The banjo is a multiple stringed instrument traditionally used to play folk and country music. The origins of this unique musical instrument have been traced to West Africa and the Caribbean. It is thought that the banjos design was inspired by the modern guitar. The banjo features a resonator and the long neck.
Over the years, expert banjo players have found ways to blend the amazing sounds produced by this instrument with different genres of music. You can learn how to play the banjo by taking online courses.
The courses you will find online are mainly presented as a series of video lessons, audio files or PDF files. Learning how to play the banjo online can also be done from a practical perspective depending on the instructor’s plan for the students. In this case, all you need to get started is your banjo, a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. You will also need a reliable internet connection.
What are the Best Banjo Lessons for Beginners?
2) ArtistWorks
: Banjo with Noam
Pikelny
- No Experience Needed
- Tuning Tips & Foundational Chords
- Beginner-Friendly
1) ArtistWorks: Banjo with Tony
Trischka
- High Quality Course
- Great Value for the Money
- Guided by Tony Trischka
- Cover Important Tips
3) Udemy: Old-time banjo for the absolute beginner
- Affordable
- Traditional Methods
- Easy to Understand
- Presented as Video & PDF
The good thing about taking online lessons to learn and master good banjo skills is the opportunity to associate with others who are also taking the course. Instructors who organize these courses online have understood the need to grow a community online where beginners can learn and interact from others who have attained different levels of competence with the musical instrument.
As a beginner, you will first be introduced to the banjo, learn about the parts and understand the music theory related to the musical instrument. Then the fun part starts, practical exercises to help you use the knowledge you have learned from music theory lessons.
Some instructors allow students to exchange practice videos during the course. Students can send these videos to the instructor for a review. This approach helps students gain confidence while following the instructions from their teachers to correct mistakes that hinder their progress.
Playing the banjo is so much fun. Friends can have jamming sessions, and the banjo is also played in bands or other musical performances. This is why the instrument is growing in popularity, and more people want to learn how to play the banjo.
Here are some online banjo courses for beginners for your consideration.
16 Best Banjo Lessons for Beginners Review
1) ArtistWorks: Banjo with Tony Trischka
The banjo lessons for beginners in this course are presented to give students the necessary knowledge and skills needed to start playing songs with the musical instrument. Beginners in this course start from the basics, which include a series of video lessons to welcome students.
Before progressing to music theory, beginners are taught how to tune the banjo which is an important skill needed to produce the right sounds. The music theory involves lessons that teach students how to read tablature, the notes, and learning about the chords. Students are also taught the basic plucking methods using the right or left-hand position.
There are hundreds of video lessons on this site to help beginners get started the right way. A good foundation is necessary when learning how to play the banjo to enable students to advance to higher levels of proficiencies with the musical instrument. Other areas covered in this online banjo course for beginners are the 5-string banjo rolls, tips to master solos and ensembles, and introduction to bluegrass.
Students are given access to interact with bluegrass experts during this course. They are also encouraged to share videos with the instructor for reviews while the practice how to play the banjo. The course is comprehensive and suitable for young and older students.
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2) ArtistWorks: Banjo with Noam Pikelny
If you are a music freak but a beginner/strugglers, Noam Pikenly’s beginner-level lessons for playing banjo would be the best for you. Who is Noam Pikenly? He is an emerging banjoist who has remained successful in winning a Grammy award because of pf his immense talent.
Noam is now giving lessons to several artists on playing the banjo. His banjo playing lessons initiates from the very beginning to the expert level. His way of taking off things and teaching is comfortable enough that even a beginner would get along well with this teaching lessons.
ArtistWork gives us an ultimate link to the Noam Pikenly’s exceptional banjo playing classes. To all the beginners, tune in today to Noam’s banjo lessons at ArtistWork. Here we are walking you through Noam Pikenly’s basic level banjo playing lesson’s description.
Noam has made playing exceptionally good banjo sounds with quite an ease for the first-time players or beginners. The basic level comprises of the courses for nuts and bolts terminologies as well as learning basic tuning skills and methods. It also includes basic tuning references.
Moreover, the beginner level teaches the banjoists to do tablature, use, and count a metronome. The art of finger picks as well as basic right-hand position are also taught. The banjoists get to perform their first picking exercises with the basic left-hand fretting technique. Noam has added the separate lessons on playing and shifting basic chords as well in his beginner level lessons.
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3) Udemy: Old-time banjo for the absolute beginner
The instructor who prepared this online banjo course for beginners adapted the lessons to feature the traditional methods of playing the banjo. This course will be helpful to students who want to learn how to play the banjo to Caribbean songs, folk and country music.
The lessons have however been simplified to enable beginners to understand how to play the banjo and complete the course. After the introductory lessons, students are taught how the read tablature, and the chords.
