Bluegrass Banjo Learning Paths & Lessons

Learning Path

Getting Started with Bluegrass Banjo

These beginner banjo lessons will help you get started with the basics, from tuning your banjo to playing essential bluegrass roll p...

Learning Path

G, C, and D7 Chords for Beginners

We've spoken in depth about the right-hand technique and the practice of your roll patterns. Now, it's time to involve the left hand...

Arrangement

Cripple Creek
Melody

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

The melody! It's the heart of a song. Always start by learning the melody first, no matter what skill level you are. All the wild S...

Song

Angeline the Baker - Beginner

Angeline the baker is a jam classic. Both the Scruggs and Melodic style arrangements work great with the difficulty slider. If you ...

Arrangement

Cripple Creek
Scruggs Style - Beginner

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This version of cripple Creek is built on the basic melody and incudes a few pinches and partial forward rolls. The licks start simp...

Learning Path

Vamping and Closed Position Chords

This learning path will give you all of the tools you need to play backup behind someone who is taking a solo. You'll learn the esse...

Learning Path

The Pinch and Slurs on the Banjo

Now that you've learned your roll patterns, lets dive into some different sounds. Other than the pinch, the slurs are all fret hand ...

Learning Path

Capo Use

Learn all about capos! We'll talk about why we use capos, the different types, how to use them and offer some tips to make sure you ...

Song

Woah Mule

"Woah Mule" is a classic bluegrass instrumental made famous by Raymond Fairchild. The Scruggs style is great for beginner banjo pla...

Song

You Are My Sunshine

This bright and happy tune is a blast to play. As with almost any tune, whether you are a beginner or an experienced picker, you sh...

Arrangement

My Home's Across the Blueridge Mountains
Two Finger

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  eDGBD

This arrangement uses Thumb Lead, Two Finger style banjo. Thumb lead is a type of two finger banjo where the thumb plays the lead(m...

Song

Boil Them Cabbage Down

Boil them Cabbage is an old folk song. It's a lot of people's first tune when learning banjo, mandolin or fiddle. While the song ha...

Song

She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain

This classic folk song is perfect for beginners learning the basics of Scruggs style banjo playing. Featuring a simple arrangement ...

Song

Mary Had a Little Lamb

This classic children's song, "Mary Had a Little Lamb", is a perfect tune for the banjo beginner. The simple melody can be picked o...

Song

Banjo in the Hollow

Banjo in the Hollow is many people's first banjo tune! It was written by Doug Dillard. Doug was the banjo player for "The Dillards"...

Song

You Ain't Going Nowhere

This beginner banjo arrangement of Bob Dylan's classic folk-rock tune You Ain't Going Nowhere is an easy and fun song to learn. You ...

Song

Sunny Side of the Mountain

This is definitely a bluegrass and jam standard. It's most closely associated with Mr. Jimmy Martin. There's several arrangements h...

Song

Dooley

Dooley was a good ol' man he lived below the mill...The song is a traditional bluegrass tune, but it is also considered to be a str...

Arrangement

Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Vamping

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This basic vamping shows you how to easily navigate between your G, C, & D chords(also known as the "1, 4, & 5" in the key of G). Yo...

Song

Cripple Creek

"Cripple Creek" is an excellent starting point for advanced beginners interested in Scruggs or melodic banjo playing. With its comb...

Song

When The Saints Go Marching in

This is classic melody is well known by many. It was written by Louis Armstrong and his orchestra. There's three arrangements for b...

Song

Blackberry Blossom

This tune that has been included in over 250 tune books, proving that “Blackberry Blossom” is one of the most popular fiddle tunes ...

Song

Lonesome Pine

"Lonesome Pine" is a captivating banjo song that captures the essence of traditional American roots music. With its haunting melody ...

Song

I Saw the Light

"I saw the light" is Hank Williams ' country gospel song. Williams was influenced by a remark his mother made as they arrived in Mon...

Song

Wildwood Flower

"Wildwood Flower", an American song, best known which great fame was due to performances and recordings by the Carter Family. It is ...

Song

Wabash Cannonball

"The Great Rock Island Route," otherwise called "Wabash Cannonball," is an American folklore melody that depicts the picturesque exc...

Song

Rocky Top

Rocky Top. It's a classic. Synonymous with Bluegrass, The Osborne Brothers, and Tennessee Volunteer Football. It's the reason many ...

Song

My Little Georgia Rose

A classic Bill Monroe tune and jam standard.

