Best Banjos Books of 2026

Campfire Songs - Strum Together is a fantastic book for anyone who loves music and wants to enjoy it with friends. The Strum Together series is designed to enable players of five different instruments to "strum together" on 70 great songs. The book includes melody, lyrics, and chord diagrams for standard ukulele, baritone ukulele, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. It's a perfect collection for campfire fun and includes popular tunes such as "Blowin' in the Wind," "Hey Jude," and "Sweet Caroline." The book is published by Hal Leonard LLC, which has become the world's largest source of music performance and instructional materials. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for musicians of all levels and a must-have for anyone who loves playing music with friends.

The "Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus" is an excellent guide for beginners who want to learn how to play Scruggs style. The book teaches the plain melody to 23 easy bluegrass favorites without rolls already incorporated into the tune. The author provides simple ways to embellish each melody using easy rolls, allowing readers to learn how to play a song in different ways. The book comes with an audio instructional CD with 99 tracks. The book's layout is great, and it is suitable for anyone from 5 years to 110 with some reading skills and a CD player. Overall, this book is the ultimate beginners guide for playing Scruggs style, and its unique method teaches readers to think for themselves.

The Banjo Primer Book for Beginners Deluxe Edition with DVD and 2 Jam CDs by Geoff Hohwald is the perfect course for those who want to learn how to play Scruggs style 5 string bluegrass banjo technique. Starting with beginner basics like tuning and simple rolls, the course progresses to teach easy-to-play song arrangements with up the neck breaks to classic bluegrass songs. The included DVD provides step-by-step video instruction, and the two Jam Track CDs play all of the songs at five speeds with a bluegrass band. Overall, this time-tested banjo method is a must-have for anyone wanting to learn how to play the banjo.

The "Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo: Revised and Enhanced Edition" is the best-selling banjo method worldwide, now with more songs, updated lessons, and many other improvements. The book includes everything you need to know to start playing banjo, such as a history of the 5-string banjo, how to read music and tablature, right-hand rolls, left-hand techniques, banjo tunings, and exercises in picking. It also features over 40 songs and autobiographical notes from Earl Scruggs. The book/audio version includes recordings of Earl Scruggs playing and explaining over 60 examples, accessible online. The audio files include PLAYBACK+ for a multi-functional audio player that allows you to change keys, pan left or right, and slow down audio without changing pitch.

The Earl Scruggs Banjo Songbook is a comprehensive collection of over 80 tunes transcribed for the banjo, featuring Earl Scruggs' banjo breaks, intros, and tags. The book includes recording references, tuning, and capo information for each piece. The presentation of the songs follows the format in the world's best-selling banjo method, Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo. Songs include Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Duelin' Banjos, and Nine Pound Hammer. The book also features a foreword by Jim Mills. This book is a must-have for any banjo player looking to learn from the legendary Earl Scruggs.

The First 50 Songs You Should Play on Banjo is a must-have book for any beginner banjo player. With easy-to-read banjo tab, chord symbols and lyrics, this book provides the most popular songs that beginning banjo players like to play. Experienced players will also find new tunes never before arranged for banjo. The book covers clawhammer and three-finger-style banjo in various tunings and capoings, making it a one-of-a-kind collection. The book includes popular songs like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads," among others. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn the banjo.

Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History is a meticulously researched history of the banjo, revealing its key role in Black spirituality, ritual, and rebellion. Kristina Gaddy traces the banjo's beginnings from the seventeenth century, when enslaved people of African descent created it from gourds or calabashes and wood, to its appropriation by Blackface minstrels and its eventual incorporation into jazz, bluegrass, and country music. Gaddy's compelling and vivid writing brings the banjo's hidden past to life, making this book a must-read for lovers of music history and culture.

The book "Clawhammer Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus" is a perfect guide for beginners to learn how to play clawhammer banjo. Originally published in 1973, this updated edition comes with a spiral binding and a link to online audio making it easier for readers to learn 31 old-time classics from scratch. The author, Wayne Erbsen, has made sure to keep the instructions friendly, clear, and simple, and the book has been praised by many for its sense of humor and laid-back approach. Overall, this book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in learning clawhammer banjo.

New to playing the banjo? Look no further than "How To Play Banjo" by Ben Parker. This Amazon #1 best-selling music author provides a comprehensive guide for absolute beginners. With easy-to-follow instructions, simple exercises, and fun songs and classic banjo tunes to play, anyone can learn at their own pace. Parker's years of musical teaching experience shine through in this book, making it accessible for beginners of all ages. Additionally, the inclusion of playing tips and techniques, as well as banjo tablature, make this book a must-have for anyone looking to learn the banjo.