Learn how to hold the Tenor banjo

Learn the names of the strings

Learn the main parts of the Tenor banjo

How to hold the pick and how to strike the strings, and the alternate picking technique

Learn about tuning using an electronic tuner or phone app

The TAB system for the banjo explained

TAB and music notation for one of the main scales of Irish music

Learn how to play the D scale step by step

Correct positioning of the Left hand fingers

TAB and music notation for the Kerry Polka

Learn the first part of the Kerry Polka. Make sure to pay careful attention to where you place your fingers.

Each tune will be broken into sections so that you can work on each part individually.

Learn the second part of the Kerry Polka.

Use this lesson to help get everything working correctly.

Work on the first part of the Kerry Polka at a faster speed. (Polkas, Jigs & especially Reels tend to be played quite fast, so it will be necessary to develop this aspect)

The second part of the Kerry Polka at a faster speed. While speed is the last element to worry about it is necessary to start increasing the speed once you can play the notes and rhythm correctly.

Audio of the full tune with both sections played one after the other

TAB and music notation for the jig My Darling Asleep

My Darling Asleep played slowly.

Pay careful attention to the jig rhythm.

The second section of My Darling Asleep at a slower pace.

Use this lesson to help get everything working correctly.

The first part of My Darling Asleep played at a faster pace.

If you are finding the faster pace difficult go back to the slower lesson until everything fits together more readily.

Work on the second section of My Darling Asleep at a faster speed.

Again make sure that you can play the tune comfortably at the slower pace before trying to increase the speed.

Audio of the full tune with both sections played one after the other

TAB and music notation for the reel Rolling in the Ryegrass

The first section of Rolling in the Ryegrass at a slower speed. Learn about pivoting fingers across strings

The second section of Rolling in the Ryegrass at a slower speed.

Use this lesson to help get everything working correctly.

Rolling in the Ryegrass at a faster pace, the first section.

Use this lesson to help you work on building speed in the tune.

Rolling in the Ryegrass at a faster pace, the second section. Use this lesson to help you work on building speed in the tune.

Audio of the full tune with both sections played one after the other

Key elements to getting the most from your practise sessions. How you practise will influence how quickly you learn.

I hope you learned a lot and enjoyed your experience, now you need to build on what you've learned and keep practising!

This is a set of 3 hornpipes The Boys From Bluehill, The Harvest Home and Cronin's Hornpipe. The follow-on course (Tenor Banjo) will focus on sets which is the way that these tunes are usually performed. There will be a set of Reels, Jigs, Polkas and the three Hornpipes featured here. If you are interested send me a message and I'll forward on a 50% discount voucher.

The TAB for the D scale is written so that it starts and finishes on the D note (otherwise it will sound strange, for those who are technically curious it would become a Lydian mode if we started on the G note on the open 4th string).