Song

Wiegenlied

Wiegenlied, also known as "Brahms' Lullaby," is a renowned and soothing German lullaby composed by Johannes Brahms. Its gentle melod...

Song

One Finger Workouts

One finger workouts are designed to exercise timing, speed, strength and control for your thumb, index, and middle fingers. They are...

Learning Path

Multi-Level Metronome Exercise

This learning path will walk you through an exercise for playing with the metronome. It starts simple and progresses in difficulty. ...

Song

Beginner Banjo 101

"Beginner Banjo 101" is a comprehensive set of exercises designed to introduce aspiring banjo players to essential techniques and sk...

Song

Beginner Banjo 102

The next step in a banjo player's learning journey, offering exciting new challenges and techniques. Students are introduced to the ...

Song

G Melodic Scale Workout

These exercises are carefully designed to help players develop fluency and agility in navigating the G melodic scale across the fret...

Song

G Major Chord Scales

Check out some diatonic chord scales in the key of G major. This banjo exercise provides 3 different fingerings for a G major cho...

Learning Path

Learning by Ear with Hide Notes

This lesson video will teach you how to use Hide Notes. Hide Notes is a tool from Tunefox that conceals certain notes in the tablatu...

Learning Path

How to Play Cripple Creek

This learning path is your guide to mastering the iconic banjo tune "Cripple Creek." Designed for banjo enthusiasts eager to enhance...

Song

Cripple Creek

"Cripple Creek" is an excellent starting point for advanced beginners interested in Scruggs or melodic banjo playing. With its comb...

Learning Path

The Foggy Mountain Breakdown Roll

Explore a fresh roll pattern to enhance your musical skills, one prominently featured at the beginning of the beloved banjo track, '...

Song

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

This song has inspired countless people to play and learn Scruggs style banjo. Obviously the Foggy Mountain Roll is prerequisite ...

Learning Path

How to Play Foggy Mountain Special

Learn Foggy Mountain Special the way Earl played it. This learning path will take you through 4 different breaks as played by Earl S...

Learning Path

How to Play Fireball Mail

This lesson path takes you through Fireball Mail in several steps. First we learn the bear bones melody. Second, we learn a simplifi...

Arrangement

Essential Scruggs Licks
Scruggs Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Check out 10 essential Scruggs licks in the key of G. If you can master these riffs and some of the variations you will be pre...

Song

Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap is an invigorating banjo tune rooted in the nostalgic charm of old time fiddle music. This up-tempo track is perfect...

Song

The Ballad of Jed Clampett

A hit song for a hit TV show! Start with the melody arrangement. Always start with the melody when learning a new tune. Try a few l...

Song

Groundspeed

Song

Polka on the Banjo

This is a great tune by Flatt and Scruggs. Start out by learning the Melody . This is what the lead break is based on. Learning so...

Learning Path

Getting Started with Melodic Banjo

Learn the basics of melodic style, otherwise known as "Kieth Style" banjo playing. This type of playing was developed and popularize...

Arrangement

Banjo in the Hollow
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

An extremely basic melodic style tune. For many people it is their very first song - even before Cripple Creek! Use the time when yo...

Arrangement

Soldier's Joy
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  C
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This one works great in C shape for the melodic style. At a jam this song is played in D, however you don't have to use the capo to ...

Arrangement

Bury Me Beneath the Willow
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

A nice mixture of Scruggs and melodic with some great licks for you to learn! Try to bring out the melody notes as best as you can. ...

Song

Melodic Scales

These exercises are designed to help banjo players gain fluency and confidence in navigating scales across the neck, enabling them t...

Song

G Melodic Scale Workout

These exercises are carefully designed to help players develop fluency and agility in navigating the G melodic scale across the fret...

Song

C Melodic Scale Workout

This banjo exercise is a great way to practice the C major scale in multiple different arrangements. It includes one octave scale pr...

Song

D Melodic Scale Workout

This banjo exercise provides instruction and practice to help develop dexterity and melodic playing abilities on the instrument. It ...

Arrangement

Cripple Creek
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

A classic arrangement of "Cripple Creek" with a little single string style added in. The B section features some fancy up-the-neck m...

Arrangement

Nine Pound Hammer
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This melodic version of Nine Pound Hammer is very much a variation on the Scruggs arrangement. It maintains the melody while featuri...

Arrangement

Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This melodic break jumps up and down the neck and gives you a lot of ideas for licks to use in your own arrangements!

