Music Education

Learning Banjo - Basic Frailing or Clawhammer

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Chords

Let's get a couple of chords down so we can get you playing a couple of tunes.

Creating a chord diagram is kind of tricky in plain text- so I just set up a tab for the first five frets on your banjo neck The numbers on the staff show you where to put your fingers to make the chord, and the recommended finger to use.

You already know one chord- open G- so there is no need for a G chord diagram.

When you are making your chords keep in mind that you don't have to press too hard. A lighter touch will also help you in the speed department down the road.

For hand position, draw an imaginary line down the back of your banjo neck and keep the ball of your thumb right about there. You'll want to get a nice arch to your fingers so that you don't hit two strings at the same time.

If your hand hurts stop. Walk away for an hour and come back.

There's a lot more to chording- but this isn't the time or place to cover that. Mess with your chords. Try to get them sounding nice and clean.

Now, let's play a tune.

Boil Them Cabbage Down is a neat old tune you can play using your C, F and open G chords. The song follows your basic strum all the way through. It's a LOT easier to get if you sing while you play.

Let's take a look at the TAB file:

Boil Them cabbage Down