You’ll be hooked on the banjo for life when you’re able to play with other musicians in jam sessions. Here’s a checklist of what to bring to your next jam:
Your banjo
A capo
A strap
A tuner
Maybe a songbook (but not a banjo tab book — that’s bad form!)
A recording device (such as your cellphone) to record new tunes
Here’s an inventory of the skills you should start working on now to enjoy beginning group playing:
How to get and keep your banjo in tune
How the guitar player makes G, C, and D chords
How to use the capo to play in various keys
How to make your chords, beginning with G, C, D, and D7, and how to use these chords with the capo to play in other keys
How to make movable major chords shapes (barre, F, and D shapes) and how to vamp
How to use simple roll patterns to create a basic accompaniment
How to teach others a song that you can play (like “Cripple Creek”!)
How to feel comfortable not looking at your instrument while playing, so you can look up at others
How to make room for other banjo players in a jam
How to find others in your local area who play at your experience level or who are slightly better (which is ideal for you!)
And here’s an inventory of the skills you should start working on to enjoy intermediate group playing:
How to follow chord progressions with minor chords in the key of G and progressions in the keys of C and D
How to make minor and seventh chords
How to effectively communicate in a jam
How to play the same song at different tempos
How to kick off and end a song
How to transition into and play a banjo solo in the middle of a song
How to play forward-roll down-the-neck backup
How to play up-the-neck backup using “In the Mood” and D-shape licks
How to use G, C, and D licks to begin to create your own solos
How to use fill-in licks to enhance both lead and backup playing
How to “hear” chord progressions on the fly
How to accompany waltz time and slow songs
How to play fiddle tunes in melodic style
Most musicians welcome beginners at jams. If you find a group of people you think you’ll enjoy playing with, sit in on a session and keep a list of what they play — both the names of the songs and the keys. Then go home and start working on those songs!
