In my years teaching clawhammer banjo, I’ve found that once students have mastered some of the more basic mechanics (i.e. bum-ditty, pull-offs, slides, hammer-ons, simple chords, drop-thumb,  rhythm fundamentals), things generally go smoothly up to a point -  that is,...

In the decades I’ve spent teaching 5-string banjo, a fairly common (and thoroughly reasonable) question usually crops among banjo newcomers just before the first lesson. This question takes many different forms, but usually goes something like this...“What kind of...

Since I began teaching banjo some three plus decades ago, I’ve had the pleasure of helping hundreds of banjo students attain a level of facility on the instrument. Along the way, I’ve noticed a common issue that most students wrestle with at one time or another along...

If you’ve recently embarked on your bluegrass banjo journey and have begun looking at fingerpicks (or perhaps have already bought a set), you’ve probably noticed that both fingerpicks and thumbpicks come in two basic varieties: metal and plastic. So which do you...

Poring over online clawhammer forums this morning, I was struck by the amount of confusion there is over which finger to use – index or middle - in the clawhammer strum. Before I take a crack at this question, let me first provide some background. When I started...

Thinking back to the days when I was beginning my clawhammer journey, I remember picking up a copy of Ken Perlman’s “Everything You Wanted to Know About Clawhammer Banjo” at my local library. That night, I began working through the book starting from page one. Things...

As a banjo teacher with years of experience helping beginning banjo students find their sea legs as bluegrass players, one issue that always seems to crop up is the age-old problem of getting your picks to stop scraping against the drum head while playing. And, as...

(Above photo courtesy of Rhiannon Giddens) If you’re somewhat new to banjo, one thing you may have noticed is how many different types of banjos are actually out there. Banjos with resonators, open-back banjos, 4-string banjos, banjos with ridiculously long necks...

Welcome to Banjo Mountain! This video breaks down how the site works and will help get you up and running quickly. You'll learn how to start a course, mark a lesson complete, track your progress as well as navigate the site.

Welcome! We couldn't be more pleased to have you at the Mountain and we want to make sure that your path to learning banjo starts off smoothly! Here are some tips to help you make the most out of Banjo Mountain. 1. Decide Which Style You Will Learn: Bluegrass or...