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The author of this article, Abby Parks, has been a banjo instructor since 2006, and has utilized the banjo in performances both solo and with the old time band On the Fence. She holds a B.A. Degree in Music Performance with an emphasis in classical guitar, and has taught private lessons since 1996. The books that she has recommended are books she’s worked with, giving her a personal insight into their effectiveness for students wanting to learn the banjo through book instruction.
When it comes to learning an instrument like the banjo, there are several ways to go about it. For some, one-on-one lessons are a must, as an instructor can assist in making sure the student is learning the proper technique and forming good habits. For others who would like to skip paid lessons and dive in solo, you can watch YouTube videos or instructional DVDs, where an instructor will demonstrate material to learn visually. A third approach is to purchase a beginner banjo book and self-teach oneself. If you believe the banjo book approach is best for you, you probably need some good advice on which books are the best self-taught beginner banjo methods.
Being a banjo instructor of nearly 20 years, I’m familiar with quite a few books on the market and have utilized many of the methods I’ve included in my “best” list in private lessons with my banjo students. Some have stood the test of time as being among the top banjo methods, but there are always new books coming out that improve on how to convey the information in an easily digestible way. If you are a total beginner, you may need a book that does a better job of familiarizing you with basic music concepts like rhythm, notation, and basic music theory. Or you may have already learned another stringed instrument like the guitar and simply need a book that can get you moving quickly through the learning process.
Beyond that, certain banjo books focus on playing styles like 3-finger bluegrass, Celtic, or clawhammer. Other books are designed with helpful exercises to increase your banjo technique, and some focus on teaching a plethora of licks that you can utilize when soloing.
No matter what level you are at, at least one of our recommended banjo books will put you on the right track to becoming a successful banjo player. Read on to discover the 7 best beginner banjo books.
The Best Beginner Banjo Books — A Quick Glance
Overall Best Beginner Banjo Method 
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Best to Learn Earl Scruggs Style 
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Best for Complete Music Beginners 
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Best Back-Up Method 
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Best Banjo Exercise Book 
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Best Banjo Lick Book 
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Best Method for Learning Irish & Celtic Tunes 
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Learning Banjo From a Book: Is It Doable?
I’m an instrumentalist who has relied heavily on music books for instruction and repertoire for multiple stringed instruments including guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, and more. My first foray into trying to learn from a book was as a 12-year-old when I was given my first guitar for my birthday. My mom passed on to me a basic guitar book that her father had from the 50s. I initially was able to teach myself notes on the first one or two strings but lost interest. When I was 14, I was enrolled in a guitar class. With a teacher to start me off on the right track, I quickly adapted to the Mel Bay book he taught from and was able to work through it without much guidance.
Because I studied music throughout my teen years and eventually became a music major in college, learning from books became very comfortable for me. I didn’t have the luxury of a group of friends to jam with and learn guitar concepts or tricks, so I appreciated the opportunity to learn instruments through books. In my years of study and exploration, I’ve tried many instrumental method books for multiple instruments and have found that some have a simple, easy-to-learn format that sets the student up for success, while others take a more heady, difficult approach that can be difficult to understand or impractical.
If your aim is to learn any instrument, including the banjo, from a book, you need one that gets you from point A to point B successfully with as few headaches as possible. It is indeed doable to learn banjo with books. I did so. Yes, I was already an instrumentalist and knew a lot about stringed instruments before I picked up my first banjo. However, I was playing the banjo adequately in a fairly short period of time without ever having consulted with an instructor.
You can successfully teach yourself the banjo with one or more books, but the method you work with depends on whether you have ever played an instrument before, or you know little to nothing about music. Keep reading as we look closer at what kind of banjo books to look for.
What To Look For in a Banjo Teaching Book
There are several things you’ll want to consider when buying the best book to learn banjo with. We’ll highlight some of those details below.
