Sailor’s Hornpipe is a well known, traditional hornpipe, played at an up-beat tempo, in the key of G (standard tuning). With a jolly melody and a focus on the melodic technique, the tune features arpeggios, some great scale movement, modulation and movement up & down the neck of the banjo. If you’re familiar with the melodic G major scale, it will help you get started, as I’d suggest this tune is suited to the advancing intermediate picker. Go to lesson...
The Temperance Reel is a popular fiddle tune, with a fantastic melody and chord progression. In the key of G (standard tuning), there are 2 parts, played at a quick tempo. The techniques required (melodic, single-string & rolling) as we cover the movement of the melody are suited to the advanced picker, but we’ll break this down within the lessons. Go to lesson...
‘O Come All Ye faithful’ is a beautiful Christmas carol and in this chord melody banjo lesson, we’ll learn a variation that supports the melody in both 2 & 3 part harmony. In the key of G (standard tuning), the dynamic rises and falls as the harmony moves in and out of 2 & 3 part, creates a lovely sense of contrast to the piece. The Go to lesson...
Turkey In The Straw is a popular American folk song, commonly played as an instrumental in bluegrass sessions. In the key of G, the banjo is in standard tuning (gDGBD) and the melodic technique is a feature of this arrangement. This arrangement is a perfect follow up for the Introduction To Melodic Banjo course, and well suited to the intermediate picker. Go to lesson...
The Sailor’s Wife is a traditional Irish jig (6/8), played at a fast tempo, in the key of Dm, and the banjo is in standard tuning (gDGBD). The structure of the melody provides some challenging picking passages and left-hand movement, making it an appropriate study for the advanced intermediate picker. As part of the lesson, we’ll analyse the melody and picking technique within the 6/8 time signature and learn a fun tune! Go to lesson...
The Flowers Of Edinburgh is traditional Scottish reel, played at a medium/fast tempo, in the key of G (standard tuning). Well suited to the intermediate picker, and with a fluent knowledge of the melodic G Major scale, this tune is awfully fun to pick. Part A uses the melodic G major scale found at the 5th position, while Part B takes us further up to the neck with some lovely movement. Go to lesson...
In this lesson, we’ll take a look at a Scruggs/Melodic arrangement of You Are My Sunshine, in the key of G and we’re in standard tuning on the 5 string. With two variations, the first is a little more straight and features the melody a little closer, while the second variation introduces more blue note and fills around the melody. Go to lesson...
Cooley’s Reel is a traditional Irish reel in the key of Em (Dorian) and we’re in standard tuning on the 5 string. It has a great feel and features some difficult passages that use arpeggios and triplet slurs, all while giving your right-hand a brilliant work out, combining single-string, melodic & rolls. Go to lesson...
The Kid On The Mountain is traditional Irish slip jig (9/8), played at a fast tempo, in the key of Em (standard tuning). There are five parts to the tune, each containing some excellent picking passages that require us to accent the 3 beats found in each measure, whilst ensuring we apply an appropriate picking technique, that incorporates both the melodic & single-string techniques. Go to lesson...
The Connaughtman’s Rambles is a great jig in the key of D (standard tuning), played at a fast tempo, and suited to the advanced picker. There are two parts to the tune; both of which are extremely challenging for the picking hand, with some unorthodox combinations appropriate for the movement of the melody. Go to lesson...