In this issue:  Gerald Jones - Basic Blues Licks for the 5-String Banjo | Michael Keyes - Beginning Irish Banjo: Reels | Wayne Shrubsall - Year of Jubilo | Angel Band

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Basic Blues Licks for the 5-String Banjo

by Gerald Jones

Most banjo players at one time or another have a flirtation with the blues. Bluegrass has some blues roots and many tunes call for this sound. If you play guitar you probably noticed that the fourth, third and second strings of the banjo are tuned the same as a guitar. This being so means that any licks you play on guitar using these strings can also played on the banjo.

The first example below is a basic blues backup in the key of G. I'm holding a G7 position with the seventh on the fourth string. Except for the hammer-on of the G string from the third to fourth fret everything is either the third or fifth frets. Listen to the mp3 available at http://BanjoSessions.com to try to get the feel. Blues is all about feel.

Here is the basic position this backup is played out of.	Here are two jazzy sounding chord forms. The 13th and 9th. On the 13th the first string is optional.
Most blues tunes are played around either the minor pentatonic or blues scales. Below is two simple examples of where to find these notes. The most common notes to be bent are on the third string in these positions. Listen to the mp3 for more detailed explanation of the licks below. Let's Pick! Gerald Jones

mp3 file
Download the mp3: BanjoBlues.mp3