I play old time hymns and gospel music on the banjo in mostly old time 2 finger style picking. And a little clawhammer. All the hymns and gospel songs in the videos are our own arrangements unless otherwise stated on the video. Our hope is that through old time gospel hymns and gospel songs on banjo, we can bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and hopefully be a blessing and encouragement to those watching. Maybe a few fun songs here and there too. Also some videos on how to repair, set-up, replace banjo parts and adjust your banjo. And walk through 2 finger and other banjo lessons.
Hi there, I don't know if you check your comments anymore, but I just wanted to send some thanks your way for making banjo videos I can follow. I'm not musically inclined at all, I'm way more visual with my creativity, but your lessons are the first I could really learn from after a few weeks of trying a kazillion other online teachers. Thank you for your kindness, patience, and encouraging demeanor. I can now play Amazing Grace. One of my Dad's favorite songs of all time. (He is a retired Southern Baptist preacher.) I will play this for him soon and it will mean a lot. Thank you for this gift of banjo knowledge, my friend!
Thankyou for this great lesson, I am 64yrs young and just started to learn playing 2 fingered Banjo, Your first lesson has got me keen to practice each and every day, THANK YOU 😁👍👌🪕
Hi there, I just stumbled upon this video. Thank you. Feels like you’re talking to a friend sitting in the same room. Glad you’re doing this. I’m going to dive in and do some pickin’.
I enjoyed your lesson 1 video and I plan to watch the remainder of the lessons, but I have a question. I don’t have a banjo but I have a 4 string tenor guitar that I’ve tuned to standard banjo tuning. Your teaching with 5 string banjo, how would your picking pattern apply to learning 4 string banjo?
Thank you for watching our videos and thank you for your comment. I really can't teach you much on the 4 string, I'm strictly a 5 string guy. The tenor banjo teaches just like the 5 string except without the 5th string. You can play the same melody notes that I use in my lessons but if you are wanting to play 4 string, I would suggest going to a site that teaches tenor banjo. If you want to play the style that I teach, I would try to find a good used 5 string banjo. I'm sorry, I wish I could help you more on this. You could go to my video called It Is Better Farther On. That hymn would fit the 4 string really good, as I do not use the 5th string in that song. You can even use your guitar pick for that if you choose to, also. I believe that is the best I can do for you. Blessings in Jesus Christ. Shawn
I am here to say ,,, My new open back banjo came yesterday, it is a Recording King OT25 and it is looking good.. A beautiful instrument.. I don't know if it needs a name, like some folks give theirs.. LOL 😊
I know that you are very excited. I know how it feels to get a banjo. It truly is a blessing from God. You might not set out to name your banjo but you will eventually name it anyway. After awhile, even though you didn't set out to name it, there will be a name that will just pop out of your mouth one day and that is what you will end up calling it the rest of your life. At least that's how it works for me anyway. God bless you, brother. Always in Christ, Shawn.
This might be a silly question, but is there any particular reason to use the index finger rather than the middle finger? The middle finger feels more natural to me, so I'm just wondering. I've practiced to this video with both fingers just in case haha. Thank you so much, this is super helpful!
If the middle finger feels more natural for you, by all means use it. There are many 2 finger banjo players that use the middle finger. Whatever works best for you. Blessings in Christ.
My discouragement is that I have large hands and tried all the techniques suggested wherever suggestions could be to fret anything without muffling the adjacent strings.
Don't let that discourage you. People with extremely large hands and fingers are some of the best players there is. You can choose a banjo with a larger nut width or you can develop, over time, calluses on the ends of your fingers and that will prevent you from having to push down so hard. Pushing down hard without clause fingers will cause your fingers to flatten out. But more importantly, be sure that you are coming straight down with your fingertip on the string. That should solve your problem. It just takes time. I know a lot of beginning players that have their fingers angled and all it takes is a slight angle to muffle the strings. I hope this helps. Blessings in Jesus Christ. Shawn
I'm sorry, Gary, I've not been able to put up any videos lately. I had a couple of strokes about a year and a half ago. God has blessed me and I'm getting a lot better now. My plan is to do more lesson videos hopefully in the near future. I'm not able to pick my banjo right now so I've been playing the mandolin because I can use a pick. The plan is to get Botox treatments in my hand and fingers and hopefully this will help. I'm sorry, I did not mean to leave folks hanging. Lord willing, I will be back. Stay posted so when I am able to do a video, you will be notified. Thanks for the comment. Blessings in Jesus Christ. Shawn
Well it depends on how many beat per measure you are looking at. The easiest way I've found to incorporate it into the melody, is to learn and play the melody notes to the song then after that just start incorporating the bum ditty where it sounds best to you. Especially where there are longer notes in the melody, that's a good place to start incorporating them. After awhile it will become second nature to you. Yes, it has been over a year since I put any videos out because I had a stroke that I'm recovering from. I had to start playing the mandolin because I can't pick or clawhammer the banjo for now. I'm going to be getting botox treatments in my hand that will hopefully help. Hopefully I will be able to resume banjo lessons again soon. Thank you for your comment and I hope this helps. Blessings in Jesus Christ.
Just found your channel, love your teaching, but have a question, on the bum ditty roll, is the bum beat, beat 1 a quarter note, and the dit-ty note be 2&, two eight notes? I notice the last comment was over a year ago, are you still putting up videos? My problem is I know the rolls but have trouble incorporating the melody, Thank you for your time on creating these videos, God Bless
I learned Will the Circle be unbroken both with tabs, and with 2-finger style. I have an old hymn called "The Hallelujiah side" using 2-finger style (no tabs) with a couple of Scruggs licks at the beginning. That old hymn I was able to figure out myself, using the bum diddie roll - all on the second fret. Your method is great approach, especially since I already know so many old hymns from our street church. My next move is to bring it to fiddle jam.
