How to Increase Banjo Picking Speed: The Right Way to Practice

One of the most common goals for banjo players is to increase their picking speed. But how do we learn to play banjo faster? The key lies in practicing with the right approach—and it's not about rushing the process.

The Mistake of Forcing Speed

First things first: you never want to force your tempo when playing banjo. Trying to practice at your maximum speed is a common mistake many beginner and intermediate banjo players make. While it may seem tempting to push yourself to play as fast as possible, doing so will unquestionably hinder your progress.

Why is this? When you force your speed, your playing tends to become sloppy. You'll likely sacrifice clean, accurate picking in favor of speed, and over time, those sloppier habits will become ingrained in your playing. Once those bad habits are instilled, they’re much harder to break. So, if you're serious about increasing your banjo-picking speed, slow down your practice and focus on accuracy. Like...go EXTRA slow and really focus on precision.

Slow Down for Better Accuracy

As we've said, the best way to increase your tempo is to practice slowly. Whenever you're practicing a song, a lick, or a phrase, you should practice it at a tempo slower than what feels comfortable or natural. This slower tempo allows you to focus on precision.

When you play slowly, you have more time to ensure that every note you play is clean and accurate. If you’re learning a new song or phrase, start with the first measure or the first phrase. Play it as slowly as possible, focusing on every note, every articulation, and the overall phrasing. The goal is to get it perfect at a slow speed before even considering increasing the tempo.

Gradually Increase Speed (with Precision!)

Once you're comfortable with the phrase at a slow tempo, you can start increasing the speed of your picking, without sacrificing clean and precise playing. If you notice that your notes start to sound rushed or sloppy, slow back down to a manageable pace. Only increase the tempo once you're able to play each section cleanly at the slower speed. A metronome is key to this process. If you are working slowly at 40bpm. Once you feel very clean and precise, move up to 50bpm. Stay there for as many days as it takes before increasing speed.

Breaking Down the Song

If you're working on a new song, don't just play through the whole piece from start to finish. You should play from start to finish, from time to time. But the majority of your practice should be breaking the song down into smaller sections (either by measure or by phrase). Focus on each individual phrase, and make sure you're mastering one section at a time before moving on to the next. After you've perfected the first phrase, move on to the next. Continue this process for every section of the song.

Once you feel confident with each phrase, you can start to put them together. Your banjo prowess is coming together! It might be a bit slower than you'd like at first, but don’t rush it. Over time, you can begin to increase your tempo—gradually and with control.

Isolating Difficult Sections

If you find yourself struggling with a particular section of a song or a difficult lick, don’t hesitate to break it down even further. Isolate the challenging parts and slow them down. Working through the tough spots will help you build solid, accurate technique that you can rely on when you return to the full song or lick. To reiterate: breaking down the song doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of time on easy phrases, but you do need to spend as much time as is required to get the tricky sections down. As banjo players, we tend to avoid the tricky parts because they are frustrating. But the tricky parts are where the majority of our practice should be focused because we won't be able to play the song quickly until we dominate those sections.

The Real Goal: Clean Technique and Confidence

The true goal is to develop a clean, accurate, and confident banjo picking technique. Speed will naturally come as a byproduct of consistent, slow practice with proper technique. So take your time with each phrase, break it down, and make sure you're playing it correctly before moving on to the next section.

With patience, persistence, and focused practice, you'll see your speed and accuracy improve over time. Keep working on it, and you'll be playing faster—and more importantly, cleaner—before you know it!

Check out our blog article Unlock the Banjo in Three Easy Chord Shapes.