Hooks & Nuts - Deering Banjos Blog

Using Your Guitar Technique On the 5 String Banjo

Written by David Bandrowski | Jun 21, 2017 2:03:41 PM

Most guitar players look at the 5 string banjo as a completely new instrument.  Something that you would need to learn a completely new tuning and approach to playing. This is incorrect. Actually the guitar and the 5 string banjo are tuned very similarly, and you can easily bring many of your guitar licks directly over to the 5 string banjo.

Fred Cale talks about and explains this in a very clear way in the video below. He shows you how the same open G triad you find on the guitar, you can find on the 5 string banjo. This allows him to bring his guitar licks over to the 5 string banjo and can help him break out of the bluegrass box that many banjo players put themselves in.

 

If you still need help with your banjo chord shapes you can download a free banjo chord chart here!