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Learn Banjo

Open G tuning, rolling picking patterns and tunes from the first week.

Free to start. Built from a single prompt. No credit card.

The five-string banjo has a short fifth string that starts at the fifth fret and sounds a high drone, which gives it its bright, ringing character. It is usually tuned to open G, g D G B D, so strumming the open strings already sounds a G chord. Two main styles lead the way: Scruggs-style three-finger picking for bluegrass, played with a thumb pick and two metal finger picks, and clawhammer for old-time music, which strikes down with the back of a fingernail. Learnr builds you a personalized banjo course from one prompt, teaching rolls, tab and tunes in short interactive lessons.

How to learn Banjo, step by step

Tune to open G and choose your style. From the fifth string to the first, tune to g, D, G, B, D. Decide early whether you want bluegrass three-finger picking or old-time clawhammer, because the right-hand technique is completely different even though the tuning is the same.
Learn to read banjo tab. Banjo tab has five lines, one per string, with the first string on top, and numbers that show frets. Learn the symbols for hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides, since nearly every banjo tune uses them in its melody.
Drill the three main Scruggs rolls. With thumb, index and middle picks, practice the forward roll, the backward roll and the alternating thumb roll on open strings in steady eighth notes. Use a metronome and keep every note equally loud before you add chords.
Add G, C and D7 chord shapes. Learn the simple three chord shapes used in many bluegrass tunes and roll through them. Keep fingers close to the frets, and let the fifth string drone unchanged above the chord on every roll.
Try the clawhammer bum-ditty stroke. Strike down on a melody string with the back of the index or middle nail (bum), brush down across strings (dit), and catch the fifth string with the thumb (ty). Slow, relaxed repetitions matter far more than speed with this motion.
Learn full tunes and play along. Start with standards such as Cripple Creek or Boil the Cabbage Down, then play along with recordings or backing tracks. Daily short Learnr lessons and streaks keep rolls in your hands between longer practice sessions.

What you'll learn

Tune the five-string banjo to open G and understand the drone string
Play forward, backward and alternating Scruggs rolls
Use the clawhammer bum-ditty stroke for old-time tunes
Read banjo tablature, including slides, hammer-ons and pull-offs
Play a few complete bluegrass or old-time tunes

What's inside your Banjo course

A sample path Learnr builds for Banjo. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. The five-string banjo, open G tuning and picks
2. Reading banjo tab
3. Scruggs-style rolls
4. Left-hand chords, slides and hammer-ons
5. Clawhammer basics
6. First complete tunes

How long does it take to learn Banjo?

With 20 to 30 minutes a day, most beginners can play basic rolls and a simple tune within 1 to 2 months. Playing several tunes at a moderate bluegrass tempo takes roughly 6 to 12 months. Clawhammer often feels awkward for the first weeks, then progresses quickly once the stroke clicks.

What you need before you start

A five-string banjo, a tuner, and for bluegrass, a thumb pick and two metal finger picks. No music reading is needed, since banjo is almost always taught from tab.

Common mistakes to avoid

Speeding up rolls before they are even. Practice with a metronome and keep the thumb notes as loud as the finger notes.
Forgetting the fifth string is shorter and trying to fret it like the others. In open G it usually rings open as a drone.
Mixing clawhammer and Scruggs technique in the first months. Choose one picking style and build it properly before trying the other.

How Learnr builds your course

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Banjo questions, answered

What is the difference between bluegrass banjo and clawhammer?

Bluegrass, or Scruggs style, picks upward with the thumb and two fingers wearing picks in rolling patterns. Clawhammer strikes downward with the back of a fingernail and uses the thumb on the fifth string, giving a rhythmic old-time sound.

Is banjo hard to learn?

The open G tuning makes it easy to sound good quickly. Building fast, even rolls takes steady practice, but the first tunes are within reach in a few weeks.