Banjo is one of the true American instruments. It's roots come from an instrument native to West Africa, the akonting. After arriving in America the akonting was mated to a flat fretboard seen on instruments like the mandolin and lute. I've heard the instrument called the perfect cross between lyrical strings and rhythmic drums.
There are a bunch of ways to play the 5-string banjo. I've spent a large part of my life learning about the American traditional roots music of the southern Appalachian mountains. One of the styles of playing the banjo is called "clawhammer" and it refers to the motion and shape of the right hand as it plays melodies that can drive your feet to dancing.
The first rural bands were really just two musicians- one playing fiddle and the other playing banjo. Many of the early houses that mining companies provided their workers with consisted of two rooms and a porch. Between these two rooms was a doorway and these two musicians would stand or sit in or near the doorway so that everyone could hear the music. It was generally the banjo's job to lay down a solid rhythmic and harmonic foundation while the fiddle often carried the melody. I really love the tunes from that region and time and the gut-wrenching simple honesty that they evoke.
If you'd like to learn how tho play this music, I'm generally available for lessons at the Minuteman Music Center in Lexington, Massachusetts. I've also been known to travel to students houses to give lessons as well. If you'd like to see/hear me before taking the leap, my band Jubilee Mule plays at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge on the third Tuesday of each month at 8:30 pm sharp. You can also find me haunting Old-Time Jams around town. I've included some MP3 files of me playing with my favorite fiddlers and other musicians on the "Tim's Mp3's" page. Please feel free to drop me a line at the email at the bottom of each page or call me at Minuteman Music (781)274-0088.