My FAVORITE Banjo Technique // Bluegrass Banjo Lesson

Want Tablature for this Lesson?
/ eligilbertbanjo
Looking for cool banjo merch?
teespring.com/stores/eli-gilb...
Follow me on Instagram:
/ eligilbertbanjo
Join My Facebook Practice Group:
/ practicebanjoeveryday

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

WARNING! The right hand fingerings in the tablature are incorrect, so ignore those! You can find the correct tablature, for free, here: www.patreon.com/posts/58305842

[@greenlandgarry]

I'm an old guy, 73, and first went on the road in 1963. When I left (at 15) for the road, my Mom reminded me to always make sure I "played between the notes of the scale" or "remember to play in the cracks" referencing the cracks between the piano keys. "It makes the banjo sound as it should", it makes it sad and bluesy. It sure is fine to see this absolutely critical part of banjo playing so well explained and so well demonstrated. It's the way I teach this technique as soon as a student is ready. It's so nice to see your material here, and on your Patreon teaching site. I always know that I can truly trust the guidance that you provide and recommend your Patreon material to my students. Thanks so much for your really great work and your kindness in sharing that work. You're having a great positive impact on the bluegrass banjo world. Best internet teaching available anywhere!!!

[@brucejohnston6184]

Thanks for that insight of your Mom's 💖

[@markglore7196]

"Mister can ya bend them banjer strings?"😉 Well done as always!👍

[@danatherton3865]

You’re a really natural and gifted teacher. Great videos

[@TheFIREFLAME53]

Awesome video per usual. High quality stuff! Thank you!

[@staywildsasquatch5144]

This is gold

[@kendylhoudyshell1399]

Thanks Eli, those are great suggestions that are easy to integrate into my practice. It does make a difference. Keep these great videos coming out 🙂 Love watching you play and seeing tablature at the same time.

[@rangertommy]

Thanks so much for the tip! Really appreciate it, as well as your generosity!

[@judwatkins9478]

Great bit of teaching!

[@joesshitguitar3116]

Thanks Eli this is great, appreciated

[@ryantrahan4942]

Really great tip on the G lick.

[@severinneukom]

That really makes a huge diffrent, but for me not so easy to play.. but i know, practice, practice, practice.. thanks for that great lesson.

[@jaguarsunburst1570]

Great Job.!! Thankyou.! ❤❤❤

[@RandySchartiger]

dude! I played banjo for a little over 30 years (only 2 videos of it I think lol) and quit when my father died in 1988, just this past december I picked it back up when I FINALLY found a work around for focal dystonia, anyways you explain little things like this I have worked on for years! years ago! and you explain them so well! thanks for helping jog my old memory. I will recommend your channel to anyone advanced or just starting out on banjo because I can tell from experience 30 years ago that you are always spot on!

[@madredidraghi5644]

Well there's tonight's practice session.

[@justincorporon9296]

Mr. Gilbert is the child of God. Mostly because of the flow in the hair

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Haircare routine at 100k

[@theeaskey]

Would a forward backward roll work there

[@isaacmurphy591]

Neutral thirds! The blues is secretly microtonal 👌

[@rustysimcox1735]

As always good stuff! I started playing in March and I dug in and played for hours and hours a day.eli I was wondering if you got frustrated in the beginning? Wanting to get faster. I just stopped for a whole week and I just thought I need a break. Is that normal to feel like that?? Thanks for the great lessons.

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

That's definitely normal! Still happens all the time, I just take a break and come back later in the day. It takes as long as it takes, can't rush it!

[@brucejohnston6184]

Rusty, i started learning 2 1/2 years ago & still practicing hard. It makes a big difference once you can get to a small jam & just play chords on the background & slowly get confidence & feel you're making music. I'm 59 & know from experience, you just have to keep at it :-)

[@rustysimcox1735]

@@brucejohnston6184 thanks Bruce, for that.

[@mutangpadan5311]

@@brucejohnston6184 I’m encouraged by your ‘reports’. I’m 59 too and started abt a year ago. Could do with some medium speed Country & Gospel tunes. I also like it when Elli said, “it doesn’t hv to be spot on.”

[@davidlundmark9359]

Do you also do it on pull-offs? I watched Russ Carsons video about this also and he mentioned it on pull-offs aswell, but I don't understand how it's done on only a pull-off? Do you do it with the middle finger when the pull-off is happening, or do you with the index finger? And in case with the index finger, is it after OR before the pull-off?

