murphy Method would help you to learn to play by ear. Sorry I don't have the URL to her site, but someone will.

Prof - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:12:33

---

Welcome! I can recommend Ross Nickerson's beginner material (what I started with before I got a "real-life" teacher). His website is www.banjoteacher.com.

Good luck!

Dan

steve davis - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:27:31

---

No shortage of great learning material.

leroylereaux - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:35:45

---

I would suggest lessons. I took my first lesson last Monday, and as Surveyor said, I learned more in 1/2 hour lesson than I gathered on my own. I have played guitar for most of my life, but banjo is a much different approach and learning from a pro made a big difference.

caloscalzo - Posted - 11/20/2009:  06:46:44

---

You've come to the right place. Check out www.fiddlin-al.com for possible teacher source. He's my teacher and online lessons work amazingly well for me.

Enjoy your banjo.

Jim T - Posted - 11/20/2009:  07:04:16

---

I'm taking online lessons as well, using Skype. Not from Fiddlin Al, but someone else. Anyway, I'm amazed as to just how well it works. Nothing like modern technology.

Jim

minstrelmike - Posted - 11/20/2009:  09:49:04

---

Whatever sorts of methods and stuff you wish to use, go ahead and do, but spend a little bit of time strumming songs in exactly the same way a guitarist does.

That teaches you more about keeping rhythm and making music as a beginner than anything else you can do.
Get a chord chart and any song book that has chord names listed above (almost every song book you'll ever find).
Try the songs you already 'know' (have heard) change chords and strum and see if you can make it sound okay.

Use the chords up the neck. They are actually easier to make (the frets are closer together) and easier to learn (the shapes are more similar). Because you know the rhythm, you know if you aren't making the chord changes correctly.

As you find songs that work, try the same chords different places on the neck and you might find the melody.
By the time you get any of the picking worked out, you ought to have strummed 20 or 100 songs and then you can try picking over them.

I generally get folks strumming and only show them the forward roll (on various strings). If they strum and learn tunes and also practice the roll to try to get it up to speed _first_ before trying to make it fancy, they usually end up discovering the square roll which makes picking easy songs simple and it falls in your lap simply by making chords and keeping the rhythm.

Mike Moxcey http://moxcey.net/mike/minstrel/

---

Edited by - minstrelmike on 11/20/2009 09:50:26

bandzo - Posted - 11/22/2009:  03:37:13

---

quote:

---

I got a Banjo (Johnson JB100) now where do I start?

---

I asked the same question and so have hundreds of others. BHO people, please start a wiki page for topics like this. :)

Thank you

jimmyb - Posted - 11/24/2009:  15:57:58

---

Thank You All for you advice, my banjo is a lefty i will look for a teacher im my area. again thank you.
Jim

rhazelbaker - Posted - 11/24/2009:  16:02:41

---

Welcome, I am very new at this also. Lots of great people and advice here at the BHO.

AD3AD3AD3 - Posted - 11/25/2009:  06:26:36

---

Welcome to the BHO and to the wonderful world of 5-string. Enjoy learning; banjo picking is fun. Don't make it overly complicated. Finding a teacher who plays in the style you want to learn and with whom you are comfortable will be a big help. There are some very good self help materials available from Jack Hatfield (Vols I and II.)

banjer5 - Posted - 11/25/2009:  07:31:30

---

I'm a lefty too and started with a right handed banjo. Left handed banjos were next to impossible to find in 1970. I've never regretted it either because as beegee suggested you already have the dexterity in the left hand which is a plus. The banjo can offer years of enjoyment to you ENJOY.

Gold Star GF-85 - Posted - 11/25/2009:  07:39:15

---

You have already gotten a lot of great advice so I will just welcome you to the Banjo Hangout.

GHohwald - Posted - 11/25/2009:  07:50:44

---

There is a lot of free beginning video content at this link:

http://www.freeguitarvideos.com/banjo/tabs.html

quote:

---

Originally posted by jimmyb1

I got a Banjo (Johnson JB100) now where do I start? Very confused on were to start I don't know any body that plays so any help would be appreciated. What book or DVD should I start with? An also I am left handed.
Thank You
Jim

---

John Allison - Posted - 11/25/2009:  08:06:55

---

Good Morning and welcome to the Hangout. Should be a fair number of pickers in your area. Check the members list. Same advice as above except that I like Pete Wernicks DVDs (both instructional and jamming). Check out his website www.drbanjo.com or Homespun Tapes website www.homespun.com for further info. Again welcome, and remember that it is all about having fun.