Bluegrass Banjo Rolls
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Our focus today is on the 3-finger banjo style (not the clawhammer style) popularized in bluegrass and country music. Bluegrass-style banjo picking is unique, consisting of a series of rolls–fingerpicking patterns that move forward, backward, or in multiple combinations. Banjo rolls are one of the key components a beginner must master when learning banjo. A good beginning banjo book with teach a variety of rolls in a clear, simplified way.
Basic Banjo Chords and Techniques
Depending on how deep of an approach the book takes, the student may only learn very easy chord shapes or learn movable chord shapes. But there should be some basic chords taught in a beginning banjo book. Given that the 5-string banjo’s default tuning is an open G chord, a student can play that chord with an open strum. But he/she will have to learn at least a C and D/D7 chord to play rolls to any basic song in the Key of G. A beginning banjo book that doesn’t have some explanation of chords and doesn’t teach the most basic ones is a book to be avoided.
How To Read Tablature
Contrary to what you may think, you don’t have to learn to read music in order to learn banjo from a book. Almost all modern banjo methods teach the instrument using tablature, a system developed to help simplify learning stringed instruments. In tablature, a TAB staff mimics a regular staff in music, however, the lines actually represent the strings of the instrument. A banjo TAB staff would have 5 lines, with each line representing one of the 5 strings of the banjo.
A good beginner book will help the student tackle reading tablature comfortably. Tablature can be tricky for a novice to grasp, so you want a book that teaches it in a straightforward manner without complicating it.
Basic Music Concepts and Tips
Any good instrument book should include basic concepts like rhythmic values, basic music skills, and general information about the instrument. In a banjo book, you’ll also want clear instructions on how to hold the banjo, how to position your left-hand wrist and fingers to get the best sound from pressing the frets, and how to pick correctly with your right hand.
Practical Repertoire That Progresses in Difficulty
First and foremost, banjo is an instrument that caters to the bluegrass world. It also appears in the country music world but is not a popular instrument in pop, rock, or classical genres. Therefore, a good basic beginner banjo book should include bluegrass, gospel, old-time, or folk music standards. Common songs featured in beginning banjo books include tunes like Boil Them Cabbage Down, Cripple Creek, Sally Goodin, John Hardy, Blackberry Blossom, Amazing Grace, I’ll Fly Away, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Long Journey Home, etc.
If you are looking for a strictly beginner method (note – we are including a few books to help beginners expand their repertoire), at least some of the titles mentioned above should be in the book. If not, I would question whether or not the book is a practical guide.
The 7 Best Banjo Books For Beginners
Now that you know what goes into choosing a good book to learn the banjo with, read on to discover my list of the best 7 beginning banjo books. While there are many banjo methods out there to choose from, I mostly looked at books that I have either worked with myself or have had a chance to analyze. Because of this, I can offer a knowledgeable analysis of what the books offer and what they don’t.
These books are ranked according to how well they teach the subject, background information on the banjo, historical value (as in the case of the Earl Scruggs book), and affordability. I’ve also included a few books that aren’t exactly complete beginner methods; rather, there’s a great book on banjo exercises that can aid beginning pickers and more advanced ones; an excellent book with hundreds of banjo licks; a book with gorgeous arrangements of Irish and Celtic fiddle tunes, and more.
1. Overall Best Beginner Banjo Method: Banjo Primer (Deluxe Edition)
The Banjo Primer (Deluxe Edition) by Geoff Hohwald is not only my top pick as the best beginning banjo book — it’s my go-to choice to use with all my beginner banjo students. This book is the best introduction to how banjo songs function in the bluegrass genre from a soloing standpoint, and once the student is finished with the book, he/she will have a collection of classic bluegrass songs to build on. Many of the songs are introduced with a lead (1st) break and a 2nd break, making them more interesting while also introducing the student to how a soloist will expound on a given musical idea/melody.
The foundational songs in the first part of the book are introduced with exercises that the student can focus on to break down the material into bite-sized amounts. When the student goes to learn the song, the exercises are easily recognizable. While the book does not teach movable chords up the neck, the basic open chords are taught from the beginning, and within some of the solos open chords are introduced further up the neck, though the point isn’t emphasized.
