Non-Bluegrass Grooves on Banjo

Gear from this lesson

• Banjo Ben Stainless Steel Wound 5-String Banjo Strings (Light or Medium) View in store →
• Elliott Elite 1.45" Polished Stainless Twist Frame Banjo/Mandolin Capo View in store →
• Sammy Shelor Stainless Steel Finger Picks (Pair) View in store →
• BlueChip JD Crowe Thumb Pick View in store →

1. BC

   Ben Clark Leader · 9 Jan

   https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/non-bluegrass-grooves-on-banjo-banjo-intermediate You settle up to the campfire with your banjo. People smile, awkwardly. You see guitars, but not a dreadnought in site. As you finish tuning, the singer calls out, “Hey banjo player, know any REO Speedwagon?” If this makes your heart rate rise, this lesson is for you.

2. BC

   Ben Clark Leader · 9 Jan

   Thanks for the inspiration, @Brent.H

3. TC

   Tim Calhoon · 9 Jan

   WOW! I never heard Tony in that context before! Free🐦

4. MM

   Michael Mark Leader · 9 Jan

   I’d be really interested in hearing any of y’all put this to work over a song of your choice!

5. TC

   Tim Calhoon · 9 Jan

   I don’t have a banjo, but I’m going to try applying it to the mandolin. Maybe use the mandolin ballad backup series as a guide.

6. AC

   Archie Cairns Leader · 9 Jan

   Now why didn’t you come up with this lesson 10 years ago @BanjoBen ? With the kind of pickers I played with I could have been a Banjo Headliner starring in a rock band today. I should add we were all dead beats. ie None of us could ever find the groove

7. TP

   Ty Presley · 10 Jan

   This was a much needed lesson for me, thanks! I have to play a lot of country songs and I don’t know what to play half the time. It’s clear that I’ve been playing too many notes and missing the groove.

8. BC

   Ben Clark Leader · 10 Jan

   TPresley: It’s clear that I’ve been playing too many notes and missing the groove. Dude, that’s a huge realization. Awesome.

9. TH

   Tom Hejza · 10 Jan

   This is great lesson and long overdue! How about a lesson series now for banjo and the Blues?

10. J(

    John (Lifetime Member) · 10 Jan

    I’ve tried playing along with Sea of No Cares by Great Big Sea with my daughter playing on her guitar and I sunk. I…sea…more floating in my future. May have a before and after video comparison when I get this down. Now for some light housekeeping.

11. JP

    James Papagni · 10 Jan

    Ben, this is a great lesson. It touches on so many things, listening, hearing, timing, adjusting to the groove, and more. It was fun to watch you as you were thinking and working through a basic fit to the groove and then trying to make it more interesting. Thanks for putting this together.

12. JB

    Joseph Brosk · 10 Jan

    OK, this is brilliant! It’s more about “how to play the banjo” than how to play a song. Thanks, Ben. This is just what I’ve been looking for!

13. HB

    Hermann Beissler · 10 Jan

    Hi Ben, really an excellent lesson, and I like being able to see you work this out while in the midst of it, being something that challenges your listening to what’s being played, timing, imagination and then find a way to play along and make it sound even better. Mostly what happens in a jam, actually. Thanks!

14. BH

    Brent Helmick · 10 Jan

    I am beyond grateful. This lesson is on point and this ‘situational learning’ really helps prepare for the ‘real world’ scenarios. And the Lord keeps teaching me that failing is progressing. So don’t hesitate to take the banjo to the next gathering and embrace whatever happens (I’m talking to myself here).

15. GG

    Garland Glenn · 10 Jan

    This was a really useful lesson. I’ve played banjo for 40+ yrs but I’ve never been a bluegrass player. I use it as an occasional accent sound and this is exactly the approach I’ve used. Thanks so much for giving some structure and clarity for me.

16. RP

    Richard Prince · 12 Jan

    Oh This lesson is fun. I would love to see some of those licks leading the ear on tab. I’m sure I can figure out some of them but would still love to see what you were doing every time you were doing it. Those are really nice.

17. RC

    robert coughlin · 12 Jan

    As a guitar player just starting banjo, this was a great lesson. My guitar brain took me straight to John Prine’s Clay Pigeons. It’s a sweet and emotional song that may be a bit obnoxious if you played it Bluegrass Style. With this method it can be played sweetly on the banjo. Less is more…

18. DS

    Dennis Schuler · 20 Jan

    I love this lesson. We always play a pop or country song in our set lists. These ideas give me a starting place. Thanks you !

19. NW

    Nathan Waters · 27 Jan

    Wow! I’m so new to this Ben and we just recently joined as lifetime members. My kids are both homeschooled so we did it as part of their scholarship. I’ve been in bluegrass my whole life and a huge amount of thanks for really homing it in for my kids was my friends Southern Legacy who truly made my kids want to get more into it. I’m so thrilled and exited to be a part of this community you’ve built and I’m doing all I can to get ahead of this so I can reach my kids the lessons and explain it to them. Thanks again and hello all! Great lesson! I honestly think you should make this a fundamentals lesson! Also, I will be in contact soon as I hope you can help me with this huge initiative I’ve been working on for over 3 years to get Bluegrass into Public education and rebirth bluegrass in Polk County Florida as a blueprint and then to the whole state of Florida and all around the country. It’s being introduced in a documentary that will soon be announced and I would love to have your curriculum as a part of this. Thanks again Ben!

20. TP

    Tom Powell · 27 Jan

    Recently I went to watch a jam of mostly old country music - Willie, Johnny, Merle, Waylon. We don’t have any bluegrass jams around here. I noticed the banjo player was not exactly “embraced” as part of the group. They were mostly kind, but jokes like “banjo players need to sit in the other room” kind of gave away their true feelings. I assumed the problem was the banjo volume, and that might be part of it, but with this lesson I realize the main problem was a bluegrass groove not fitting the music. It gives me hope that maybe I could give it a try at some point. The other encouraging part is that I can be a real banjo player and jam even if I don’t get to 200bpm! PS - loved the Taylor Swift clip. Sent it to my grandaughters. I told them the crowd was cheering for you.