Banjo For Dummies: Book + Online Video and Audio Instruction

Get started with chords and basic picking patterns Explore bluegrass and clawhammer banjo styles Have fun playing with others in jam sessions Find a great banjo and get the accessories you need Your hands–on guide to playing the five–string banjo From the concert arena to a backyard jam session, the five–string banjo is heard everywhere these days. Whether youre a brand new picker or an experienced player looking for new ideas and styles, Banjo For Dummies is your road map to the most popular banjo styles played today. From the very basics to the most advanced playing techniques, youll find everything you need right here, with audio tracks and video clips available online to help you every step of the way. Take your first banjo steps choose a banjo thats right for you, get in tune, and get comfortable with good playing techniques right from the start Get your strings in order practice fretting chords, read tablature, and use basic picking patterns to play your first songs Dig deeper play clawhammer and bluegrass song favorites using advanced right– and left–hand techniques, and get acquainted with both minstrel and classic banjo styles Network into banjo culture unlock the secrets of playing with other musicians, find a great teacher, and get the lowdown on attending camps and festivals Gear up from cases and strings to capos, tuners, and metronomes, discover how to use the accessories that can make you a better banjo player Open the book and find: A complete banjo buyers guide Advice for tuning your banjo Basic music theory and how to read banjo tablature Essentials of clawhammer, bluegrass, and historical styles How to enhance your playing with advanced techniques Bluegrass picking techniques How to change strings and choose accessories More than 150 audio and video examples

Introduction 1 Part I: The Amazing Five–String Banjo 5 Chapter 1: You Want to Play What?: Banjo Basics 7 Chapter 2: Tuning Your Banjo 23 Chapter 3: Starting to Play: Fretting and Strumming 35 Chapter 4: Playing by the Rules: Songs and Tablature 53 Part II: Let’s Pick! Basic Banjo Techniques 75 Chapter 5: Getting Right with the Right Hand 77 Chapter 6: Sliding, Hammering, and Pulling: Adding the Left Hand 103 Chapter 7: Working Up Your First Tunes: Clawhammer and Bluegrass 131 Part III: Playing Styles Past, Present, and Future 143 Chapter 8: Playing the Old–T ime Way: Clawhammer and Traditional Styles 145 Chapter 9: Playing Three–Finger Styles: Scruggs, Melodic, and Single String 163 Chapter 10: Playing Up–the–Neck Backup: Chords and Vamping 197 Chapter 11: Playing Historical Styles: African, Minstrel, and Classic Banjo 211 Chapter 12: Net working into Banjo Culture 223 Part IV: Buying a Banjo and Keeping It in Good Shape 241 Chapter 13: Finding Your Banjo Bliss: A Buyer’s Guide 243 Chapter 14: Getting the Right Stuff: Banjo Gear 269 Chapter 15: Taking Care of Your Baby: String Changing and Basic Maintenance 291 Part V: The Part of Tens 311 Chapter 16: Ten T ips to Make Practicing More Fun 313 Chapter 17: Ten Great Banjo Players You Need to Hear 321 Part VI: Appendixes 327 Appendix A: Banjo Chords and Notes 329 Appendix B: Audio Tracks and Video Clips 335 Index 343

Bill Evans is an internationally celebrated five–string banjo player, teacher, historian, and recording artist, who has helped thousands of banjo players from all over the world in a professional career that spans over 35 years. He has produced numerous instructional DVDs and hosted hundreds of instructional workshops. Bill has performed on stages throughout North America, Europe, and Japan, and his CDs have topped both folk and bluegrass charts.