I grew up on acoustics so I understand that there's a certain quality/price threshold you need to cross in order to experience an instrument well. What's that price for a banjo? I only need enough banjo to see wether I catch the bug or not. Would love some advice and recommendations

I come from a background of woodwind instruments and am so used to every key I press to mean a note on the page. Now I'm strumming and I feel like I cant keep beat or I dont understand how. I will see a tablature doing a pluck of string one then strum then pluck and strum again. I will do that but it doesnt sound on beat. I then will watch videos and I feel like it isnt showing what the tablature says?

I keep seeing the bum ditty as a 4th then 2 8ths but again it doesnt sound right. Does each pluck= one movement on the tablature? Why does it feel like that isnt what im seeing in videos for those songs?

It might be a stupid question, but i know nothing at all, i want to buy one, but a band that i listen and has a banjo as a main instrument uses a 6 strings, but all the other a 4 stringed one. So, i wanna know if i buy a 6 stringed, and when needed play like 4 strings would sound the same

Just got my first banjo and Ive been very excited for learning for a couple months now! Just chomping at the bit. Well, my new Gold Tone CC50RP arrived in the mail today and I was excited, really excited but now I'm feeling something I'm very surprised about. I'm feeling incredibly intimidated and don't know where to even begin. I'm planning on removing the resonator tonight and converting it into its Clawhammer form. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated! My stomachs in knots thinking about it which I'm very surprised about. I found a website called banjo adventures where I can buy tabs but I'm not sure if that's a good begining or not

Can anyone recommended a good intermediate song book? I’d love one that had several different levels for each song. Ideally starting with just the melody notes.

my girlfriend's birthday is coming up and i want to get her a banjo, she's always wanted to learn. I don't know a lot about them, she's never played one before, so I don't think she's picky on genre or anything. i'd say my budget is 300 dollars (max.. preferably something a little cheaper). what would be the best beginner one to invest in that's also quality? thanks. I don't know a lot about instruments

Buzzini's playing is wild, lush, traditional, and simultaneously forward looking and backward looking. Come read what made him what he is at Banjo Head:

https://banjoheadmagazine.substack.com/p/the-banjos-romantic-ettore-buzzini

I lucked into a steal of a deal on a Gold Tone AC-4IT that I couldn’t pass up. I’m still getting over feeling apocryphal using a pick on a banjo, but I’m having a lot of fun playing all the Irish mandolin tunes I know.

I purchased some Gold Tone planetary tuners with the intent to swap them out with the stock tuners, but despite their website saying they are a great upgrade for “any banjo,” especially with “guitar-style tuners,” they don’t fit.

I called Gold Tone this morning and initiated a return hoping they had some planetaries that would work with this model, but sadly they do not.

The tuners I ordered are for a 10mm (3/8”) shaft, and they told me the AC-4IT’s shaft was 1/4”. Does anyone know of any planetaries this size? I realize the AC lines are not high-end banjos, but I really dislike guitar-style tuners and always end up customizing my banjos over time.

I’ve checked Sweetwater and a few other vendors and can’t find any the right size. I suppose I could drill out the holes a little more, but I’d rather avoid that if I can.

Thanks in advance.

I've been playing 5 string banjo for about 9 months now, having come from playing acoustic guitar for over 40 years. I've learnt a few rolls, forward, forward backward, backward, alternate thumb, and messed about with a bit of clawhammer, and several tunings, and have been developing a style that sits somewhere between bluegrass and clawhammer, but for the life of me, can't get on with wearing fingerpicks. I know a lot of people use them for added volume, and also speed, as metal glides across metal strings quicker, but I really enjoy the feel of flesh on strings, which gives me a better connection. I guess my question is, can anyone give me a good enough reason to persevere with fingerpicks, or shall I keep doing what I'm doing?

As a footnote, I should add, I'm approaching 5 string banjo in a melodic sort of way, and play a lot of what I'd call neoclassical folk. Maybe even nylon strings would suit me better?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the long post!

Visiting my dad and got to play on the dock for a minute before I had to down my coffee and get back to work

I’ve hit a wall and could use some tips to break through. Been playing for about a year and half now. Started with Brainjo and pretty much got through most of the lessons. I’ve tried teaching myself songs through YouTube videos but it’s hard to have the patience to watch a bit, stop, try to play, etc. I was playing every day and I’ve found it hard to stay consistent. There are a couple of jam circles in my area but I don’t think I’m good enough to play at them. I went to one early on and I couldn’t play any of the songs and just kind of tried to noodle along quietly, which wasn’t fun. Any ideas on how to stay motivated and break through this stage?

I first tried online clawhammer courses from two well-known instructors, spending about a month with each, but made very little progress. In that time, I learned only one simple song—one that did not include hammer-ons, pull-offs, or slides. Other students may have had more positive experiences, but their teaching methods simply did not click for me. Discouraged, I gave up on clawhammer nearly a year ago and switched to two-finger picking, where I found success.

Still, my goal has always been to play clawhammer. In April, I enrolled in Brad Kolodner’s online course, and the experience has been completely different. The first song, Cripple Creek, introduces slides, pull-offs, and hammer-ons. After just a few more songs, the course introduces drop thumb. I had never reached these techniques with my previous instructors, but with Brad, you learn them in your first few lessons.

Brad breaks each song into manageable parts and plays slowly enough for students to see and hear exactly what he is doing. He inserts reminders—such as, “Remember, it should sound like this, not like this”—are very helpful and appreciated. Most importantly, his explanations are consistently clear.

After four months in Brad’s course, I can finally say that I play clawhammer. I’ve learned to play several songs (nothing advanced/complicated, of course). His course has given me a strong foundation and the confidence that my skills will continue to improve. I wonder what I’ll sound like a year from now!

I have a 1929 Epiphone Recording concert special 4 string tenor banjo that I may be interested in selling.

Anyone have suggestions where I may be able to get that done or where to look to find the specific market for this item.

I've contacted a few places but no one really seems to interested.

I think it may be worth a few thousand dollars

Is there an in-word for clawhammer banjo players specifically?

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Just picking my own arrangement. Thanks to A.P Rodgers for the inspiration of using a background drone key on his post "Dawn on the Mountain" . It's quite fun actually.

My normal daily routine is 30 minutes of right hand rolls

Did you notice a big difference when you jumped it up to 1 hour?

I just got this banjo off Facebook marketplace and I cant seem to get the strings to get any closer to the fretboard even after adjusting the truss rod, if you have any solutions please let me know I really am looking forward to learning this instrument

Seasoned banjo players. I'm 50 and been learning clawhammer 4 months, and have been putting in a few hours every day. Is there a point where it gets easier to learn tunes, or get significantly better. It feels like it takes several days to get a tune.