The lessons also include special training videos about the best picking methods that can help beginners start playing their favorite songs in a few days. There are also lessons that cover the five string mix while playing the banjo.
The lessons in this course are presented as video files, and PDF files to help students understand the techniques. Other banjo techniques that will be introduced in this course are the 3-string plucking methods and bluegrass music, how to read chord charts, and understanding rhythm.
Students are also guided on how to properly hold the banjo because maintaining the right stance can help them have longer practice sessions. The course outline is suitable for people who have never played the banjo before; the practical lessons teach skills that can help students start playing simple songs in a few days.
4) Udemy: Tenor Banjo for absolute beginners
The four-string tenor banjo is the focus on this online course for beginners. Students who have no previous experience with the tenor banjo can take this course to learn how it is played. The beginner’s course features 25 minutes of video lessons, articles, and short audio files.
Students will be taught how to hold the tenor banjo the right way before strumming. The lessons also offer tips on how to tune the musical instrument. The music theory includes lessons about reading tablature and learning about the chords. Students are also taught the common terminology used while learning and playing the banjo.
At the end of this course, students will have the basic knowledge about playing simple tunes, playing the banjo on the D scale, and simple improvisation with the musical instrument. The audio files can be downloaded on smartphones or computers to give students a flexible means of listening to the banjo being played during ear training.
The TAB in this course can also be separately downloaded to give students an opportunity to study it at their convenience. In total there are thirty-four lectures in this course. The lectures are short, lasting for about ten minutes maximum, which gives students a chance to learn at their own pace even during busy schedules.
5) Udemy: Tenor Banjo lessons for beginners
Everyone interested in learning how to play the tenor banjo through a French course will find these lessons useful. The instructor- Armel Amiot has prepared this online French tenor banjo course for beginners to enable the French-speaking people to learn the fundamental banjo techniques.
The course starts with introductory lessons which teach students how to tune the banjo. Students are also offered postural guidance regarding the best ways to hold and play the banjo. The lessons also cover reading tablature and using the left-hand or right-hand techniques to play the banjo.
Students are guided on how to master good fingerpicking techniques. There are practical lessons which help students improve their techniques through consistent practice. However, the instructor has presented the short lessons following an outline that helps students feel encouraged to complete the course.
This course is suitable for beginners who have never played the banjo before and others who may have learned the basics but need to refresh their knowledge from the start. At the end of the course, students are expected to start playing simple songs and practicing some aspects of advanced lessons that will be introduced in higher level courses.
6) Banjo Ben Clark: Online banjo lessons for beginners
The teachers who created this online banjo course for beginners have extensive experience as banjo players. The course features simple guidelines to help all students who desire to learn how to play the banjo achieve their dreams. The course contains over four hundred video lessons to guide students.
The learning structure for this beginner’s course is flexible. Students are however guided to start from the basics; this includes learning how to use the TABs, understanding fingerpicking methods, learning how to jam along tracks, and understanding the rhythm while practicing with the banjo.
During this course, students can learn from the high-quality videos presented by the teachers. Each video is shot from a close range to enable students to view and understand the techniques used by the teachers. The narrative in each video lesson also helps students understand how the teacher uses their fingers to play the instrument.
The lessons offer guidance to students who may wish to learn the left-hand/ right-hand technique or both. At the end of the course, students are expected to have the necessary skills to play banjos along jam tracks and play their own tunes.
7) Peg Head Nation: Beginning banjo courses with Bill Evans
The banjo courses for beginners featured in this program have been prepared to help students develop their repertoire and strumming techniques. The first lessons for beginners cover areas such as learning the right fingering techniques for beginners, understanding the basic chords, learning strumming techniques, introduction to simple bluegrass methods and understanding the fundamentals of accompaniment patterns.
After the basics, students are introduced to the clawhammer techniques and how it can be used to improve the tunes while playing the banjo.
The course contains over forty video lessons, which are complemented by various songs that students can play during practice sessions. All the courses for beginners that have been featured have introductory videos to help students understand what they will learn before starting the program. Each lesson featured in the course also has its unique tablature.
Students will also learn the tips and tricks necessary to master how the banjo can be played with both hands. There are also particular lessons which focus on teaching students the different roll patterns that can be done with the banjo. This includes the forward roll, pinch patter, wagon roll, and bluegrass roll among others. The course is quite extensive and suitable for beginners who want to learn how to play the banjo from scratch.
8) Banjo Compass: Banjo lessons for beginners
The instructors who created this course offer free banjo lessons for beginners. These free lessons have been made easy to help students who have not had an experience playing the banjo before. The scopes of the free beginner lessons are extensive.
Students can learn how to tune the banjo, understand the banjo chords, using the right-hand technique to play the banjo, reading tablature, and how to perform the simple rolls while playing the banjo. There are other free beginner courses that teach students the fundamentals about playing the banjo with the right rhythm.