All songs come with background tracks at multiple speeds to aid the student in playing at a steady pace. The video of the instructor also makes this method a 1-stop experience. Even better, Banjo Primer has a companion book Banjo Songs packed with fun, moderately challenging arrangements of popular bluegrass favorites like Red-Haired Boy, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Old Joe Clark, Nine Pound Hammer, When the Saints Go Marching In, and more, all with multiple breaks that gradually increase the banjo player’s skills.
This method does not focus on technique, nor does it teach theory or more advanced chords. The student will come away with a great starter repertoire, but will not learn fundamentals to aid in improvisation, which are key components of bluegrass music. This book works best with some kind of companion book to fill in the gaps.
- Scruggs style 5-string bluegrass banjo technique for the beginner student
- Covers parts of the banjo, tuning, reading tabs, and rolls
- Study of classic bluegrass arranged for beginners
- DVD included with video instruction of each exercise in 3 different speeds
- Two practice Jam Track CDs contain all songs at 5 speeds with backing band
- Multiple popular bluegrass standards Solos broken into breaks to create fun performance pieces
- Large print, easy to read
- Excellent DVD instruction and multi-speed backing tracks
- Exercises break down song passages for easy learning
- A companion book of more songs is available for purchase
- Doesn't teach moveable chords
- Doesn't teach much theory
- Not much detailed instruction beyond starter basics
2. Best To Learn Earl Scruggs Style: Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo
If you’re a big bluegrass fan and want a time-tested banjo method by the King of Banjo himself – Earl Scruggs – then Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo could be the perfect fit for you. This book is an exhaustive method to learning banjo, teaching tablature reading, tuning the banjo, and a variety of right-hand and left-hand techniques and rudiments with exercises to master them. He covers all the movable chord forms in the open G tuning, and helps apply an understanding of them with a full page dedicated to explaining the Nashville numbering system.
Notable songs in this treasure-trove of a banjo book include Hot Corn, Cold Corn, The Ballad of Jed Clampett, Cumberland Gap, and Scruggs legendary version of the song that should be in every banjo picker’s repertoire–Foggy Mountain Breakdown.
Earl Scruggs also provides interesting background information in the preface and forward of the book, and an autobiographical section near the close titled “My Life and Times,” complete with vintage photos. Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo is a must-have for the serious banjo student.
For the pure beginner, this book will be a bit tough as there’s a lot of material to absorb and it doesn’t come accompanied by video instruction. Trying to imitate some of his more challenging techniques could prove to be a challenge. This book is better suited to someone who has already played another stringed instrument or has some musical knowledge.
- Most famous, best-selling banjo method, written by banjo master Earl Scruggs
- More songs, updated lessons, and other improvements in “Revised and Enhanced Edition”
- Includes the history of the 5-string banjo, Scruggs tuners, basic music and tablature reading
- Right-hand rolls, left-hand techniques, picking exercises, various banjo tunings and chords included
- 40+ full songs, autobiographical notes, and audio recordings of Scruggs playing/explaining 60+ examples
- PLAYBACK+ audio files to slow down tracks, change keys, set loop points, and pan left/right
- Time-tested method by Earl Scruggs
- A good read with lots of valuable information and instruction
- Includes practical exercises
- Has Earl Scruggs original arrangements
- Accompanying tracks are only for exercises and demos--not the songs
- The method is difficult for a pure beginner
3. Best For Complete Beginners: Hal Leonard Banjo Method Book 1
Any Hal Leonard instrument method is going to cover all the basics a student needs to know, broken down in a simple, easy-to-understand format. Hal Leonard Banjo Method Book 1 by Will Schmid is no exception. This method takes a different approach in that it spends time teaching chord strumming–something that is not typical with banjo playing. The basic open G, C, and D7 are shown, and there are tracks for the student to strum those chords to popular folk tunes. In later pages, the student is also introduced to the Am and Em. This is reminiscent of how a guitar method might approach chords. The book then introduces tablature reading and launches into basic right-hand rolls, plus basic techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides.
