BANJO MOUNTAIN
Beginner Clawhammer Lessons
Join hundreds of players who have found success learning clawhammer banjo following our lessons.
Holding the Banjo
This is the foundation of your clawhammer banjo playing, and you don't want to skip it.
You want to keep the banjo from slouching away from you at an angle. This often happens if you are slouching on the couch as opposed to sitting upright with the banjo close to your midsection.
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Lesson 2 | Right Hand Basics
In this lesson, we’ll look at your right hand, how and where to place it over the drum head as well as proper positioning and shape of your fingers for strumming and picking in clawhammer style.
Lesson 3 | Positioning the Fretting Hand
You can’t hope to play the banjo well if your fretting hand isn’t holding the neck properly. In this lesson we tackle the correct way to position your fretting hand and fingers on the neck and fretboard.
Lesson 4 |Fretting Basics
Ok, time to learn what the heck a fret is and where they are on the banjo. We’ll also look at the proper placement of your fingers on the fretboard and why keeping them nice and arched is so important.
Lesson 5 | Tuning
Feeling a little daunted at the prospect of keeping your banjo in tune? With the tips in this lesson, we hope to take some of the apprehension and dread out of maintaining a well-tuned banjo. Follow all the steps and tuning your 5-string banjo should be a breeze!
You'll continue learning the clawhammer banjo fundamental skills...
You Are My Sunshine
You Are My Sunshine is a great song from our Beginner Songs section. It's an instantly recognizable tune that is very approachable to learn as your first song. Here it is as a free gift to you!
Learn Banjo Now!Next we build your Clawhammer Song Library...
You've learned all the fundamental clawhammer skills to learn your first song and now we will teach you the essential bluegrass beginner songs...
- June Apple
- 9 Pound Hammer
- Bile 'Em Cabbage Down
- Buffalo Gals
- Cold Frosty Morning
- Crawdad Song
- Cripple Creek
- Going Down That Road Feeling Bad
- Ground Hog
- Handsome Molly
- I'll Fly Away
- Julianne Johnson
- Long Journey Home
- Man of Constant Sorrow
- Pretty Polly
- Sally Ann
- Sawmill Tuning
- Shady Grove
- This Land Is Your Land
- Tom Dooley
- Way Downtown
- Will The Circle Be Unbroken
- Worried Man
- You Are My Sunshine
Ready to see our Intermediate Clawhammer Section...
You'll learn all of the intermediate clawhammer skills to take you into more complex, beautiful and intricately arranged clawhammer songs!
View LessonsWe Will Help You Succeed Just Like...
Belinda M.
I Wanted to Play With My Husband!
"I wanted to play along with my husband and his guitar. Since joining Banjo Mountain I'm doing really well and my husband is impressed!"
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Steven P.
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Craig M.
Tired of Trying & Failing?
"Eureka! I found it. After 3 years of frustration and being stuck at the same old stage in banjo lessons, I found Banjo Mountain and I'm progressing!"
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