Learn Banjo Foundations Online

  • 13 lessons teaching how to play 13 very popular Irish tunes.
  • Progress at your own pace, pause & repeat videos.
  • Access on all your devices.
  • PDF sheet music & mp3’s to download & keep for each tune.
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  • Access to 14 instruments, 40+ courses, 700+ tutorials

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BONUS:
  • Access our Entire Course Catalogue for Every Instrument.
  • Library of over 150 popular Irish tunes to practice along with.
  • Virtual Reality Sessions for the unique Irish Pub Session experience – a real treat for the Irish music lover.
  • Community Forum of students and teachers, all friends with a love of Irish music.
Continue your learning journey with the banjo with this powerful Foundations course for those who already know how to play and/or have completed the Banjo Basics course.

Banjo Foundations

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Course Structure

‘Banjo Foundations’, taught by Lisa Canny is designed as a follow on to her beginner course ‘Banjo Basics’.  Throughout the course Lisa will build on techniques previously introduced in her first course, namely:
ornamentation, slides, cuts and trebles and how to incorporate these subtly into the tunes.
She further discusses the use of chords and harmonisation as well as efficient finger movement for the use of high notes and ease of finger movement around the frets.
The range of tunes is taken from the Irish session repertoire – plenty of jigs and reels!
By the end of ‘Banjo Foundations’ the budding banjo player can expect to have a repertoire of 13 popular Irish session tunes as well as a good group of techniques and ornaments to help you create that distinctive Irish sound.
All the tunes from this course have accompanying play along practice tracks which makes practice fun and enjoyable!!

The traditional Irish tunes and corresponding techniques taught are:

The Harvest Home Hornpipe (Trebles)
The Kelkenny Jig (Trebles)
The Silver Spear Reel (Trebles)
The Spotted Dog Jig (Ornament: Slides)
Lucy Cambell’s Reel (Ornamentation: Cuts)
The Ships are Sailing Reel (Ornamentation: Triplets and Slides)
The Killavil Jig (Chords and Double Stops)

The Bluebell Polka (Triplets and Accidentals)
Geese in the Bog Jig (Strengthening of the Pinky Finger )
The Red Haired Boy Reel (Chromaticism)
The Blackthorn Stick Jig (Legato Playing)
The Ashplant Reel (Efficient use of Fingers)
The Glass of Beer Reel (Efficient use of Finger Movement)

Your Tutor

Learn Irish Harp OnlineLisa is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and composer from Co. Mayo. At five years of age Lisa began learning tenor banjo and at ten she started on the harp and attending classes with Bernie and Holly Geraghty, meanwhile completing her academic grades on the piano too. Heavily involved with Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Ballindine, Lisa won 7 All-Ireland Fleadh Ceoil titles throughout her competing years, including the Senior Harp title in 2008. Now a teacher herself, 9 of Lisa’s own students have gone on to win All-Ireland medals. After graduating with a first class honours degree in Irish Music and Dance at University of Limerick in 2010, Lisa went on to achieve a first class honours Masters degree in Ethnomusicology at University College Cork. Her MA Thesis “Contemporary Tune Composition in Irish Traditional Music” looked at the practice of composition within the traditional music community from the 1960’s onwards, accompanied by a portfolio of Lisa’s own compositions; transcribed, recorded, performed, and analysed. Retaining a love for academia, Lisa plans to return to university in the future to pursue a PhD. Read more.

Detailed questions and discussion on the course can be found in the Community Forum, available to paying members only.
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Banjo Foundations Lessons

Level

The Harvest Home

Banjo Foundations Lesson 1

  • D Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson, the highly popular hornpipe ‘ Harvest Home’ will be taught in the key of D majo…

Hornpipe

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The Kilkenny Jig

Banjo Foundations Lesson 2

  • A Minor
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson, Lisa will continue her study on trebles. She will teach the tune ‘The Kilkenny Jig&#8…

Jig

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The Silver Spear

Banjo Foundations Lesson 3

  • D Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

Lisa will continue her study of trebles with this great session tune ‘The Silver Spear’ in the …

Reel

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The Spotted Dog

Banjo Foundations Lesson 4

  • A Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson Lisa will introduce the slide ornament and will demonstrate how to use it in the tune &#8216…

Jig

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Lucy Campbell’s

Banjo Foundations Lesson 5

  • D Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson, Lisa will teach the four part reel in D called ‘Lucy Campbells’. She will focus…

Reel

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The Ships Are Sailing

Banjo Foundations Lesson 6

  • E Minor
  • Level 1
  • Melody

‘Ships are Sailing’ is the reel Lisa will teach in this lesson.

Reel

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The Killavil Jig

Banjo Foundations Lesson 7

  • G Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this Lesson Lisa will focus on the use of chords and harmonization in the jig ‘The Killavil Jig&#8…

Jig

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The Bluebell Polka

Banjo Foundations Lesson 8

  • G Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson, Lisa will teach a lively Polka in G major ‘The Bluebell Polka’.

Polka

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Geese In The Bog

Banjo Foundations Lesson 9

  • C Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

Lisa will continue with discussion of strengthening the left hand pinky finger. She will teach the Jig in C…

Jig

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The Red Haired Boy

Banjo Foundations Lesson 10

  • A Mixolydian
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson, the tune ‘The Red Haired Boy’, also known as ‘The Jolly Beggarman will be…

Reel

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The Blackthorn Stick

Banjo Foundations Lesson 11

  • G Major
  • Level 1
  • Melody

‘The Blackthorn Stick’, also known as ‘The Coach Trip to Sligo’. She will show how …

Jig

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The Ashplant

Banjo Foundations Lesson 12

  • E Minor
  • Level 1
  • Melody

‘The Ashplant’ is OAIM’s signature tune on all our YT videos, played by OAIM tutor Thomas…

Reel

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The Glass Of Beer

Banjo Foundations Lesson 13

  • B Minor
  • Level 1
  • Melody

In this lesson Lisa will continue her study of the efficient use of finger movement. The reel ‘The Gl…

Reel

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