Are you looking for the easiest and best way to learn banjo online? If so, you’ve come to the right place!
The banjo is one of the most exciting instruments that produces melodious and unique sounds. It may seem hard to play, but we’ve come up with nine great online banjo lessons for beginners and more experienced players to help you master the art of banjo playing.
Keep reading and discover the best online banjo courses and learn to play this wonderful instrument in the shortest time and the most affordable from the comfort of your own home. Let’s get started.
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1. Banjo Lessons With Noam Pikelny On ArtistWorks
First on our list of the best online banjo lessons is “Banjo with Noam Pikelny.” This course offers a comprehensive video library of hundreds of lessons covering various styles such as bluegrass, 3-finger/Scruggs, melodic and single string, and others.
The lessons are presented in an easy and engaging way and are designed for all levels and styles of playing. They go from the fundamentals of banjo playing and break down every aspect of this art form to help you master all techniques and practical skills necessary to take your playing to the next level.
What sets this banjo course apart from other lessons offered online is that it gives you the possibility to submit videos for reviews through the site’s special video exchange platform. Videos are reviewed by the teacher, and each student gets the teacher’s response in the form of another video containing guidance to help you improve your playing.
Also, by becoming a member, you are getting unlimited access to the Video Exchange library, where you can find all submitted videos and the teacher’s responses.
As for the teacher, Noam Pikelny is considered one of the most talented banjoists of his generation.
He is a founding member of the Punch Brothers string ensemble and a proud winner of numerous awards, including the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year, and the Best Folk Album Grammy.
Sign up for this course today and enjoy access to lessons, a video exchange library, interaction with the teacher, and a music theory workshop, all from your home. This course allows you to learn a year’s worth of lessons in a very short time and at more than a reasonable price.
2. Banjo Lessons On TrueFire
Another fantastic resource for online banjo lessons is TrueFire. Truefire is one of the most voluminous online guitar lesson websites featuring over 51,770 lessons taught by some of the world’s finest teachers and award-winning musicians.
Apart from guitar lessons, this site offers a wide range of banjo courses as well, designed for all styles, ages, and levels. These courses cover everything from the fundamentals of banjo playing to the more advanced matters and playing intricate songs.
We’d recommend Ned Luberecki’s “Bluegrass Banjo Backup,” Cathy Fink’s “Clawhammer Banjo: Beginner Module 1,” and Brad Kolodner’s “Next Gen Clawhammer.”
Ned Luberecki’s “Bluegrass Banjo Backup” is organized into seven sections that cover approaches for basic and syncopated vamping, rolling backup, exercises on up-the-neck moves, passing chords, and many other things to help you perfect your banjo skills.
Cathy’s course guides you through all the basics, from tuning to right-hand techniques, scales, chords, pull-offs, hammers, and slides. You will learn to play popular banjo songs such as “Skip to My Lou,” “Sandy River Belle,” “Cripple Creek,” and many others.
Brad Kolodner’s course studies twelve techniques and concepts to improve Clawhammer playing. All lessons are broken down in detail to make sure you get a full grasp of all aspects and perfect your playing.
No matter which course you choose, you won’t go wrong. All are taught by amazing and talented teachers with extensive experience in performing and teaching, and all of them offer great value for money and can set you on the path to becoming a good banjo player.
3. Beginner 5 String Banjo: Learn Banjo From Scratch On Udemy
The next one is “Beginner 5 String Banjo,” which you can find on Udemy. This is a paid course designed for both kids and adults, absolute beginners, and those who already have some experience playing banjo.
The lessons are broken down into the smallest details. They are simple to follow and understand and will help you acquire all the necessary knowledge and practical skills to succeed at playing the banjo.
This course will guide you through the basics and teach you a shortcut to playing the banjo so you can learn all the fundamental aspects quickly.
It will allow you to play banjo in time with real musicians on the backing track and have much fun in the process. You will learn interesting beginner tricks that will make your playing even more enjoyable.
The lessons are taught by a teacher with years of performing and teaching experience all over the US and who also allows you to join him outside this banjo course and learn a few more things about playing this wonderful instrument.
So, if you have never tried to play banjo before, or you already have some experience and simply want to polish your skill, this course is filled with the information you need to advance your banjo playing. It will equip you with all the knowledge and skills that make up good banjo players.
4. Banjo Ben Clark
One of the best places online to learn guitar, banjo, and mandolin is Banjo Ben Clark. It offers a variety of fee and paid courses led by Ben Clark and Paige Garwood, who have extensive experience teaching and playing banjo and are very passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with their students.
Depending on your experience, you can start from the beginning and learn all the fundamentals of banjo playing or improve your skills and progress toward an advanced level.
There are hundreds of detailed video lessons, with new ones being added each week. So this site has something to suit everyone’s needs, from lessons for beginners and intermediate-level players to lessons for advanced players looking to perfect their skills.
If you can’t find a lesson that teaches what you are looking for, you can send a request, and you will get a video lesson tailored to your needs and preferences. By becoming a member, you will get access to more content on this site, and you can take courses anytime and anywhere you want.
Besides this, there is an interactive forum where you can ask questions about anything you need and upload videos to get feedback and guidance from other members.