This book would be an option for the complete music beginner or for a younger student. It teaches basic rhythm and other rudiments of music and incorporates them in learning to pick melodies to familiar folk songs like Shoo Fly, Go Tell Aunt Rhodie, and Hush Little Baby. Later in the book, students will be introduced to more classic bluegrass favorites like Cripple Creek, Jesse James, Worried Man Blues, and Long Journey Home. What’s also nice about this method is that with the PLAYBACK+ audio player, the student can adjust the speed of the tracks to a comfortable pace. The book also takes a slower approach to reading tablature. Some people struggle with understanding the system right away, so a systematic introduction to reading notes on a TAB staff can be a definite plus.
If you already have experience playing another instrument, you’d likely find this book boring, especially the beginning with the strumming exercises–there are more of them than necessary and banjo is not an instrument that is typically strummed unless you are going for a vintage Roaring 20s style. While it is great for a novice, the student with a little more knowledge under their belts would probably do better with one of the earlier suggested books.
- Teaches 5-string bluegrass banjo
- Easy chord strumming, basic tablature reading, and varied right-hand rolls
- Hammer-on, slide, and pull-off techniques covered
- 97 full-band demo tracks of all music examples
- Unique code gives access to audio samples online
- Audio files use PLAYBACK+ audio player to slow down audio, set loop points, change keys, and pan left/right
- This guide takes a slower, methodical approach to learning music basics
- It introduces the student to chord strumming, a concept lacking in other beginner banjo books
- It breaks down TAB reading for beginning students of music
- The book may not appeal to a person who already has experience in other instruments and is familiar with TAB
- The method is created by staff writers rather than a banjo expert, so lacks the personal touch
- It focuses a bit too much on chord strumming, which is unnecessary
4. Best Back-Up Method: Back-Up Banjo
When I began learning the banjo, I stumbled across Back-Up Banjo by Janet Davis in a little music shop that carried a limited amount of choice stringed instruments, including banjos. It is the single most valuable banjo book a player can own who wants to truly master the art of jamming with others on the banjo. At the heart of bluegrass music is the collective synergy of the different stringed instruments supporting each other while a given player plays a solo break. If you only learn solos and neglect the art of supporting other players, you’ve missed over half of your role.
This book teaches tons of great backup rolls and patterns in a practical format, applying them in suggested companion exercises that accompany Davis’s arrangements of classic bluegrass songs. The student is taught movable chords up and down the neck to be used with chop-chord arrangements as well as open-picking to back up a lead singer, a mandolin, or a guitarist who is soloing. The backup arrangements get steadily more challenging as the book moves on, even covering Scruggs-style backup.
This book is a must-have for all students of banjo. I don’t have any criticisms of the book other than that it is not a beginner’s book by itself. It doesn’t teach the basics of music and is best utilized as a companion book to another book that covers the basics. With my private banjo students, I have them purchase the Banjo Primer first, and if they seem invested in sticking with the instrument, I have them purchase Back-Up Banjo next.
- Top-selling banjo method covering banjo accompaniment techniques and theory
- Lead breaks in numerous bluegrass classics in a variety of keys and tunings
- Back-up accompaniments suggested for backing up a vocalist, instrumental lead instruments like guitar or mandolin, and more
- Back-up techniques divided by song tempo, lead instrument, and area of fingerboard where chords are played
- Varied movable banjo chords taught in different combinations up the banjo neck
- Audio and video downloads available online of book examples
- Teaches a diverse range of standard banjo rolls and riffs to use for soloing
- Thoroughly teaches movable chords on the entire banjo neck
- Provides multiple background accompaniment options for standard bluegrass solos
- Covers keys and alternate tunings other than just Key of G
- Does not teach beginning banjo concepts
- More a companion book to someone who has already learned the basics
5. Best Banjo Exercise Book: Exercises For 3-Finger Banjo
Exercises For Three-Finger Banjo by Jack Hatfield is a phenomenal book for the serious banjo player. The author of this must-have book is a banjo legend in his own right, having appeared in film and on TV, written for publications like Banjo Newsletter, and founded the Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy. The first 40 pages of his book take a detailed deep dive into the nuances of banjo technique, covering everything from the angles of one’s finger picks to finding the best tone to positioning and beyond.
