You Should Learn How to Play a Banjo

One of my favorite instruments to play is the banjo. The ones I prefer are the open-back variety that are used to play Old Time or traditional Appalachian music with. If you click on the title you will hear a recording I made using a Civil War type of banjo which has a calf hide for the top or head and no frets like a fiddle or bowed instrument. I had this banjo made by Noel Booth from near Waynesville, North Carolina. The pot or round part of this banjo has a diameter of thirteen inches which is two inches larger than most banjos. This larger pot provides a deeper tone than a smaller one. 

Old time banjo is played by picking the string downward rather than how you would pick a guitar or how Blue Grass player. There are several YouTube instructional videos available to teach yourself some basic in case you are interested. 

Open-back banjos are not expensive. You can obtain a good sounding one for less than $500 and have a lot of fun in the process. 

Banjos have gained negative notoriety because those playing them are often depicted as uneducated and backward. This is unfounded as the ability to make music that sounds pleasing is not something just anyone can accomplish. 

The song I recorded is Sweet Sunny South by the way.