Pete Seeger – How to play the 5 - string Banjo

Holding your banjo in playing position, your strumming hand strums or plucks the strings somewhere down by the drum head, and your fretting hand, holds the strings down in various positions on the fretboard. 

Let’s concentrate first on your strumming hand.

We begin with two different actions. 

For the first action, use the index finger of your strumming hand to pluck “up” on the first string of your banjo.

For the second action, use the back of the fingernail of the middle finger of your strumming hand and brush “down” across three strings.

Perform these two actions in sequence while counting out a simple rhythm: “One” (pluck “up”), “two” (brush down). 

Both actions fall on the beat. Tapping your foot along with this strum you will notice your foot is on the ground when both actions occur.

This sequence of plucking and brushing in time is an important building block to Seeger’s style, and an essential beginning place for playing a 5-string banjo. 

Practice this until you’ve got it under control to some degree.