Banjo Tutor Books

The Banjo Chord Finder is an extensive reference guide to over 2,800 chords, covering four most commonly used tunings. Thirty different chord qualities are covered for each key, and each chord quality is presented in two different voicings. 6" x 9".

Newly updated and revised, this easy-to-use beginner's guide is a continuation of the banjo basics and techniques taught in Book 1. The material in Book 2 not only reinforces and strengthens Book 1 instruction, but also features many new songs, techniques and rolls to learn and play.

Covers: right-hand rolls and patterns; playing back-up; melodic style banjo; fiddle tunes & reels; solos and licks; new hammers, pull and slides; banjo chimes; scales & modes; using a capo; and more!

The accompanying online audio contains 63 tracks of full-band demos for every song in the book!

Mel Bay's highly acclaimed, best-selling premium manuscript paper. Twenty-four sheets (96 pages) of 10-stave paper printed on beautiful, cream colored, high grade, heavy paper. Every detail in the production of this premium paper has been carefully planned and implemented. Probably the best value in manuscript paper on the market.

This method is designed for learning the finger style five-string banjo in a larger musical context than previous single style based methods. The Modern 5-String Banjo Method builds the theoretical and technical foundations needed to play in many styles.

This book covers all of the major scales in depth as applied to the 5-string banjo, answering potential questions concerning the use of major scales for any level of player, beginning through advanced.

C,G,D,A Tuning ...The finest tenor banjo method available, this text represents Mel Bay's own approach to fundamental musicianship for those desiring to play tenor banjo. This book is the standard by which others are judged.

The melodic style is a beautiful three finger picking style which can be traced to the early 1900's and became a fully accepted style for playing the five-string banjo in the 1960's, and is today an integral part of the three-finger style of many banjo players at all playing levels. Plus, the songs arranged in this style are easy and fun to learn. Although the melodic style may sound impossible with all of those notes coming from it, surprisingly you will find that it is not that difficult to learn and no previous musical knowledge is needed. This course covers the melodic style from the very basics of this picking style to the advanced techniques and provides many fun toplay and well-known songs arranged in the three-finger melodic style for upper level beginning players through advanced level players. Includes access to online audio.

Early American Banjo by Tim Twiss provides complete banjo tablature transcriptions of the instrumental solos that first appeared in standard notation in Buckley's Banjo Guide of 1868. This modern tablature edition of over 100 mid-19th century jigs, waltzes, polkas, hornpipes and reels provides insight to the transition between the African down-stroke technique, which preceded claw-hammer style and the newer, more refined plucking technique. James Buckley (1803 ' 1872), sometimes referred to as the 'Father of the Classical Banjo,  was one of the most prolific transcribers of early banjo music. His compositions and arrangements were performed on the minstrel stage, andhis scholarly discipline produced a lasting record of banjo music of his era. This repertoire collection includes easy tunes as well as more complex pieces suited for the concert stage. The player will delight in discovering how fresh and unusual some of this music sounds, even today 'all in modern banjo tab. While best experienced on a period reproduction, gut-string fretless banjo in a lower tuning, any 5-string banjo in C tuning (gCGBD) may be used to interpret this collection. Includes access to online audio.

This complete guide to learning the tenor banjo was written by acclaimed author and musician Fred Sokolow. It features popular songs to teach you the basics of rhythm and lead playing in Dixieland, retro swing, and Irish music. It includes demonstration audio tracks for all the examples in the book. Songs include: Ain't She Sweet · Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home · Down by the Riverside · The Irish Washerwoman · Sweet Georgia Brown · When the Saints Go Marching In · Yes Sir, That's My Baby · and more.

Over 650 bluegrass, blues and jazz licks in Scruggs, single string and melodic style. Learn to use licks to create solos, play back up and expand your musical understanding and knowledge of the fingerboard.

A complete program which takes you from the beginning to advanced level. Easy to follow text and realistic demonstration photographs.