Is there any way we can get a printed copy of your Amazing Grace? It's great. Do you do any modern country music like "Country Road" by John Denver? It was the song when I was in Viet Nam.
I'm sorry, I don't do tab. I mainly do hymns and gospel songs but I did a video of Country Roads and if we find it, I will upload it for a period of time and will let you know. I will take it back off after you see it because want to mainly keep the channel with hymns and gospel songs. That being said, Country Roads is a great song. I have deleted it though but we will look for it. Also thank you for your service. My dad, too, served in Viet Nam. That is something he would not talk about much. He passed away a year ago this month. God bless you and thank you for watching. Blessings in Jesus Christ. Shawn
I was watching another video on two finger style and the pattern was that the thumb picks the melody and plays the 5th as a drone. The 1st finger picks the 1st string as a drone also. Am I maybe just getting ahead of myself on this?
That would be correct but as you progress you will find that the first finger will play the melody note on the 1st and 2nd string but always plays drone on 1st string. But for now go ahead and do it the way you are doing it but use the index finger to play the melody note when it is on the first string and as you progress, try moving your index finger to the 2nd string when the melody note is on the 2nd string. That being said, play it the most comfortable way it is for you. Happy picking and blessings in Jesus Christ.
I'm new to Banjo & trying to learn it in my old age. I enjoy your lessons. I like the old porch style, music. I enjoy the straightforwardness & simplicity of your lessons. I also appreciate your testimony for our Lord Jesus Christ! Thanks again, Keep up the good work. Dwayne, South Mississippi
Thank you for the kind comment. I am doing a lot better. I'm glad you enjoy the videos, that is an encouragement to me. I'm going to try to start doing more when I'm able. God has a plan, I don't know what it is quite yet but I trust He wants what is best for us. Now I have to learn to wait upon the Lord for His perfect plan. Blessings in Christ. Shawn.
I am interested in playing, been trying three finger without much success, want to try two finger cause I like the banjo sound. I like playing old times music specially gospel and old timey country
If you watch my banjo lessons, you will be able to play the banjo. Always remember when you watch them, go fast-learn slow but go slow-learn fast. Blessings in Jesus Christ my friend.
Thanks for posting these lessons. I really like the sound of 2 finger and wonder if it could be used as backup by simply playing over chords. If so, how would you approach that technique. Thanks, Rick
It can definitely make a good backup. My suggestion is to learn to play by ear and watch the guitar as it changes chords and you can follow. Blessings in Jesus Christ.
Moved up to a Gold tone banjo and now I can play all my songs properly-3 finger and 2 finger - both sound great now, but the 2-finger means I can play Jingle Bells with no tabs. A really good hymn for 2 finger is Higher Ground by Charles H. Gabriel. Now I can play Red River Valley and will the Circle be unbroken 2 finger with no tabs or books necessary! We have a bleuegrass festival in Hixon, BC in May, so I am looking forward to actually playing something there!
This is great to hear. The best thing you can do to enjoy the banjo to the max it to do what you are doing, weaning yourself off of tab. As far as I'm concerned, you cannot enjoy the banjo to it's fullest until you can learn to play good by ear. Tab is a wonderful beginning tool but it is not something you want to get used to using. The more songs you play without tab the better you will get and not need to use tab. Enjoy your bluegrass festival. Blessings in Jesus Christ.
Thanks. Prayers for your healing. Now I can play Amazing gr., Will the Circle and the Hallelujia Side, 2 finger style. I am going to try as many hymns as I can using your 2-finger rolls. I already have lots of chances to play at Long Term Care places. Having done Will the Circle with 3-finger rolls, 2-finger is easier and I can immediately sit down and play through the song. I am going to experiment with pull-offs, etc with the songs you showed us and I await Lesson 7.
This is wonderful news. First of all, thank you for your prayers, that means everything. My wife and I wanted to play in Long Term Care places ourselves. As soon as the Lord sees fit and I can get better, we plan on doing that too. It is so refreshing to see you taking the gift God has given you and doing good in Jesus' name. Something tells me you are going to become a really good 2 finger banjo player. I just think that is awesome because for me, there is no better sound that you can get out of the banjo except the 2 finger style. Don't get me wrong, it is always exciting to see someone rip into the banjo like JD Crowe but for me it is the peace and tranquility that 2 finger offers. I hope to be doing lessons soon and maybe #7. God bless you, my wife and I will be praying for you and what you are wanting to do with that banjo is absolutely wonderful. It is all about sharing. In Jesus Christ. Shawn
I don’t know if you still check these or not… but bless you brother!!! I bought a banjo last week. My first instrument… just something about the sound of it speaks to me. Well, I set out on RU-vid to find some lessons to learn how to play.. I must have watched about 4-5 different peoples beginner video… totally lost me… then…. I stumbled upon you my friend…. And I just feel so connected to you… be blessed through his grace my brother in Christ… thank you for all the effort and work you put into there videos
Preach it brother! I just learned your two finger style Amazing Grace. I took up banjo to do street mission work and to keep me away from secular music in my Old Time Fiddler group. I am often very tired from work and your easy style is healing, especially when you talk about the Lord. Keep it up.
I'm so grateful and blessed by your fine comment. That means so much to me. I'm recovering from a couple of strokes and it has been well over a year since I've done any videos. I hope to be doing videos again soon. Blessings in Jesus Christ.
I do have a question? I have played the 2 finger guitar for a longtime where I rotate thumb and finger back and forth. Is it important that I use thumb twice on the banjo or can I rotate 1 thumb, i finger back and forth. ? I am practicing thumb twice but kind of stuck in rotating 1 to 1 pattern. To better explain I use the John Prine pattern. Sample song "" I remember Everything. "" I will follow your advice. God bless
