No need to retune the banjo to play in any key, correct. We do use capos at times to help us, though, which is kind of like retuning a banjo: https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/banjo-capo-strategy-banjo
Discuss the Banjo lesson: Unlock the Banjo Neck with Patterns
3 Likes
I’ll bet I’ve played this pattern up and down the neck a hundred times and suddenly…something clicked and I THINK I JUST FIGURED OUT A SWEET “BREAK” FOR AMAZING GRACE based on this lesson! First one!
Have no idea how to write it down but it’s worth remembering!!!
The world has opened up !!!
Thank you for handing us the keys to SOOOO much more variety! Would be fun to play it for you–
7 Likes
Very informative . have studied the entire up the neck chord progressions with you and and Allen Munde. I now know every one of those positions and his roll ideas. I can definitely move up and down the keyboard for quick backup rolls chokes, etc. however, that is not playing the song.
I am finding the concept of playing a song in c by using the C chord. Very confusing . That changes all the chord positions of the song yet still finding the tune, correct? How do you work that out . The finger positions need to be changed and re written using the chords on the key of C. That seems hard at my level of play. Is there a lesson that helps play a song from c and d positions? I don’t think I am processing this , lol.
4 Likes
You can search on this page by picking a filter at the left (under tags or collection) and it will bring up the corresponding lessons…
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/filters/instruments:banjo
Here are some examples:
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/filters/instruments:banjo;tags:c-tuning
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/filters/instruments:banjo;tags:c-tuning,d-tuning
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/filters/instruments:banjo;tags:key-of-c
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/filters/instruments:banjo;tags:key-of-d
hope this helps
Dave
4 Likes
Hello Ben, I am just starting to watch some of the banjo videos. I am a guitar player but have a banjo and am considering jumping in. I watched this video and wondered if you would consider doing the same for the guitar. Also something similar to Alan Munde’s fretboard geography for guitar would be incredible. Thanks!!
4 Likes
This is a great lesson, and is right up there with Alan Munde’s fretboard geography. They are both among your finest and most informative. In this lesson, it looks to me that you’re taking the first and second strings from Munde’s 2nd position (barre) chords. But when you get to the C chord, you change the pattern, saying there is something different about the C scale. I think Munde’s patterns work for any chord, so I’m not sure why in C you wouldn’t use back-to back two-string barre chards as you do in G and D. Can you explain what I’m missing? Thanks. (Obviously, I love consistent patterns, and have tried to ferret this out, but just can’t see the difference.)
3 Likes
Howdy Jack! I’m a bit confused by your question. I looked at the tab again and the C chord movements in measures 13-14 and following are the same as the D, only 2 frets lower.
3 Likes
I wondered if this was going to make sense. If you go to about the 8:20 point of your theory video, you’ll see that you comment about changing the pattern for C. I think you’ll see it on the tab, too. The connection I made (because I had just finished another review of Fretboard Geography) is that your two-note chords are 2/3 of Munde’s three note chords -in what he calls his “2” position, or what most of us call barre. So, looking at G, I think of the progression as 2/3 of a G chord, 2/3 of an F# dim, 2/3 of an Em, 2/3 of a Dm and so on. This works perfectly in D, too. But in C, you change it up. I’m looking for 2/3 of Bdim, but you don’t use the barre there. That’s why I’m confused.
3 Likes
Mind = blown.
4 Likes
Perhaps the best lesson on the site. Lot’s to take in and lots to use with this stuff!
1 Like
I love this lesson- I am trying to learn the up the neck licks and this helps a lot, ill watch a couple times, have you any more lessons kinda like this one - Im not to good on the computer so I have trouble getting around your sight but Im working on it lol - Bob
1 Like
Check this one out @bobfelton
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/gettin-up-the-neck-with-blackberry-blossom-banjo
1 Like
I’m just starting this lesson. I have simple question about the exercises, starting at measure 9. The accompaniment chords do not seem to follow the banjo tabs. So measure 9 for example, switches to D halfway through the measure, but this is not indicated by a chord change above. Same for measures 11, 13, etc. Is there a reason for this?
2 Likes
I believe that’s because that D7 roll is very brief in passing, and we immediately land back at the G position. If another musician were playing rhythm, it would make more sense to stay on G rather than switch chord positions for one beat. In other words, we’re playing notes that are in the D7 chord, but the SONG is still on the G chord. Someone else more knowledgeable can correct me if this is wrong. 
Thanks Michael. It seems like the chord change would be easy enough. There’s no audio recording with this lesson to listen to what the accompaniment would do. I wonder what others think?
Howdy @nschlueter!
Great question. Please note that the banjo can play whatever notes it wants to over whatever chord–the question is not “if you can?”, but rather “if it sounds good?” One goal of this lesson is to move from one G pattern to another and find “legal” (meaning, good-sounding) notes to get you there. That’s what we’re doing in measure 9, and we know it’s going to sound good because of where we’re getting those notes. Those notes are found by using patterns that we’ve learned. I hope that answers your question!
3 Likes
Thank you, Ben! That is helpful. If playing through the G chord while the banjo dips to a D chord and back to G sounds good, it works. I’ll have to try it with my 12-year old strummer and see how it sounds!
1 Like
So I’m trying to work through this with a backing track and this is all I’ve got so far. I’m going to try to do other stuff, but I seem to be in the rut of doing pretty much this same thing over and over.
Looking at this I find the profile is none too flattering. Ah, well… the life of a banjo picker.
3 Likes
This video is exactly what have been needing. Thanks a bunch.
1 Like
I loved the theory-application style of this lesson. I just used it for back up in “Put Your Hand in the Hand”
1 Like