Banjo Basics
Banjo Basics
Banjo Basics
For Standard
G Tuning
by
D.A. Jacobs
This text is distributed free of charge
To all Banjo Students
D.A.Jacobs 2004
All Rights Reserved
8
17
16
14
6
7
18
5
9
11
15
10
13
12
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1. Peghead
2. Tuning Pegs
3. Nut
4. Fretwires
5. Fret
6. 5th String Peg
7. . Inlays
8. Neck
9. Heel
10. Resonator
11. Fretboard
12. Brackets
13. Tension Hoop
14. Head
15. Flange
16. Arm Rest
17. Bridge
18. Tail Piece
Measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret and write this down. Now
measure the same distance from the center of the 12th fret toward the tailpiece,
This is where the bridge should be placed.
Nut
12th Fret
Bridge
Tailpiece
Banjo Diagram
To check your placement lightly touch the strings on the 12th fret a pluck the
string each string as its played should ring. This is called harmonics. It
may take awhile to get the hang of this process just keep trying.
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1st String - D
2nd String - B
3rd String - G
4th String - D
5th String - G
D - 1st string
B - 2nd string
G - 3rd string (one octave lower than the 5th string)
D - 4th string (one octave lower and the 1st string)
G - 5th string (the short string on top when holding the banjo)
I highly recommend getting a digital tuner. They have these nice little units
that fit on your key ring that are a good place to start.
You cant play anything until you get in tune so master this step ASAP!
Click on the links below to get in tune now:
1D.mid
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2B.mid
3G.mid
4D.mid
5G.mid
Picks
There are all sorts of picks available for the banjo. Metal, plastic, bone, stone, it
can get confusing. One thing Ive learned is that if its not comfortable it will
hinder your playing.
My personal preference is to use National metal finger picks and a
plastic/celluloid thumb pick. Make sure they are snug but not so tight that
they stop blood flow to your finger tips.
For the finger picks the band goes around the top of your fingers and the pick
lays over your finger print. Set the end of the pick just past you finger nail or
finger tip.
For the thumb pick I like to lay the band just past the end of my cuticle. Youll
get a feel for where it needs to go when you start to play.
Thumb Pick
Finger Pick
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picks in place
I= Index finger
M= Middle finger
1st
2nd
8
M
M
I
3rd
4th
5th
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
T
T
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I
T
1st
2nd
M
I
4th
5th
3rd
T
T
M
T
I
T
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I= Index finger
M= Middle finger
Backward Roll
1
2
3
4
5-
IMTI
MTIM
MITM
ITMI
IMTI
MIT-M
1
2
3
4
5-
IMIM
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TIMT
M I M T
MIMT
TIMT
MIT-M
Finding Scales
Here are all the notes on the fretboard. A bit hard to remember them all huh?
Which ones will compliment each other and which will sound badly when
played together? Wow thats a lot to remember isnt it? Well we can simplify
that a bit. Finding scales on the fretboard is really a simple process.
Well we can remember the open notes we use to tune G, D, G, B and D and use
the 2 - 3 rule to find the other notes in a scale.
Just like the black keyed notes on a piano keyboard the step between each fret is
a half tone step musically. So to find the scale of a particular note we use the 2
1/2 3 1/2 rule.
Count 1 and mark, 2 and mark, 2 and mark,
1 and mark, 2 and mark, 3 and mark, 3 and mark,
For example, lets find the scale of G
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Moveable Chords
5
Strings
3
Nut
Finger Markers
First Fret
Second Fret
Third Fret
I index finger
M middle finger
R ring finger
P - pinky
Fourth Fret
F Chord
R M I P
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F finger Position on
1st Fret - F
2nd Fret F# or Gb
3rd Fret - G
4th Fret - G# - Ab
5th Fret - A
6th Fret - A# - Bb
7th Fret - B
8th Fret C
9th Fret - C# or Db
10th Fret - D
11th Fret - D# or Eb
12th Fret - E
13th Fret - F
14th Fret F# or Gb
15th Fret - G
16th Fret G# - Ab
17th Fret A
18th Fret A# - Bb
19h Fret B
20th Fret - C
D Chord
R I M P
The Barr
Chord
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D finger Position on
11th Fret - B
12th Fret - C
13th Fret - C# or Db
14th Fret D
15th Fret - D# or Eb
16th Fret E
17th Fret F
18th Fret F# or Gb
19h Fret G
20th Fret - G# - Ab
D finger Position on
Open G Tuning
st
1 Fret open G chord
1st Fret - G# - Ab
2nd Fret A
3rd Fret - A# - Bb
4th Fret - B
5th Fret - C
6th Fret - C# or Db
7th Fret - D
8th Fret D# or Eb
9th Fret - E
10th Fret - F
11th Fret - F# or Gb
12th Fret - G
13th Fret - G# - Ab
14th Fret A
15th Fret - A# - Bb
16th Fret B
17th Fret C
18th Fret C# or Db
19h Fret D
20th Fret - D# or Eb
21st Fret E
22nd Fret - F
Chord Inversions
You can play the same chord in many places on the fretboard. These
different patterns and positions are know as chord Inversions up the
neck.
The number appearing to the right of the chord is the fret on which the chord is
built.
G inversions
C inversions
D inversions
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F inversions
A inversions
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