Positions

[Andy Spencer]

I would be grateful if someone could remind me of the positions used in much classical banjo please. For instance Whistling Rufus has 8P, 5PB amongst others which I can't remember!

After 17 years not playing you forget these important things.

Many thanks
Andy

[Joel Hooks]

Hi Andy,  Check out the "tutor books" section here and pick out one (make sure it is in C notation).  For a brief book look at the EZ-Method.  

Bradbury explains it on page 12 of his early tutor from 1927 (you will only find that here).

I also recommend Mike Moss' Notation Primer.

[Andy Spencer]

Hi Joel. Thanks for the reply. I will take a look. Kind regards, Andy

Joel Hooks said:

Hi Andy,  Check out the "tutor books" section here and pick out one (make sure it is in C notation).  For a brief book look at the EZ-Method.  

Bradbury explains it on page 12 of his early tutor from 1927 (you will only find that here).

I also recommend Mike Moss' Notation Primer.

[thereallyniceman]

Hi Andy,

The basics:     Banjo Strings across the fingerboard (starting at the short octave string) are numbered:

g  C  G  B  D       numbered in order:      5   4   3  2  1

So the TOP string is No 1  the octave string is No 5

The fingers are numbered thus:

Left hand:

Right hand

Fingers not marked are "rarely" used.

A few Notation Chord shapes are shown in these examples: (ignore the TABlature at the lower left of each shape as you are playing from the musical score)

The thing to remember is that any of the shapes, 221, 421, 331 etc etc. can be played at any fret.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL is that the LH 1st finger of the chord shape (no matter what string it is on) goes on the fret number indicted by the position

ie:

So you can play a 221 right up the fingerboard  and will be shown as eg. 13P 221 on the score.

NOTE the numbers are written DOWNWARDS from the top string (1st).

  ....so from what we learn above,  the 1st finger of the LH is at the 13th fret and the 2nd finger frets the 1st and second strings.

Barre is shown in the same way ( normally barres are 111 chords)  eg:

 A barre at the 5th 

A Barre is often played and then other fingers play a series of notes at that position while the barre is held on. The is notated as Position Barre   eg  10PB 411

The most common shapes are available in a download I produced on the LEARN TO PLAY page.

Cursor across the lesson thumbnails until you see "Playing by Numbers" (click this link)

There you can download a PDF file containing the chord shapes and a couple of tutor books.

[Joel Hooks]

Showoff. 

[thereallyniceman]

I hope so ;-))

[Andy Spencer]

Fantastic. Thanks to all. So pleased to have this site! It's all coming back to me now. Right...Whistling Rufus again...

[Jody Stecher]

It *IS* fantastic. Such generosity.  Bravo.

Andy Spencer said:

Fantastic. Thanks to all. So pleased to have this site! It's all coming back to me now. Right...Whistling Rufus again...