How to Hold the Banjo

Proper Posture and Positioning for Playing Your Banjo

The most common position to hold your banjo when sitting is between your legs. An armless chair is best for practice because it allows for unrestricted arm mobility. When holding the banjo, position the neck at about a 45 degree angle. This will allow for good fret hand positioning and ease of movement. Some players like the neck a little higher or lower. You too, will develop your own preference in time.

The banjo head/body should also be a slight angle leaning toward you. If the back of the banjo is directly against your stomach it will mute sound and result in poor playing position. Don’t pin the side of the banjo with your arm into your body. This will result in improper positioning for your striking/strumming hand.

You can also position the banjo on your right leg. If you a play a left handed banjo you can position it on your left leg. This is very comfortable for a lot of people. Remember to keep the neck and body of the banjo at a slight angle toward your body and don’t pin the banjo to your side. Again, this causes improper position for your strumming hand and arm, and also makes the neck point almost straightforward. This is also bad for fretting hand positioning.

Use the dot markers on the top side of the banjo neck to find your playing position and frets. Avoid craning your neck to see the front of the fretboard. Learn to find the proper finger placement by feel as much as possible. If you have a lighter banjo and the neck seems continually droop down, you may look into getting a strap to stop it from falling down. Straps help us play banjo while standing but can also hold a banjo in position while sitting. When sitting, you want the strap to prevent the neck from drooping not to support the weight of the banjo. So adjust the strap length to allow the weight of the banjo to rest on your legs and so the proper position is maintained.

In the next lesson you'll learn about proper fretting hand position.