Category Archives: Intermediate Banjo

Estudio: Banjo

Estudio is a piece composed by Dionisio Aguado (1784-1849), who was a Spanish guitarist & composer during the late Classical & early Romantic periods. It is a popular beginner classical guitar piece, that sounds quite intriguing & haunting when picked on the banjo.

Typically played in Am, this arrangement is in key of Gm for the banjo, played up the neck to allow for the note range required. Go to lesson...

Rights of Man: Melodic Banjo

The Rights of Man is a traditional Celtic hornpipe in the key of Em. We’re in standard G tuning for this arrangement and the tune features the melodic technique, with a little single-string technique. Being a hornpipe, we’ll be swinging the 8th notes, with a feature triplet run that will get your finger’s moving! Go to lesson...

Bonaparte’s Retreat: Banjo

Bonaparte’s Retreat is a traditional tune in the key of D Major. This tune has such a great melody and within this arrangement we’ll focus on the the single-string technique plus playing out of the D chord shape while finding our melody notes. The form we’ll play for this version is ABBCBB, but once you know the parts, you may hear it played with a different structure, so be adaptable! Go to lesson...

Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine: Banjo

Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine is a traditional tune in the key of D Major and we are in standard ‘gDGBD’ tuning, which works really well for this melody using the D major scale. In this arrangement we’ll be using the melodic techniques.

There are 2 variations within this arrangement. Firstly, the basic melody, played using the melodic technique. Go to lesson...

Angeline The Baker: Melodic Banjo Lesson

In this banjo lesson we’ll take a look at a great arrangement of the traditional tune, Angeline The Baker. The tune is in the key of D Major and we are in ‘aDGBD’ tuning, which works really well for this melody using the D major scale. This is a popular session tune, and in this arrangement we’ll be using the melodic techniques. Go to lesson...

Whiskey Before Breakfast: Banjo Lesson

In this banjo lesson we’ll take a look at a great arrangement of the traditional tune, Whiskey Before Breakfast. The tune is in the key of D Major and we are in standard ‘gDGBD’ tuning. This is a popular session tune, and in this arrangement we’ll be using the single-string & melodic techniques – and the bonus – no re-tuning required! Go to lesson...

Click Go The Shears: Banjo Lesson

In this 3-finger banjo lesson we’ll take a look at an arrangement of the Traditional Australian Folk Song, Click Go The Shears. The tune is in the key of G Major and we are in standard tuning. The time signature we are in is 6/8 (two dotted quarter note beats per measure). Go to lesson...

Lord Inchiquin: Banjo Lesson

In this Celtic 3-finger banjo lesson we’ll take a look at a pretty arrangement of the Turlough O’Carolan tune, Lord Inchiquin. The tune is in the key of D Major and we are in ‘aDGBD’ tuning. Interestingly, the time signature we are in is 6/4 (six quarter note beats per measure). Go to lesson...

Blues Backup: Banjo Lesson

In this banjo lesson we’ll take a look at a method to play Blues Backup using the 7th chords and walking lines following the chords in the 12 bar blues, played in G. If you’ve been learning the blues licks from the previous lessons here, this lesson will be perfect for you to develop blues ideas for backing up other musicians. Go to lesson...

Childgrove: Banjo Lesson

In this banjo lesson we’ll take a look at Childgrove; a traditional English Country Dance. This arrangement is in the key of Am and it’s a great tune for the advancing beginner/intermediate picker, with 2 variations that use both the single-string & melodic techniques. Played at a slow/medium tempo, we’ll focus on the right-hand fingering needed to play both the techniques as we work our way through the tune. Go to lesson...