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Ned Luberecki's Bluegrass Banjo Jam Survival Guide

Critical Tips, Techniques, and Insight for Bluegrass Banjo Jams 

Jamming is where the fun really begins for Bluegrass banjo players! But to ‘survive’ a bluegrass jam and have the most fun, you need to have specific skills at your command, be able to interact with the other musicians, hear the chord changes, think on your feet, and come up with something to play on the spot! 

Ned Luberecki’s Bluegrass Banjo Jam Survival Guide guides you through everything you need to know to not only ‘survive’ but shine at any bluegrass jam session you participate in. 

Ned is one of the most popular banjo instructors at music camps around the world including Nashcamp, Munich Banjo Camp, Camp Bluegrass, B.C. Bluegrass Workshop, Midwest Banjo Camp and many more. Ned was also named ‘Banjo Player of the Year’ in 2018 by the International Bluegrass Music Association and he tours the globe with The Becky Buller Band and with Stephen Mougin (of the Sam Bush Band) as Nedski & Mojo. 

”Across the seven sections of the Bluegrass Banjo Jam Survival Guide, we’ll work on ear training, chord groups, double-stop positions, roll patterns, variations, and licks that you can play all over the fingerboard. We’ll apply these skills to all the most common chord changes in bluegrass!” 

SECTION 1: Chords by Numbers 

”In Section 1, we'll learn how to call chords by numbers instead of letter names. You may have heard of this referred to as the "Nashville Number System" which is based on this same concept. It's a very easy and convenient way to refer to the chords common to a key.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Chords by Numbers, Steps of a Major Scale, and Chords Common to a Key 

SECTION 2: Chords on the Neck

”In this section, I'll show you how to make the three major chord shapes, locate their different inversions up the neck, and change them from major to minor chords.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Chords on the Neck, The 3 Major Chord Shapes, Major Inversions Up the Neck, and Changing Major to Minor Chords 

SECTION 3: Chord Groups 

”In this section I'll show you how to find the common chords that you need for a particular key in what I call "Chord Groups" on the fingerboard. The three following lessons show you how to group these chords using each major chord shape as the 1 chord. In these lessons, we'll focus on the key of G, but by using the same chord shapes in their relative positions, you can use this technique to find the common chords you need in any key.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Chord Groups, F Shape as the One, D Shape as the One, and Barre Shape as the One

SECTION 4: Ear Training

”Now that you know how to play the chords common to a key, the next step is being able to identify them when you hear them. This is not magic, but a skill that you can learn and develop like any other... and you already know the secret: Practice! These next couple of lessons are here to help you do just that.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Ear Training, 1,4, & 5 Chords, 6 Minor Chord, b7 Chord, and 2 Minor Chord 

SECTION 5: Double Stops 

”The term "Double Stop" comes from the violin world and basically means to play two notes at the same time. In this section, I'll show you how to use double stop positions of the chords you've learned to jam over some common Bluegrass chord progressions.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Double Stops, Double Stop Positions for G, Double Stop Positions for C, Double Stop Positions for D, G, C, & D Double Stop Chord Groups, G, C, & D Double Stops with Roll, Double Stop Jam: G, C, & D, Double Stop Jam: G, C, & D, Double Stop Positions for Am, Em, & F, Double Stop Jam: G, C, D, & Em Playalong, Double Stop Jam: G, C, D, & F Playalong, Double Stop Jam: G, C, D, & Am Playalong, Turning Double Stops Into Licks, and Double Stop Licks Jam: G, C, & D Playalong 

SECTION 6: Ultimate Forward Roll

”In this section we'll learn how to play something that I like to call "The Ultimate Forward Roll" and use it over the chords common to the key of G. This roll can be used for lead or backup playing and when mixed with the double stop positions, allows you to incorporate the rolling, open string sound back into your jamming and really make it sound bluegrassy.” 

Video Lessons in this section: The Ultimate Forward Roll, Ultimate Forward Roll Jam: 1, Ultimate Forward Roll Jam: 2, Applying the UFR to More Chords, UFR Jam: Country Roads Changes, UFR Variation with Slides, UFR Variation with Syncopation, and UFR Jam: With Variations 

SECTION 7: Banjo Licks 

”In this section, we'll learn a few brief licks to use in a G, C, and D chord progression. Combining these licks with the Ultimate Forward Roll and double stop position licks will give you the tools to play along in almost any Bluegrass jam.” 

Video Lessons in this section: Banjo Licks, Great Licks for Jamming: G, Great Licks for Jamming: C, Great Licks for Jamming: D, UFR with Licks Jam: G, C, & D, Final Jam: Nine Pound Changes 

Ned will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches along the way.  You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the key examples. Plus, Ned includes all of the rhythm tracks for you to work with on your own. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. 

Grab your ‘banjer' and let’s jam with Ned Luberecki! 

About the educator

Ned Luberecki

Ned Luberecki is the banjo player for The Becky Buller Band and also tours with Stephen Mougin (of the Sam Bush Band) as Nedski & Mojo. Ned was formerly the banjoist for Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, The Rarely Herd, Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, The Gary Ferguson Band, Radio Flyer, Paul Adkins and the Borderline Band and in 2018, Ned was voted Banjo Player of the Year by the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association).  

Ned teaches private banjo lessons in Nashville and now over the internet via webcam! Check out nedski.com for more info. Ned is a popular banjo instructor at music camps across the country and around the world, having taught at Nashcamp, Munich Banjo Camp, Camp Bluegrass, B.C. Bluegrass Workshop, Midwest Banjo Camp and many more.  

Ned is also an on-air personality on Sirius XM Satellite Radios Bluegrass Junction (channel 62). Tune in Sunday Afternoons from 2:00 - 6:00 pm (eastern) for More Banjo Sunday. Ned brings his banjo to the SiriusXM Channel 61 studios and plays live banjo tunes during the show! Stay tuned for the Sunday Banjo Lesson every Sunday at 3:00 pm (eastern) when all the breaks in the hour are devoted to how to play the banjo. Ned also hosts the Newgrass/Progressive Bluegrass show Derailed, Saturday nights 7:00 - 9:00 pm eastern.