The banjo player uses his left hand to press the strings of the banjo against frets or metal bars across the neck of the instrument. This shortens the length of the string and produces different notes. The right hand plucks the strings with the fingernail or picks attached to the fingers. The fingers have different roles in the Irish banjo. Several fingers will play the background notes while the remaining fingers play the melody. Lessons in Banjo technique cover the chords, or combinations of notes, as well as the coordination of background and melody fingering and rhythm.
Notes without discipline and emotion become noise. In order to play the Irish banjo, the artist must learn to create a song with the instrument. The artist must play the notes as a part of an entire scheme, often with other instruments, using increased or decreased volume, timing between notes and the length of notes. Also, the artist has to learn the basis and execution of the musical genre he has chosen. This is best done by listening to other artists within that genre.