[@dacipatton1]

What kind of thumb pick you use?

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Dunlop Ultex

[@donaldfair4259]

Eli which model is your banjo ?

[@braydenbennett8063]

I think he plays a Gibson TB-11 mostly. :)

[@telenelatelin8632]

Huh, interesting. I though when I would see you bend the string it was so you wouldn’t be lightly touching the string below it, muffling the sound. That’s why I started doing it, not even knowing why haha

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Whatever works! 😂

[@jeffreyfreeborn6879]

Can not understand 5th note when tabulature shows that there's 2 notes played together with middle finger alone: one on 3d fret of 3d string and 1st string open when the slide ends. Tried to slow dowen video in a half - still don't get it. Same thing in 29th day of 30 days of banjo when you play "0 and 3" with middle finger on 11th quart. Anyway - I can't tell how much I appreciate all of your work. Once I told my friend- there's a guy who can teach a monkey to play a banjo on KZbin... I mean it, thanks for all you do!

[@bernieross1931]

Jeffrey: I think you might benefit from going back to Eli's Day 8 lesson on slides. You hit that third string once, fretted at the second fret. You immediately slide it up to the third fret. Your slide should arrive at the third fret at the same time as your middle finger hits the first string. The "M" in the tab, indicates that the Middle finger plays the first string. The "sl" is an abbreviation for "slide", and the line joining the two notes indicates the "from" and "to". kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2K7mouta72HlcU

[@jeffreyfreeborn6879]

@@bernieross1931 ough! thanks a lot, I got this for this video, now I get it! Still didn't get 29th day "0-3" where it looks like I am supposed to hit 2 strings (1st open, second at 3d fret) together with one middle finger or something...

[@andgeosegy]

@@jeffreyfreeborn6879 When you have the slash or arch you don't play the note (you play but you don't pick). It looks like they are being played at the same time, but actually the note is still sounding while you play the next note. The note that you are not picking sounds between the two notes that you are supposed to pick. Maybe I wasn't clear enough, my english is a work in process.

[@andgeosegy]

@@jeffreyfreeborn6879 Now I got it. I watched the video. Actually he plays. But the two notes are the same, therefore they sound like one note. So it's up to you, you can play only 0, only 3 or both notes. Both together have more punch.

[@bernieross1931]

@@jeffreyfreeborn6879 I've just checked it out, and I think the box with the tab in is too small and the bottom row is cut out. There should be an "I" underneath the "M". The two notes are played together. Index plays the second string, fretted at the third fret. Middle plays the first string open.

[@jasonk876]

Why do I see all of these guys on YT playing banjos with no truss rod cover? What's the deal??

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

I adjust the truss rod occasionally, never felt the need to put it back on!

[@jasonk876]

@@EliGilbertBanjo Really, that's why? I've had banjos for years that have never needed the truss rod adjusted. How often do you adjust yours? I cut a nice cover out of a really nicely figured piece of MOP, with a jewelers saw, several years ago. My favorite banjo wears it proudly!

[@EliGilbertBanjo]

Yep everything changes with the weather and climate, so little adjustments help here and there. I probably only need to make an adjustment once every 1-3 months, but I'll tinker with it for a few days until it's where I want it, along with all the other potential setup changes.

[@professoroflogic347]

Eli, why are the people on banjo hangout so freakin' weird?

[@scottziegler4238]

I would also love to know the answer to this. The more I'm on banjo hangout, the less I want to even get my banjo out of its case. Please tell me that's not how bluegrass banjo players are.

[@professoroflogic347]

@@scottziegler4238 the real issue is they are between 70 and 200 years old, but I was hoping ELI had a less obvious answer.

[@scottziegler4238]

@@professoroflogic347 Well, if I want to be mean, it all goes back to “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Most of them have a the most basic understanding of music theory, history, and practice techniques. They learned their few dozen bluegrass breaks and their 20 or so licks (all directly copied from Scruggs) about 50 years ago, and then they stopped learning. They all sound exactly like Earl Scruggs, and I don’t (and most people don’t) need that.

[@professoroflogic347]

@@scottziegler4238 most can't play at all, read music at all, they simply need some sort of human interaction.