His exercises, which cover everything from scales to complex chords to a vast assortment of rolls, work to increase one’s speed, strength, and agility in both the right and the left hand. For the banjo player who wants to take their playing to the next level, this method is unbeatable.
Take note that this is not a songbook. While it is a book that all levels can benefit from, a pure beginner could be overwhelmed. This book teaches so much, but it assumes you already understand the basics of music. It’s a stellar companion book in your banjo library but is not a beginner’s banjo method.
- Features 260+ three-finger banjo exercises in Scruggs, Single String, and Melodic styles
- Exercises range from beginning to advanced levels
- Exercises focus on finger strengthening, position-changing speed, hand-eye coordination, and agility
- Covers pick depth control, stabilizing the right hand, economy of motion, and controlling pick angle for optimum tone
- Exercises include classic and modern rolls, roll combinations, scales, scale patterns, chord scales, fretboard positions, and more
- Includes unique melodic quasi-chord formations not found in any other book
- 20 pages of detailed instruction on basics to improve overall playing
- Teaches a variety of banjo scales
- Explores varied right hand picking patterns to increase speed and agility
- Teaches advanced chording
- Explores transposing techniques
- Needs to be used in conjunction with a beginner method
- Does not include "songs" that apply any of the exercises
- Could be overwhelming for a beginner
6. Best Banjo Lick Book: 400 Smokin’ Bluegrass Banjo Licks
I’ve found the 400 Smokin’ Bluegrass Banjo Licks by Eddie Collins to be another terrific companion book in one’s journey to cover all bases on the banjo. In fact, I’m a fan of the whole series and also own the books that cover acoustic guitar and mandolin licks. If you learn the basics of backup banjo in Janet Davis’s aforementioned method, this book is a good next step, as it adds to your possibilities of patterns and licks, helping to propel you to a place of creating your own solo breaks.
Not only does the book cover loads of classic bluegrass riffs, but it introduces the player to swing, blues, boogie, and Reno licks–styles you won’t typically encounter in other methods. The book also presents exercises in a variety of chord progressions, then lets the student in on classic tunes that follow those same progressions.
A positive and a negative–all the licks are presented in standard G tuning. Given that banjo players do utilize capos in order to use an open G tuning up the neck, it would be nice if the book had ventured into less predictable territory. Also, there are very few songs in this book. While they compile exercises to apply the licks, a lack of utilizing them in familiar songs can result in struggling to imagine them cohesively. A less seasoned banjo player may feel that she or he is swimming in an ocean of licks, struggling to memorize or apply them properly.
- 400 banjo licks in keys of G, C, and D to play over standard chord progressions
- Presents lead-in, tag, and a variety of rolls and other licks to develop and improvise solos
- Multi-style licks including bluegrass, boogie, Reno, blues, swing, and more
- All licks are based in standard G tuning
- Upper-position licks included
- Accompanying CD with lick demos and some backing tracks
- Presents options in styles other than typical bluegrass
- Teaches set of licks, then presents them in practice progression exercises to apply them
- Many unique licks you won't encounter in average banjo methods
- Gives tune suggestions that use the progressions and other helpful tips to incorporate them
- Not a lot of full songs in the book utilizing the licks for application
- The amount of licks can be overwhelming for beginners
7. Best for Learning Irish and Celtic Tunes: Complete Book of Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo
While bluegrass is the prominent genre that the 5-string banjo belongs to, there are other genres that are also adaptable to it. Since fiddle music originated in Europe, places like Ireland had a vast array of repertoire that made its way to America via European settlers and immigrants. While Irish tunes are often played on 4-string banjos with a plectrum, these tunes are easily adaptable to the 5-string banjo. Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo by Tom Hanway is a delightful foray into Irish and Celtic music, covering jigs, slides, reels, hornpipes, and more with a reverence that is necessary, given their importance in Irish culture.
