Sheffield Banjo Lessons

Happy Picking! All Things Banjo Podcast

Music EN ↓ 5 episodes

Welcome to 'Happy Picking!' a podcast about all things banjo! This show will bring you information, tips, breakdowns and information to help you explore the fabulous world of the banjo. Get in touch with any questions you would like to ask, nothing is too small if it helps! I'll keep checking the mailbag. For more lessons, tabs, tips, information and tracks; check out Sheffield Banjo Lessons at the links below:Website - www.sheffieldbanjolessons.co.ukTab Store & Ko-fi - https://ko-fi.com/sheffieldbanjolessonsPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/cw/SheffieldBanjoLessonsHappy Picking!

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Sheffield Banjo Lessons

Episodes

EP5 - The History & Mystery of Cripple Creek - Looking at the Origins and Importance of a Bluegrass Standard. 10.07.2026 24:06

Have you ever played the bluegrass classic 'Cripple Creek' on banjo, listened to Earl Scruggs or been to a jam , heard the song and thought... "Earl Scruggs wrote this, right?" ...well ...actually ... Welcome to the 'Happy Picking!' podcast, where in Episode 5 we dive into 'The History and Mystery of Cripple Creek', taking a long look at the origins, history and l...

EP4 - Deering Deep Dive: Choosing the Right Banjo for You & What to Look out for When Buying a Banjo... 23.06.2026 48:56

Thinking about buying a Deering banjo but not sure which model is right for you? ...or do you just want to know what goes in to choosing the right banjo? In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Deering banjo lineup, from the popular Goodtime series right through to the professional-grade Sierra, Eagle II, Golden Era and Tenbrooks models. We'll explore the history of Deering Banjos, what make...

EP3 - Building Simple Banjo Breaks - Finding the Melody Behind the Music 16.06.2026 50:34

Do you want to build better banjo breaks? One of the most important skills in bluegrass banjo is learning to hear and find the melody. In this episode, we'll build a banjo break from the melody of Worried Man Blues and then strip back Earl Scruggs' break on The Ballad of Jed Clampett to discover how melody forms the foundation of every great banjo arrangement. Let's take a look at all the buil...

EP2 - All About Licks! - Deconstructing & How to Write Banjo Licks 08.06.2026 41:05

Welcome to Episode 2 of the 'Happy Picking!' podcast! This episode we talk 'All About Licks'. Playing, learning and being able to craft licks on the banjo is such a fundamental tool for all banjo players and has been for over 100 years! In this episode we take a deep dive into the world of licks and look at understanding licks by approaching the questions of: - What is a lick? - When do we play li...

EP1 - The Call of the Banjo! 02.06.2026 17:29

Welcome to 'Happy Picking!' a podcast about all things banjo! Hosted by Richard from Sheffield Banjo Lessons (me), this show will bring you stories, information, lessons, tips and tricks, breakdowns of concepts and other bits exploring the fabulous world of the banjo. In episode 1 we will talk about how we all have a story when we get into the banjo whether it be from bluegrass music, coun...