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<\/a><\/p>\nSome players find it more comfortable to rest the banjo on their right leg (assuming right-handed players)\u00a0rather than\u00a0between the legs. However, for me at least, the banjo is less stable in that position and the neck tends to fall or rotate clockwise, so I prefer to hold it between my legs as shown here.<\/p>\n
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The position below is not recommended.<\/p>\n Picks and Holding Them<\/p>\n The plectrum and tenor banjos are normally strummed using a flat pick. Flat picks are available\u00a0in a range of thicknesses and various sizes, shapes and compositions. Most players I know use nylon picks now because they are durable and flexible. I am particularly fond of nylon picks with the “cats’ tongue” rough surface that prevents them from slipping. One brand of these,\u00a0Snarling Dogs Brain Picks<\/a>, are great\u2014they virtually never slip out of your grasp. My preferred thickness is the “purple” colored one (.60mm) or sometimes the “red” (.73mm).<\/p>\n Old-style celluloid picks frequently crack and break. They also wear down more quickly than nylon and, at least in my experience, get nicks along their edges that \u00a0tend to catch the strings and often cause them to break. I used to break two or three first strings a night with celluloid picks. Since nylon picks\u00a0were introduced and I switched to them\u00a0I think I have broken only two strings in at least a dozen or more years!<\/p>\n I hold my pick between my thumb and my first two fingers with my pinky finger slightly extended and sometimes dragging, not anchored, on\u00a0the head of the banjo. The pinky acts as a kind of “depth gauge” to prevent my hand from digging into the strings too deeply.<\/p>\n Many instructors and instruction books recommend against the way I hold the pick claiming that it inhibits the proper movement of the pick-holding hand at the wrist. For me, this “3-point” method allows me to hold onto the pick much more securely, preventing it from slipping from my grasp and flying away somewhere on the stage in the middle of a tune\u2014very disconcerting!<\/p>\n The Left Hand (for righties)<\/p>\n For some reason, while I was just walking the dog at 11:15pm, I realized that I had not mentioned how to hold the left hand (for right-handed players). It is very common for beginners to grab the neck so that their palm is actually in contact with the neck. This is a really bad habit to get into because it almost completely prohibits your fingers from pressing the strings down cleanly and allowing your hand to move freely.<\/p>\n The correct left-hand position is hard to describe, but basically you should aim to place your thumb perpendicular to the underside of the neck and have your four fingers arched over the fingerboard with the thumb in the general vicinity of halfway between the first finger and the pinky, at least for most chords. It is almost like you are “pinching” the neck, not “grasping” it with your whole hand. With all the willpower you can muster, keep your sweaty palm away from the neck! You will be happy you did in the long run.<\/p>\n Plectrum Banjo Tuning<\/p>\n One of the most common problems faced by a player, especially a beginner, is to get their instrument tuned properly. If the banjo is even slightly out of tune it will sound really lousy, especially if you are playing with other people, like in a band setting for example. The best advice I have is to get an electronic tuner that clips on the peghead or, if you have a smartphone, download one of the many tuner apps. My favorite is the “n-Track” available for Android<\/a> and iPhones.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>