Arrangement

Banks of the Ohio
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

A tasteful up-the-neck version of the Banks of the Ohio that utilizes 6ths chord positions. These positions are a convenient way to ...

Arrangement

Hot Corn, Cold Corn
Melodic Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This features some Noam Pikelny-style triplets in measure 4. There is a 1/4 measure, so play a long with the backing tracks to feel ...

Song

Arkansas Traveler

This is a tune you may be familiar with. The melody has traditional lyrics and is also used in the Nursery rhyme, "Baby Bumblebee"....

Song

Bill Cheatum

Bill Cheatum is known under many names, some include "Cheatum," "Cheat 'Em," "Old Bill Cheatum." This fiddle tune is common through...

Song

Cherokee Shuffle

Banjo player Howard Bursen and many others have identified "Cherokee Shuffle" as a West Coast version of “Lost Indian” which could ...

Song

Whiskey Before Breakfast

The "Whiskey before breakfast" tune is a broadly known tune that is no stranger to being mixed up with an ancient and conventional t...

Song

Red Haired Boy

‘Red Haired Child ' is the English translation of the Gaelic name 'Giolla Rua' (or 'Gilderoy') and is generally thought to represent...

Song

Big Sciota

Big Sciota is a popular tune in the old-time and bluegrass repertoire and is named for the Scioto/Sciota river which flows through ...

Song

Blackberry Blossom

This tune that has been included in over 250 tune books, proving that “Blackberry Blossom” is one of the most popular fiddle tunes ...

Song

Forked Deer

Indeed, the title "Forked Air" was used by Paul Tyler in a 1950 notebook in which Key A was used. Hamblen remembered his grandfather...

Song

Turkey in the Straw

Turkey in the Straw is a famous American folk song that is iconic of rural America in pop culture. It was extracted from "My Grandmo...

Song

Salt Creek

It is quite unclear if this is the original title of the tune or if it had been changed. Jabbour might have changed the name because...

Song

Billy in the Lowground

One of the most popular fiddle tunes to date, Billy in the Lowground was first recorded in the 1920s. Gotten from studies based on ...

Song

Single String 101

Through a series of exercises and scale patterns, students develop precise finger placement and control while navigating a single st...

Song

Single String Minicourse

The "Single String Minicourse" for banjo offers a focused and efficient approach to mastering single-string playing techniques. Wi...

Arrangement

Boil Them Cabbage Down
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

The Bum-Ditty rhythm pattern is the foundation for this arrangement. Pay close attention to the pick hand fingering in the tab. Lear...

Arrangement

Salty Dog Blues
Single String

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This great single string arrangement follows the melody similar to the way Lester Flatt would sing it. It might be easy to sing or h...

Arrangement

Turkey in the Straw
Single String

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Learning to adapt to the limitations of your instrument is important. When playing Turkey in the Straw in the key G and in second po...

Learning Path

How to Play Chinquapin Hunting

This beautiful fiddle tune works great in the single string style of banjo. No capo gives allows us to use that nice low open D stri...

Arrangement

Chinquapin Hunting
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  aDGBD

This is a first position arrangement of Chinquapin Hunting. Using open strings can help us to closely emulate the sound and style of...

Arrangement

Lonesome Fiddle Blues
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  Dm
• Tuning
  aDGBD

This is an alternate version of the Lonesome Fiddle Blues melodic style with a slightly different melody. The B section will make yo...

Arrangement

Whiskey Before Breakfast
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  aDGBD

A lower octave arrangement than the melodic version. This version of Whiskey Before Breakfast gives you a great single string work o...

Arrangement

Angeline the Baker
Single String

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  aDGBD

This is an advanced version of Angeline the Baker with some fancy triplets at the end of the A section. Using 3 fingers on one strin...

Arrangement

Wild Bill Jones
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G minor
• Tuning
  gDGBD

If you're gonna play single string, don't hold back. Don't box yourself into thinking you have to play single string the way Earl di...

Arrangement

Raleigh and Spencer
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D minor
• Tuning
  aDGBD

Triplets, cross-picking make this arrangement of Raleigh and Spencer a smoking hot single sting arrangement. It also makes it a chal...

Arrangement

Cattle in the Cane
Single String Style

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Tony Rice transcription. Put on your big person pants and get to work!

Learning Path

How to Play Cripple Creek

This learning path is your guide to mastering the iconic banjo tune "Cripple Creek." Designed for banjo enthusiasts eager to enhance...

