30 Days of Banjo: Day 4 // Time to Pick!

Looking for cool banjo merch?

Follow me on Instagram:

[Keninoz]

One of the hardest "ear" things as a guitar player is getting used to the 5th string on the banjo being a higher note than the lowest note is on a guitar that's in standard tuning.

[jerrycriner]

I really appreciate your simple/easy approach to learning in this series. I’m 14 days in and only on days 4/5, but I’m making progress. It might take me a couple months to get through 30 days but your lessons are short enough I don’t feel overwhelmed with the techniques each day. 👍

[Skweet]

the satisfaction of getting this down alone is beyond amazing.

[ladydynamite]

Eli, thank you so much. The way you are building skills on top of one another in digestible chunks is extremely accessible and really making the process of learning a new instrument so pleasant.

[furfoxsake]

Never played an instrument before. Really surprised at how quickly I'm picking everything up. Muscle memory kicked in for open strings so now I can stay focused on the tablature which makes it so much easier on my brain and neck. Wish I started sooner. Thanks a bunch

[conniefletcher]

This is brilliant—starting with a single finger, then the pinch, and now breaking the pinch into a roll. I’ve always started new students by jumping right in with the forward roll. Thank you so much!

[jeff-ngfm]

Thanks Eli, you're doing a global service

[BeardedSmith]

as someone who's been a guitarist for almost 20 years, the previous 3 lessons where super easy but this is where it gets interesting for me. The top string (the G you hit with your thumb) sounding higher than the strings below it is really fucking with my brain to pickinghand connection hahaha, thanks for these awesome lessons!

[GeorgeT]

Being a guitarist I basically flew through the first few videos in minutes and now I’m at the point where I’ve actually gotta practice more seriously than I have been. The tricky part for me was when looking at the fretboard I almost forget there’s 5th string even though I’m playing it and I’ll accidentally play the 4th string instead of the 3rd 😂 now I’ve gotten that down I’ve just gotta get used to the 5th string being the highest pitch, being a guitarist I’m used to the 5th being lower than the 4th so it’s a bit confusing but I’m definitely getting better. These videos are great 👍

[MarkGTerry]

This stuff is brilliant! It's broken into wonderful bite sized pieces that even I can handle. The first lesson was so simple, I couldn't see how it would lead anywhere. By the 4th lesson, all sorts of paths are already opening up. What a great teacher!!! Rather than offering up complicated drudgery that causes students to give up, Eli almost tricks you into playing. VERY VERY COOL!

[scygnius]

I am loving the style of these videos. They're professionally made, and your teaching style really seems to work for all different skillsets. I've seen a lot of comments which say the banjo has been rather hard for them and they can still follow along to this course. I've kinda toyed with a banjo off and on for the past few years, so my "fundamentals" are a little more trained than a complete newbie. That said, I'm still finding this course astronomically helpful. Thanks so much for making these.

[r.u.kidding]

Fantastic lessons and thank u. Wish u could show the Tab with each lesson !

[regandavis]

You and YouTube make learning banjo fun and exciting! Thank you for these simple yet satisfying lessons!

[Soulforsolstice]

Thanks for the reminder to take our time! I've already been going a bit slower but it's nice to hear that from you as well 😌

[leimaniax]

Another fabulous lesson. I come from guitar and it’s such strange space to be learning banjo - and loving it. Thank you for these lessons. Seeing incredible progress instead of dipping into a million different bits. Magical and great teaching.

[cherylcorkle]

You are one of the best teachers I’ve ever experienced-thank you so much I’m learning a lot from you.

[jacopoabbruscato]

It's super rewarding to feel the improvement day after day, bringing a piece from 60 to 120 bpm over the course of practice really gets me going

[ddhui]

I like the way you taught, not too fast and not too slow. Even though I m 99 years old( I feel my age), I can catch up and not overwhelm. Thank you!

[MaravilhaMary]

I'm sick with COVID and after a few days i decided to pick up my grandfather's banjo and give it a shot. This is really neat and the instructions are clear and helpful. Thank you. I feel like he's looking down with a smile.

[stephensatehs]

Thank you very much for this wonderful series of videos. I find your teaching style to be approachable and sincere and I appreciate your commitment to reinforcing fundamentals. I have never played a stringed instrument before and I am learning a great deal. Thank you!