Tuning your banjo takes practice and skill. Maintaining tune throughout a set is crucial for an audience experience; any player constantly altering the tuning between songs can become quite irritating to listen to.
Use either a piano or tuning fork to tune your banjo’s low D string, and adjust all other strings according to this note.
Scale Length
A banjo with a longer scale length typically produces deeper tones, while one with shorter scale length will create lighter ones. This is because longer-scale banjo strings vibrate more, creating the familiar sound associated with banjos.
Scale length of a banjo is also key in determining its tuning. Standard 5-string banjos are generally tuned to open G, meaning when strumming all four strings simultaneously (assuming all are in tune), you should hear a pleasing G major chord.
There can be various reasons for people choosing an alternate tuning on a banjo, including musical needs or convenience, cultural context or personal choice. Whatever their motivation may be, banjo players often increase their repertoire by simply altering one or more strings’ tuning.
Alternate tunings tend to utilize intervals of fifths, similar to what guitar and mandolin players use. One popular alternate tuning for five string banjo is known as Sawmill Tuning; this raises the second string a step to C and is especially favored among old time clawhammer players.
Irish Tenor Tuning (ITT), which sits between standard banjo tuning and guitar tuning, can also provide a rewarding alternative tuning solution. Earl Scruggs famously employed this tuning on many classic recordings he performed – it can make for a rewarding change to standard open G tuning!
Strings
Banjo strings are constructed of plain steel wire that is wrapped with brass, phosphor bronze or nickel windings to give the string its distinct sound. Each type of winding adds different characteristics that produce unique tones for playing banjo. A banjo player should experiment with different strings until finding one that best matches his or her taste; just like trying different brands of pie; each brand of string can have its own flavor!
Plain steel strings can be played using your index finger or by strumming with the backs of middle or ring fingers, although for stronger tone some players also fret them using their thumb. A technique called “hammering on” is sometimes employed when playing Bluegrass banjo to add an aggressive beat into a rhythm pattern, or to emphasize certain notes during melodies or solos.
Some players utilize an adjustable tailpiece to alter string pressure on the bridge and create sharper or snappier tones on their banjo, while others opt for looser, mellower tones that don’t need any adjustments at all. No adjustment is better or worse; each adjustment simply affects tone differently.
Most banjos from manufacturers come equipped with light gauge strings because they’re easier to play. Over time, however, skilled players may experiment with heavier gauge sets; heavier gauge sets offer deeper tones and can withstand more attacks from picking hands. It is always wise to follow manufacturer recommendations when it comes to string gauge and restring your banjo with the original type if possible to ensure maximum tension balance on its neck.
Bridge
The bridge is a flat piece of wood used to secure strings to the head of a banjo and help create its distinct sound. Additionally, it increases sustain and vibrating strings can vibrate head before striking bridge then pot. Both wood choice and fitting method may have an effect on tone.
There are various kinds of banjos, from 5-string models with low G tuning to four-string plectrum banjos designed specifically for Dixieland music. Each has different features and qualities which may appeal to different users.
Pete Seeger popularized folk music during his use of a five-string banjo during World War II with his revolutionary method book for it; many beginning and experienced banjoists credit him as being responsible for their interest in playing it.
As with any stringed musical instrument, banjos must be treated properly to keep sounding their best. The head should be kept clean and lubricated regularly and the action of strings checked often to make sure it doesn’t go too high or low. Tuning should also be checked frequently with tuning pegs adjusted if necessary and at least every two years it should be re-fretted for best performance.
Nut
A banjo’s nut is the small piece of hard material at the end of its neck near its peghead that holds strings at an appropriate height above the fingerboard and determines string slots spacing. An ideal nut should fit snugly around its neck, bearing smooth tension when tuning, with clean bearing of strings against its surface – as though made specifically for your instrument!
The banjo nut can be made of any variety of materials; popular choices include ebony, ivory and animal bone (usually cow), while traditional choices include mother-of-pearl. Today most banjo nuts are synthetic with an assortment of densities available; Corian (trade name for countertop plastics) makes excellent banjo nuts that come in several colors as well as modern graphite-impregnated plastics (see Corian above) being excellent choices.
Earl Scruggs popularized a five-string playing technique known as three finger picking that was heavily influenced by ragtime and other dance music styles that required louder instruments to compete with brass and reed instruments of his day. As a result, this change in taste resulted in the development of plectrum banjos whose pick can strum full chords or play single note melodies.
Recently, six-string banjos have become more widely available that add an additional bass string. While any tuning may be used, most bluegrass players tend to favor G4 G2 D3 G3 B4.
Tuning
Though most banjos come factory tuned to Open G standard tuning, you may still require further adjustments when playing on your own. Strings tend to go out of tune quickly and it’s essential that they remain at an ideal pitch in order to produce your desired sound. Furthermore, when joining other musicians or singers who use different tuning systems they too must tune their instruments.
Electronic tuners are an easy and quick way to tune a banjo, offering quick results when reading vibrations from strings and giving an indication of pitch. Available in various styles and prices, most utilize microphones and algorithms to record banjo string sound while also showing green when the pitch is correct and red when sharp or flat notes have been detected on display.
Tuning by ear can take practice to master. The trick lies in hearing each string’s exact pitch without interference, something that may prove challenging due to vibrating strings that alter their pitch over time. Once this ability has been developed, however, it can prove invaluable when learning new musical pieces.
Professional banjo tuners often tune their banjos by ear, but this requires exceptional hearing to detect even subtle shifts in pitch. As an amateur player, we recommend starting off using an electronic tuner until you become adept at tuning your banjo on your own.