The free banjo lessons for beginners are designed to give students a good foundation to continue their lessons at the intermediate level with ease. After the basics, students are introduced to the first lessons that teach beginners how to switch chords.
The lessons also cover areas such as the chokes, how to use a capo, hammer-ons, and the pull-offs. At the end of this course, students are expected to know the basic techniques needed to play simple songs and have more impactful training sessions.
9) Truefire.com: Clawhammer banjo lessons for beginners
Everyone interested in learning the traditional clawhammer banjo techniques will find this online course for beginners suitable. This course is particularly designed for beginners who plan to play the banjo as performers on stage with a band or solo.
The course outline is vast; it covers the essential lessons beginners need to start their journey as musicians and expert banjo players. The video lessons cover areas such as the right guidelines to understand and master fingerpicking methods, using the right-hand techniques to play the banjo, understanding the chords and how to achieve chord progressions and the down-picking technique associated with the clawhammer banjo style.
To achieve the unique sounds created when the clawhammer technique is used to play the banjo, it is essential to practice consistently. There are special exercises in this course which relate to the different lessons. The teachers have added these practical exercises the enable students to find more time for practice during the course.
However, the duration of each lesson is short, so it is convenient for even the busy people. The videos in this course are high-quality, they are shot from different angles to help students study the strumming techniques used by the instructor.
There are also tips on how to read charts. Students can download charts as PDF files for further studies at their convenience. After a few lessons, students are expected to start playing simple songs with the banjo.
10) Online Academy of Irish Music: Banjo basics for beginners
Students who desire to learn the traditional Irish tenor banjo techniques will find all the information needed in this course. The instructors are professional Irish tenor banjo players and teachers.
The video lessons cover areas for beginners such as understanding the progressive scales, how to hold the banjo and the right finger positions, tuning the banjo, understanding how to use the trebles, triplets, and the double stops while playing the banjo, and the basics about reading tablature. Students will also be introduced to the simple tunes which will be easy to play as beginners during practice sessions.
At the beginning of the course, the teacher has added some free lessons for beginners. These lessons cover the basics to give students a proper orientation about the online banjo course before progressing to learn how tunes are created with the banjo. The video lessons are high-quality set against a brightly colored background to enable students to study how the teacher plays the banjo.
Students are also encouraged to participate in the online jamming session to help improve their skills. This banjo course for beginners’ offers a 7-day free trial period to enable students to determine whether the course is a good match for their needs.
11) Bradleylaird.com: Five strings banjo lessons for beginners
Students looking for free banjo courses for beginners online can consider this course. The first lessons are free, and they cover the basic aspects of playing the banjo. At the start of the course, students are offered lessons that teach the right stance and how to hold the banjo, supporting the banjo on the laps if the student wishes to sit while playing, learning about the different parts of a banjo and how to tune the instrument, as well as care and maintenance tips.
Students are also introduced to the fingerpicking methods, how to use the left and right-hand techniques, and simple techniques to play the slides and perform rolls with the banjo. The lessons are fun and creative to encourage the students.
The lessons in this course also feature different exercises and the use of fret notes while playing the banjo. Students also learn how to switch chords and perform the licks. The lessons have been arranged in order to help students progress from one level to another without missing out the basics.
The instructor has selected some simple songs for this course. Students can apply their knowledge from the lessons to play simple songs following the guidelines. The course also features charts that can be downloaded for free by all students participating in the program. After learning the basics, students can enjoy better jamming sessions using the tune sheets downloaded during the course.
12) Rossnickerson.com: Bluegrass banjo for beginners
Everyone who wants to learn how to play the banjo online with a course that offers videos, PDF and audio files will find this course a good match. During the course, the instructions which have been simplified provide the guidance and support the students need to learn and improve their banjo playing skills.
The first lessons for beginners start with instructions on how to pick the banjo strings the right way. Students are also taught how to hold the musical instrument and the right finger positions.
Also, the first lessons cover areas such as how to play the banjo using the left-hand technique, how to perform slides and rolls, as well as understanding the pull-offs and hammer-ons. These lessons teach beginners the fundamentals they need to start playing simple songs with the banjo.
The video lessons in this course have been shot from multiple angles to give the students a good view of the lessons. After learning the basics, students are introduced to the fundamental processes of playing bluegrass music with the banjo.
The lessons that cover this aspect teach students about the licks and how to read charts while playing bluegrass. The introduction to bluegrass gives students a foundation in the area, which makes it easy to progress to the intermediate bluegrass banjo lessons. Students are also given lessons on timing which is an essential skill when playing the five-string banjo.