Learning Path

How to Play Clinch Mountain Backstep

This lesson path will walk you through playing the tune Clinch Mountain Backstep. The base arrangement is very much modeled after th...

Learning Path

How to Play Fireball Mail

This lesson path takes you through Fireball Mail in several steps. First we learn the bear bones melody. Second, we learn a simplifi...

Learning Path

How to Play Chinquapin Hunting

This beautiful fiddle tune works great in the single string style of banjo. No capo gives allows us to use that nice low open D stri...

Learning Path

How to Play Foggy Mountain Special

Learn Foggy Mountain Special the way Earl played it. This learning path will take you through 4 different breaks as played by Earl S...

Learning Path

How to Play Sally Goodwin Up the Neck

Learn some basics of playing Scruggs style banjo up the neck. Sally Goodin is absolute standard in Bluegrass, and a quintessential s...

Learning Path

How to Play Sally Goodin Backup

This lesson will walk you through rolling backup in the style of J.D. Crowe. J.D. has some really great roll patterns and licks. Onc...

Learning Path

Vamping and Closed Position Chords

This learning path will give you all of the tools you need to play backup behind someone who is taking a solo. You'll learn the esse...

Song

Common Chord Shapes - G tuning

Here, you'll learn some of the common chord shapes used in Vamping backup. You'll learn the 3 common chord shapes for major and mino...

Learning Path

How to Play Sally Goodin Backup

This lesson will walk you through rolling backup in the style of J.D. Crowe. J.D. has some really great roll patterns and licks. Onc...

Song

G Major Chord Scales

Check out some diatonic chord scales in the key of G major. This banjo exercise provides 3 different fingerings for a G major cho...

Learning Path

Up the Neck Backup

This lesson path will teach you how to incorporate common Scruggs style backup licks up the neck, teardrop style backup, and a stud...

Song

Big Bucket of Backup Licks

This is a series that will introduce you to a lot of standard Bluegrass Backup vocabulary by using the lick switcher with a common ...

Song

Scruggs Backup Licks

Developed based on the innovative style of Earl Scruggs, these tablatures showcase a variety of classic backup licks used in traditi...

Arrangement

Blueridge Mountain Blues
Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Here is some very simple backup to get you started. If you want to upgrade your backup, try out the lick switcher on a measure or tw...

Arrangement

Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This is a low register arrangement of Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms that demonstrates how you could potentially play behind a singer ...

Arrangement

Down in the Willow Garden
Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Backup. Shelor Style. Extra Lonesome.

Arrangement

Get in Line Brother
Vamping

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

Time to jump into some classic vamping on this tune! This one features some repeated backup patterns styled after Earl's playin...

Arrangement

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke
Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  D
• Tuning
  fDGBD

This classic Flatt and Scruggs tune has some tricky timing. There's a couple measures of 2/4. Look out for those. Learn the words. S...

Arrangement

Somehow Tonight
Crowe Style Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This is a transcription of J.D. Crowe's backup playing with the Bluegrass album band. It has all those fancy vamping and "Foggy Moun...

Arrangement

Eight More Miles to Louisville
Backup

• Difficulty
  
• Key
  G
• Tuning
  gDGBD

This arrangement features some simple roll patterns that stay out of the way of the melody. There's a moment of vamping in the middl...

Song

Shady Grove

Shady Grove is recognized as an Appalachian folk song. It is common in the bluegrass and old-time musicians of the Cumberland repert...

Song

Big Country

A modern masterpiece for the banjo. This newgrass tune features progressive elements and intricate banjo playing, perfect for interm...

Song

Two Part Invention

Experience the fusion of classical and bluegrass music with 'Two Part Invention' for banjo. This intricate and advanced piece, inspi...

Song

Frosty Morning

"Frosty Morning" sounds like the old frontier's classic fiddle tune, but other versions can't be cited elsewhere (sometimes called "...

Song

Banjo Signal

A great instrumental by one of the most innovative banjo players in history.

Song

New Camptown Races

Advanced version of New Camptown Races with elements of Melodic, Single String, and Scruggs style playing.

Song

Salt Creek

It is quite unclear if this is the original title of the tune or if it had been changed. Jabbour might have changed the name because...

Song

Wayfaring Stranger

"The Wayfaring Stranger", also called "the poor walker", is an American folk and gospel song that spoke of the travels of a stranger...

Song

Crazy Creek

Tommy Jackson, who was always under the influence of the skill of his Texas fiddler friend, Bob Wills, penned down this song. He wen...