20 Questions by Eddie Collins

1. Am I too old to begin learning banjo? You are never too old! True, but do have realistic expectations regarding your ability to play fast. Achieving the fine motor skills needed, especially if you have never played a stringed instrument, will take time. Repeated listening to the music you wish to someday play goes a long way towards recognizing whether or not you are playing with proper timing. Finding an instructor who has experience teaching older beginners is helpful. Enjoy the journey.

2. How do I choose a style of banjo to play? First, identify your favorite player(s). If you like old-timey players like Grandpa Jones or Dock Boggs, you would likely be a candidate for what is known as clawhammer style. If Earl Scruggs is your favorite, then you would enjoy three-finger style, also known as Scruggs style, since he is credited with popularizing the style. Players such as Béla Fleck play in a three-finger style, but add elements beyond what Scruggs did. If you like traditional Irish banjo, or Dixieland style, you would need to go with a four-string banjo.

3. How do I select my first banjo? First, identify the style you will be learning (Question #1). Get an instrument with good tone and is well constructed so it will be easy to play and tune. While most banjos considered right for bluegrass have a resonator (piece of wood on the back of the banjo), there are a couple of models that have ample volume without a resonator. The Gold Tone Cripple Creek 50 is a relatively inexpensive model that works well for both old-timey and bluegrass style. For a little more money, the Deering Goodtime is an all-American made instrument. The 5th-string peg should be geared.

4. How do I choose an instructor? Learning from an experienced instructor is recommended. Be sure the person is qualified and has experience teaching the style you are interested in. Avoid the guitar teacher who teaches a little banjo. Several Internet sites have lists of banjo instructors sorted by the state in which they live. Try Banjo Hangout, Mel Bay's Banjo Sessions, or Angie's Banjos.

5. How do I choose a course of study for self-learning? First, determine your learning style. If you need to see it, then DVDs, such as the Murphy Method make sense. Some books, such as Earl Scruggs are good resources, but aren't graduated enough in their approach to be appropriate for the pure beginner. Books, in general cover more material than DVDs. BNL columnists Pete Wernick, Jack Hatfield, Janet Davis and Eddie Collins have beginner's courses in 3-finger style, while Dan Levenson has beginner's instruction in clawhammer. Be sure the material comes with recorded examples of what you are expected to learn.

6. What learning resources are available on the Internet? The Banjo Newsletter website (www.banjonews.com) has an extensive links page with a brief description of each site listed. Banjo Hangout (www.banjohangout.org) is the social networking equivalent of MySpace for banjo players. There are many discussion forums there, so you can sort out advice from numerous contributors. Gerald Jones hosts Mel Bay www.banjosessions.com, which has a few tidbits each month from mostly Mel Bay artists. Angie, of www.angiesbanjo.com, produces a monthly web magazine called Silver Strings, dedicated to those who are learning later in life. Ross Nickerson maintains www.BanjoTeacher.com.

7. What accessories will I need when starting? Instructors of most banjo styles agree it is a good idea to use a strap to help stabilize the banjo. Having it adjusted properly will free your hands to concentrate on finding the notes and strings. Some clawhammer players use a metal fingerpick on the back of one of their right-hand fingers. Most three-finger style players use a plastic thumbpick and metal fingerpicks on their index and middle fingers of the right hand. An electronic tuner is recommended to insure you are tuned to proper pitch.

8. Where can I get the accessories I need for my banjo? It is always a good idea to establish a working relationship with a local music store, if you have one. If using the Internet. BNL columnists Janet Davis (www.janetdavismusc.com) and Jack Hatfield (www.hatfieldmusic.com) have sites that will have what you need. BNL advertisers, such as Elderly Instruments (www.elderly.com) and Banjo.com (www.banjo.com/default.asp) are other good resources. For those needing banjo parts, there is First Quality Music (www.firstqualitymusic.com) and Stewart-MacDonald (www.stewmac.com) .

9. How do I tune my banjo? G tuning is the most common tuning in three-finger, or Scruggs-style banjo. The 4th string is the note D (below middle C on a piano). String 3 is G, Sting 2 is B, String 1 is D (above middle C), and the short 5th string is G above that. Electronic tuners nowadays sense and display the note you are trying to tune. If tuning the 3rd string and it displays F#, you are too low and would have to tighten the string. Most tuners have a needle indicating whether to raise or lower the desired string.

9. What are rolls? Rolls are repeated patterns the right hand plays when striking the strings in a particular order. Common rolls learned early in your studies will usually be four beats in length and contain eight eighth notes. For example, a forward/reverse roll could be played by striking strings, 3, 2, 1, 5, 1, 2, 3, and 1. This assumes a hand position of your middle finger playing string 1, the index finger playing string 2, and the thumb striking the other three strings.

