Should I Learn Banjo or Guitar?

ByDaniel Johnstone Uncategorized

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Last Updated on June 21, 2026 by Daniel Johnstone

Banjo and guitar share enough DNA — frets, strings, chord shapes — that it’s a genuinely reasonable question to ask before committing to either one. The honest answer depends less on which is “better” and more on what kind of music actually pulls you in.

The Real Differences

String count and tuning. A standard 5-string banjo has an extra short drone string that doesn’t get fretted, which takes some getting used to if you’re coming from guitar. Banjo tuning is also typically open (often G tuning), meaning strumming the open strings already sounds like a chord — genuinely different from how guitar works.

Playing style. Banjo is closely associated with fingerpicking styles like clawhammer and Scruggs-style three-finger picking, both of which take real time to develop. Guitar is more flexible from day one — you can strum basic chords and sound musical almost immediately, then move into fingerpicking later if you want to.

Musical range. Guitar is the more versatile instrument by a wide margin — it covers pop, rock, folk, blues, and more, and you’ll find far more lesson content and song tutorials built around it. Banjo is more specialized, leaning heavily toward bluegrass, old-time, and folk.

Which Is Easier for a True Beginner?

Guitar generally has the gentler learning curve for getting a basic song under your fingers quickly, simply because strumming open chords is more immediately rewarding than the right-hand picking patterns banjo relies on. That said, plenty of people find the banjo’s open tuning makes certain chord shapes easier than the equivalent on guitar, once the picking pattern itself starts to click.

If bluegrass or old-time music is what’s actually drawing you in, learning banjo first makes more sense than treating guitar as a stepping stone — the two instruments are different enough that guitar skills don’t transfer as directly as you might expect.

If you’ve decided banjo is the one, I’ve put together a guide to real, well-reviewed beginner banjos worth checking before you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is banjo harder to learn than guitar?

In the first few weeks, generally yes — banjo relies on right-hand picking patterns that take longer to develop than basic guitar strumming. Beyond the beginner stage, difficulty becomes more about the style of music than the instrument itself.

Do guitar skills transfer to banjo?

Some chord knowledge transfers, but less than you’d expect. The open tuning, extra drone string, and picking-based playing style make banjo different enough that it’s closer to learning a new instrument than building on guitar skills directly.

Should I learn banjo or guitar first?

If you want flexibility across many genres, guitar is the safer first choice. If bluegrass, old-time, or folk music is specifically what draws you in, there’s a real case for starting on banjo directly rather than treating guitar as a required first step.

Author Profile

Daniel Johnstone
Daniel Johnstone
Daniel Johnstone — Dániel to his friends back in Miskolc — is a Hungarian folk musician and writer who has been playing stringed instruments for over twenty years. Growing up in northeastern Hungary with a family steeped in folk music, he developed an early obsession with Celtic and Appalachian styles that eventually brought him to the UK. He worked his way through tenor banjo, 5-string banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, mandolin, ukulele, harp and kalimba — most of them acquired through trial, error and more money than he'd like to admit. He founded Folkstrings.com to cut through the noise: practical, experience-based guides to instruments, strings, gear and accessories for folk players at every level.

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