The author leads up to the actual tunes with a lot of valuable information, discussing the differences between bluegrass and Irish music, as well as how jams in each genre differ. He goes on to compare the 4-string and 5-string styles, and relays his journey into discovering and mastering Irish music on the banjo. An explanation of tablature follows, along with a detailed analysis of rhythms one would encounter in Irish fiddle music, as applied in banjo.
While this book does teach Irish and Celtic music, it’s not an appropriate book for an early beginner. Unless the student already has familiarity with Irish music or is passionate about learning it, the book could prove daunting. Thankfully, the accompanying tracks will introduce students to how the songs should sound, as their timing and chord progressions are outside of the typical I-IV-V progressions that bluegrass follows. Overall, it’s an excellent book if one is passionate about Celtic music and would like to learn a lot of the classic tunes that can be heard in Celtic music jams.
- Includes a brief history, techniques, and etiquette on Celtic-style banjo playing
- Tablature reading, tunings, and picking preferences are taught
- Repertoire consists of 101 jigs, slip jigs, reels, slides, polkas, hornpipes, marches, strathspeys, and more
- A special set of O’Carolan tunes plus North American Celtic tunes are included
- The appendix includes glossary and info on Celtic music groups and soloists, music publications, and other resources
- Accompanying tracks of most of the solos are included in real-time with authentic Celtic rhythm sections providing backup
- Exciting and gorgeous arrangements of countless Irish tunes
- Provides an excellent repertoire of standard fiddle tunes
- Includes American tunes
- Narrative of author makes it an intriguing and informative read
- Not all the tunes are included in the recording
- Tunes that aren't recorded can be more difficult to learn
- Challenging for beginners
Another Book Suggestion
If you’ve gone with my #1 overall best beginner banjo book–Banjo Primer by Geoff Hohwald–then I’d highly recommend his companion book Banjo Songs. It offers the banjo student more songs arranged by the author including Nine Pound Hammer, Red Haired Boy, and Old Joe Clark. It also gives new material to some of the songs introduced in his beginning book in the form of extra breaks and a more challenging take on his original arrangements.
- Companion songbook to Banjo Primer with diverse arrangements of 30 bluegrass standards
- Offers 96 breaks to demonstrate to the student how a pro would approach banjo soloing
- Intermediate students will expound on timing, accenting, and finger power skills
- Accompanying audio tracks affords students backup support at varied speeds while learning the songs
- Arrangements include bluegrass standards like Amazing Grace, Cripple Creek, Blackberry Blossom, Will The Circle Be Unbroken, Wildwood Flower, Old Joe Clark, Nine Pound Hammer, When The Saints Go Marching In, Red Haired Boy, and more
Wrapping Up
With this guide to the 7 best banjo books for beginners, you’ll hopefully be informed enough to make the best selection for yourself. Learning the banjo can be a fun and fairly easy experience with the correct guidance.
If you feel that you’d do better with personal instruction to set you off on the right foot, you are invited to reach out to me for online instructions here.
Summary of the 7 Best Banjo Books For Beginners
| Rank | Beginning Banjo Book | Best |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Banjo Primer (Deluxe Edition) | Overall Best Beginner Banjo Method |
| 2. | Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo | To Learn Earl Scruggs Style |
| 3. | Hal Leonard Banjo Method Book 1 | For Complete Beginners |
| 4. | Back-Up Banjo | Back-Up Method |
| 5. | Exercises For 3-Finger Banjo | Banjo Exercise Book |
| 6. | 400 Smokin’ Bluegrass Banjo Licks | Banjo Lick Book |
| 7. | Complete Book of Irish & Celtic 5-String Banjo | Learning Irish and Celtic Tunes |
*This post may contain Amazon affiliate links or affiliate links from other companies, which means The Musically Sound earns a percentage of sales from any qualifying purchases at no additional cost to the buyer. Learn more on our Private Policy page.