10. How do I get rid of buzzes and dead-sounding notes? Bad sounding notes are usually the result of poor finger placement in the left hand. Place your finger just behind the fret wire (without touching it) and push down just hard enough to eliminate any buzzes. Be sure to arch your fingers in an upward manner in order to let adjacent strings ring clearly. If you are sure you are placing your fingers properly and still experience buzzing, you should have your instrument evaluated by an experienced repairperson.

11. Is it necessary to anchor my right-hand ring and pinky fingers? No, but most players have some form of an anchor to get the driving tone associated with bluegrass. Anchor refers to placing your extra fingers on the banjo head just past the bridge. This also makes it easier for your fingers to remember how far they need to go to strike each string. While a two-finger anchor is preferred and is what Earl Scruggs uses, any anchor (ring, or pinky, but not both) is better than no anchor. Anchoring does not apply to clawhammer banjo playing.

12. What are chords and what is their purpose? A chord can be defined as a group of notes that sound good when played together. One purpose of chords is for rhythm accompaniment to yourself, or others as they sing. As banjoists, we often pick rolls while holding chords. In standard G tuning, the open strings form a G chord. To form any other chord, you will need to hold one or more fingers down simultaneously. The three main types of chords you will encounter as a folk musician are major, minor and 7ths.

13. Do I need to be able to read music in order to play the banjo? No. Most banjo music nowadays, when written, is presented in tablature, where five parallel lines placed horizontally represent each of the five strings, not the music staff. In this system, the 1st string is placed on top, instead of on the bottom the way it is normally viewed. Numbers placed on the lines represent the frets to be played, whereas a zero depicts an open string. Traditional note reading would primarily be helpful if pursuing classical music on the banjo.

14. What is a capo, and do I need one? A capo is a clamp-like device that, when installed, goes across strings 1, 2, 3 and 4. It forms a bar across the strings so that the strings will sound at the pitch of the new, higher fret. Using a capo allows you to play solos you have already figured out in one key in a new key without having to relearn new fingerings. Most players find they need a capo once they begin to play along with other instruments and singers who sing in different keys.

15. What are spikes and do I need them? The word spike refers to a small nail that can be installed at various frets (usually frets 7 and 10) along the 5thstring. Placing the 5th string under the correct spike will bring it up to the pitch needed when playing with a capo, without having to significantly retune the string. A device called a sliding 5th-string capo will accomplish the same purpose, but adds bulk to the neck.

16. How do I install spikes should I choose to use them? This question is beyond the scope of this set of FAQs. Type installing banjo spikes into a Google search and plenty of suggested resources come up. Most instructions should have a disclaimer that possible damage can occur to your banjo if you go about it with improper tools or techniques. The spikes can usually be obtained from a hobby shop as they are used to fasten HO railroad track. Sliding 5th-string capos come with installation instructions that are relatively easy to follow.

17. How do I change strings? Remove and replace only one string at a time. This helps tuning and prohibits the bridge from moving. The other strings can be used as examples as to which direction the strings should wind. Using the proper gauge string, lightly stretch it prior to attaching the loop on the post of the tailpiece. Keep the string taunt with one hand while placing the end through the hole in the post of the tuning key with the other. Hold the excess string 4 to 6 inches above the neck as you wind it onto the post. Wind from the top of the post down. Use an electronic tuner to bring the string up to pitch.

18. What is the purpose of a metronome and do I need one? Players of other instruments argue that yes, all banjo players need metronomes! A metronome is a device that clicks beats at varying tempos. Staying with the beat can be difficult at first, so begin by using it to solidify timing on tunes you really know. The easiest exercise will be to play an alternating roll, where the thumb lands on each click. A setting of a quarter note equaling 90 to 110 beats per minute is good starting point. Working with a metronome will lead to better timing when playing with others.

19. When am I ready to play with others? Playing with others is an excellent way to get better. You are ready once you are certain you can make basic chord changes at the pace of the group. Soloing at first should only be on songs you know well enough that you don't break time or feel the need to correct missed notes. There are many play-along-with-the-band DVDs aimed specifically at beginning jammers for practice. Many bluegrass and old-time music organizations now sponsor slow jams, which is a great way to start.

20. What are Scruggs tuners? What are harmonic chimes? What is melodic style playing? Wait, that is more than 20 questions! Right...so many questions, so little time. We will provide a brief answer to each of these and leave you to dig deeper. That is what the journey is all about; being exposed to something and digging deeper. Enjoy the ride!

20a) Scruggs tuners, also known as D-tuners, are special tuning pegs that allow the user to quickly change the pitch of strings 3 and 2 to accommodate playing in open D tuning.

20b) Chimes, also known as harmonics, are the bell-like tones heard in tunes like Bugle Call Rag. The sound is created by barely touching a string right over (not behind) the 12th fret as you strike it. Harmonics occur naturally at frets 5 and 7 as well.

20c) Melodic style playing is sometimes called Keith style, as Bill Keith, and also Bobby Thompson, developed the style in the early 1960s. Its main purpose is to avoid striking the same string twice in succession when playing a series of fast melody notes, as in fiddle tunes.

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