How hard is the banjo?

[stevo58]

Hmm I can’t directly address the OPs original question, but I agree with the statement earlier that, as this is a guitar-centered forum, non-guitar things are seen through those glasses. The idea that one instrument is “more involved” than another is short-sighted. The discussion here has been limited to five-string banjo, under the assumption all you can play on it is either old-time or bluegrass, but this ignores, for example, the classical tradition of the early 20th century. It also ignores 4-string banjos. You can try listening to Harry Reser, Perry Bechtel, or Elmer Snowden for vintage counterexamples, or Cynthia Sayer, Don Vappie, or Jimmy Mazzy for contemporary examples.

I play guitar, banjo, and mandolin, am 65, and don’t have any trouble switching between. I find in the long run I am better served by treating each instrument as something new and unique rather than as a strange guitar. I switch from, say, my 1950 Epiphone arch top to a B&D Silver Bell and just from the feel my fingers know what to do. It just took a bit of time when first learning (and I started banjo at 60) to train the muscle memory.