In addition, Banjo Ben also hosts live streaming sessions with special guests and allows you to join and participate actively and learn a lot in the process. Therefore, this site might be a perfect option for you if you are looking for a quick, fun, and affordable way to master the art of banjo playing.
5. Online Banjo Lessons With Tony Trischka On Artist Works
Another great paid course offered by ArtistWorks is Online Banjo Lessons with Tony Trischka.
Like Noam Pikelny’s course, by signing up, you’ll get unlimited access to the library with hundreds of online video lessons created by Tony Trischka, which include in-depth instructions, backing tracks, tablature, interviews, and performances with many bluegrass legends as well.
The course is designed for all ages, levels, and styles of playing. The lessons are simple and broken down into details so you can follow them easier and understand them better.
Again, what sets this ArtistWorks course from other similar courses offered online is that it allows you to submit your videos for review using the ArtistWorks Video Exchange Learning platform. The teacher will review your videos and record a video response with guidance on how to improve your playing.
You will get access to the Video Exchange library and be able to watch the interactions of other students with the teacher and learn many new things.
As you may guess, your teacher will be the incredible Tony Trischka, who has nearly forty years of experience performing and teaching banjo. He has recorded countless solo albums, collaborated with well-known artists, and received many awards, including a Grammy nomination and multiple IBMA awards.
Pick this course and learn from one of the world’s finest banjo players, and fast-track your banjo learning.
6. Banjo Mountain
Banjo Mountain is an online banjo school that offers paid courses for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level players in both bluegrass and clawhammer styles.
It’s a great resource of video lessons, which come with tablatures for songs to teach you how to properly read tablature, play songs and track your progress on the way.
By subscribing to Banjo Mountain, you will get unlimited access to all lessons. There are over 200 lessons that provide a simple step-by-step guide on how to hold a banjo to more complicated matters that will set you on the path to becoming a master of banjo playing.
You will be guided through this adventure by John, who has taught bluegrass and clawhammer banjo styles to kids and adults for over thirty years and has toured the world playing banjo and recorded for many artists.
So you will be in safe and experienced hands and learn everything necessary to advance in your banjo playing.
7. Ross Nickerson’s Lessons On Banjo Teacher
Next up, BanjoTeacher.com is an excellent resource for all you need to learn how to banjo and for banjo equipment as well. It offers books for learning banjo, banjos for sale, banjo accessories, DVDs, and banjo lessons online.
The lessons they offer are aimed at helping students and experienced players gain new skills and perfect the ones they already possess. You can choose from “Beginning the Five-String Banjo,” “The Banjo Encyclopedia: Bluegrass Banjo from A to Z,” “The Banjo Song,” and many other options.
These lessons are simple, well-arranged, and designed to save you time, and they come in at more than a reasonable price range. They are taught by Ross Nickerson, an experienced banjo player, teacher, and the owner of BanjoTeacher. com.
Ross has always enjoyed working with students and helping them learn this beautiful form of art. Although his site is not as popular as some other sites on this list, you can rest assured that Ross will give his best to pass on his knowledge to you and help you get your banjo playing to the next level.
8. Deering Banjo Lessons
Next up, we have DeeringBanjos.com, a well-stocked website offering many free and paid online banjo lessons and tutorials for beginners and more experienced players.
It’s an online community where many acclaimed banjo players share their knowledge and experience with you, including the fantastic Tony Trischka. What makes this platform unique is Deering Live, where you can find live video streams of interviews with true banjo masters.
There is also an option on this site that allows you to connect with the Deering team and ask anything you need.
The lessons you will find on this site are well-designed and easy to understand. They are taught by some of the world’s best banjo players who will lead you through the fundamentals of banjo playing regardless of your age and preferred style and help you gain all the necessary techniques and skills to play banjo like a pro.
There are many options to choose from, from affordable courses to those more expensive. Although the site might appear a bit difficult to navigate at first, eventually, you will find everything you are looking for.
9. Bradley Laird
Finally, we have BradleyLaird.com, a simple site filled with information to help you get insight into the fundamentals of banjo playing and learn all necessary techniques in an interesting and interactive way.
This is one of the lesser-known sites, but it’s packed with dozens of free lessons suitable for beginners and more advanced players. They cover everything from how to set the end pin, read tablatures, right, and left-hand techniques, play the thumb-pinch, and many other things.
If you choose some of the courses offered on this site, your teacher will be Bradley Laird. He is an experienced and passionate banjo player and teacher who eagerly shares his knowledge online for free. He will guide you on your journey to becoming a good banjo player in an interesting, engaging, and simple way and make sure you master all the necessary techniques.
Pick lessons on this site, and learn the banjo from a true professional from the comfort of your own home and at no cost at all.
Conclusion: Which Online Banjo Lesson Is The Right One For You?
Here we come to the end of our little adventure. We led you through some of the best online banjo courses available these days and gave a brief insight into what each of them has to offer and how they can benefit you.
We hope this guide was helpful to you in making your decision about the best course for your needs. However, if you are still on the fence and can’t make up your mind, we heartily recommend “Banjo Lessons with Noam Pikelny” on ArtistWorks.
This is an absolute winner on our list for a good reason. It is packed with everything necessary to help you embark on a banjo journey and master this beautiful art form quickly and at a fraction of the cost.
For more information, click the link below and get started now!