13) Deering banjos: How to get started playing the banjo- for beginners
The online banjo lessons for beginners offered in this course cover a wide area of the subject to help students improve their techniques. The lessons are presented as video files, and the curriculum for this course is structured in a way that makes it easy for students to choose a particular area of study in line with their interests.
For example, students can choose to learn how to use the three-string techniques while playing the banjo, or learn how to play the five-string banjo. There are lessons that teach students how to perform the rolls, slides, and basic strumming techniques that help students switch chords easily.
The music theory aspects cover areas such as understanding the terminology for the banjo and reading the charts. There are also lessons for beginners who need to learn how to play the banjo by ear. The lessons are inspiring and creative to make it a fun experience for all students. At the end of the lessons, students will have the skills to play bluegrass, the clawhammer style, and the five-string banjo.
14) Jofflowson.com: Online banjo lessons for beginners
This course offers a complete beginners guide to understanding the common banjo techniques. Students are introduced to the course through a series of free video lessons that teach the basics. Students learn how to care and maintain the banjo as well as the best tuning methods to achieve beautiful sounds.
Students are given access to over fifty free videos which cover different areas related to playing the banjo. The course outline for beginners also makes it easy to determine if they want to learn about the four, five or six string banjos. The instructor has also added some simple songs students can use for practice to improve their techniques.
The course offers a simple guide that explains how students can start picking strings the right way. Following the guidelines, it will be easy to understand how the left hand is used to perform frets with the strings while the right-hand pick the strings. Students are also offered tips and hints to help them understand how to select the right notes with both hands.
The lessons for beginners provide basic knowledge about the entire fingerpicking methods such as clawhammer style, strumming, or picking the strings. This exposure helps students decide which method they will like to master during the course. The lessons are simple and short, they are adequate for students and workers who want to learn how to play the banjo from scratch.
15) The Banjo Mountain: Beginner Banjo Lessons
These lessons are designed for students who have no idea how to play the banjo. The lessons in this course are over sixty. They have been presented in a curriculum that takes students through the areas they need to learn and improve their techniques.
The first lessons teach students how to hold the banjo while playing songs. These lessons offer tips to help students hold the musical instrument properly whether they are standing or sitting while playing.
Students are also taught the basics about the rolls. In this aspect, the different types of rolls are extensively described as well as tips on how to perform them. The rolls include the thumb roll, forward and backward roll, foggy mountain roll, and the index leading roll.
Other areas covered in this course include the lessons that teach students about the chords, how to play different chords to get the right tunes. Students are also taught how to switch chords during their practice sessions.
The lessons in this course are backed up with special exercises to enable students to enjoy better practice sessions while applying the knowledge they have learned during the course. There are tips to help students improve their skills and monitor progress to ensure they can play songs with the banjo after completing the course.
16) Red Desert Banjo: Learnt the banjo basics online
This online banjo course for beginners focuses on the clawhammer technique. The lessons start with an introduction to playing songs with the banjo. Students are taught the basics of using clawhammer techniques to get the right notes while playing the instrument.
While learning how to play songs using the clawhammer technique, the instructor guides students on how to understand the variations of tunes, how to be flexible while playing the banjos and tips to recover quickly if mistakes are made. The exercises in this course teach students to maintain consistency while playing the banjo and improve their skills.
The concepts introduced with each lesson is made easy to understand by using a repetitive learning process that encourages students to practice. This approach is helpful for students who need to remember the different tunes and how to coordinate their banjo techniques.
During the course, students are offered dozens of free videos, audio files, tablature, and summaries that can be downloaded and used for practice. At the end of the course, students are expected to have the skills to play seventeen songs applying the knowledge of clawhammer technique gained from the course.
Choosing the Best Banjo Lessons for Beginners
As a beginner, it will be helpful to choose an online banjo course that offers an introductory course in different areas. For example, there are different types of fingerpicking techniques and the rolls. Having a basic knowledge of these techniques helps you identify a focus area while learning how to play the banjo.
2) ArtistWorks
: Banjo with Noam
Pikelny
- No Experience Needed
- Tuning Tips & Foundational Chords
- Beginner-Friendly
1) ArtistWorks: Banjo with Tony
Trischka
- High Quality Course
- Great Value for the Money
- Guided by Tony Trischka
- Cover Important Tips
3) Udemy: Old-time banjo for the absolute beginner
- Affordable
- Traditional Methods
- Easy to Understand
- Presented as Video & PDF
There are also online courses that offer private lessons for people who may not have flexible schedules to learn through the regular course. However, the benefits of learning from public courses are the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas with other students participating in the course.
There are also courses that offer instructions to help students start playing songs in a few hours. You can use these courses to learn the simple banjo skills and start jamming with friends.
If you plan to become a professional banjo player and performer, you should focus on online courses for beginners that comprehensively cover all the areas of music theory and practical exercises that teach you the essential methods of playing the banjo.