Tenor Banjo Chord Book contains all of the Tenor Banjo chords you'll ever need.
Suitable for beginners to intermediate players, Tenor Banjo Chord Book includes all of the essential chords in all 12 keys for the Tenor Banjo in C-G-D-A tuning.
This narrow format book fits neatly into your case so you can take it everywhere.

Fiddle Tunes for Banjo Made Easy is a collection of must-know, easy-to-learn bluegrass instrumental standards. Ross records each song at three speeds and also includes a rhythm backup track. The slow speed is ideal for hearing the notes clearly and being able to play along in rhythm; the medium speed is a perfect goal for the beginning and intermediate student while the faster speed demonstrates what the song can sound like with a hard, driving push. The tablature is large for ease of reading and includes accent marks for melody notes where needed. Ross also provides tips and suggestions for each song to save you valuable practice time. These are tips on the more challenging spots that Ross has learned firsthand from teaching these privately for many years.

Tony Trischka presents his groundbreaking guide to the melodic (chromatic) Banjo style, made famous by the great Bill Keith. The technique allows the Banjo player to create complex note-for-note renditions of Bluegrass fiddle tunes, as well as ornamenting solos with melodic fragments and motives.Book and Online Audio

This book approaches the five-string banjo as a musical instrument freed from the prison of specific musical genres. Old-time music, clawhammer, bluegrass and many eclectic adaptations of the banjo are utilized to demonstrate a variety of musical styles.

This book is designed to aid the novice attempting to learn the 5-string banjo using 3-Finger Style, where the strings are picked by three fingers (thumb,index and middle) of the right hand. Upon completing this volume, you will have learned how to combine left-hand notes with right-hand patterns so as to perform bluegrass style solos and back-up. You will also have the foundation needed to explore other styles of music, such as blues and jazz. No prior knowledge of music or any musical instrument is needed to learn from this method. Enough detail is given to allow the beginner to fully grasp each concept. In addition, exercises are designed to facilitate a gradual increase in the student’s understanding and dexterity. When a new concept is presented for the right hand, the left hand performs previously learned tasks. Likewise, a new left-hand technique is demonstrated with familiar right-hand patterns. This instructional technique is used throughout the text.

A complete tutor for the Intermediate and Advanced Player: a clawhammer encyclopedia for players of all levels. One of the world's top players addresses nearly every aspect of the popular 5-string banjo style known as clawhammer or frailing. Online Audio included.

Learn from the best. Grandpa Jones was a country music legend and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was very well known and respected for his own style of clawhammer banjo.

The great sound of tenor banjo is a cornerstone of Dixieland and traditional jazz (C, G, D, A tuning). Using classic favorites, Joe Carr teaches the basics of accompaniment, basic melody and the popular chord melody style.

This chart provides the most used and needed scales for banjo in easy to read fretboard diagrams. Scales include major, minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, harmonic minor and dorian. Scales are shown from the 4th and 3rd string roots. A must have for banjo players

Easy to play five-string banjo arrangements of twenty-four Children's favorites by banjo master Ross Nickerson. Not only are these songs fun to play but from an instructional standpoint they are perfect for helping you develop the ability to bring out the melody in the bluegrass banjo style. Accenting the melody within the steady rhythmic roll of banjo playing is one of the biggest challenges facing banjo students and these familiar melodies are ideal for your development of that skill. Each song is arranged and performed using proper three-finger bluegrass technique. The arrangements are carefully designed to bring out the melody, but easy enough for a beginner or intermediate player to learn quickly.

This unique book of scales and arpeggios for banjo by John Bullard covers all of the major and minor keys. Written in tablature and standard notation, this book brings banjo players the same practical and time-proven system of study common to other classical instruments. Students will learn the scales and arpeggios and apply them in flowing, musical exercises.

This beginner's text for the four-string tenor banjo shows tuning, basic chords, and songs to sing and strum. This title is available as a book alone or as a set with its companion Online Audio. Written in standard tenor banjo tuning (CGDA) in standard notation only with chord symbols and lyrics. Tuned for Mandola

This chart shows essential chords and secondary minor chord relationships in all 12 keys for the tenor banjo in C-G-D-A tuning.