The Banjo Ukulele Revival

The banjo-uke (or whatever other portmanteau you prefer to refer to it by) is enjoying something of a revival, though not at its height near 100 years ago.

Wendell Hall, Clifford Essex and Roy Smeck were among the artists renowned for playing this instrument. Today it most commonly features nylon strings; occasionally with a wound third string.

How to Play

A banjo ukulele is an instrument with the sound and volume of a banjo but is significantly smaller and lighter. Typically tuned like other types of ukuleles such as tenor, concert, or soprano models it can be played using strumming techniques or fingerpicking; alternative tunings like GCEA may also be possible.

George Formby was an English entertainer known for using an accordion to perform comedic songs he had written himself, with an inimitable style influenced more by ragtime and 30s swing than Hawaiian music.

Contrary to traditional ukuleles with fixed bridges, banjo ukuleles feature floating bridges held in place by tension rings on their bodies and adjustable screw hooks on them – this allows players to adjust pressure on the bridge to alter its tone and sound of instrument.

As the string-string spacing on a banjo ukulele is slightly narrower than on regular ukuleles, traditional right-hand techniques for playing five-string banjos will not translate as effectively onto it. There are however ways you can make playing easier and more comfortable, including opting for thicker strings.

Learning two-finger rolls is also essential to playing the banjo ukulele well; these techniques allow for playing bluegrass and clawhammer styles of picking on the instrument with more speed and accuracy. By learning these, more complex chords can be played more quickly and accurately.

Fred Sokolow offers an excellent primer if you want to start learning bluegrass on the banjo ukulele with this lesson, providing basic strums and picking patterns, as well as key concepts behind playing bluegrass on banjo ukulele.

The Split Stroke

No matter the name used to refer to it, banjo-ukuleles or banjo uleles have seen a recent resurgence in popularity. Combining the ease of play of an ukulele with the distinctive sound and tone of a banjo makes for an unique sound all its own.

No one knows for certain who invented the banjo-ukulele; however, many believe Alvin D. Keech around 1917 or 1918 who trademarked its name: banjolele”. This instrument combines aspects from both instruments; in this instance the Hawaiian ukulele was derived from cavaquinho and rajao while American banjo became increasingly popular as well. Tuned to regular C tuning, openback or with resonator models may exist depending on individual preferences.

Many associate the banjo ukulele with George Formby’s 1930’s swing and ragtime sounds; its particular tone evoking these styles more so than traditional Hawaiian tones.

Formby was known for using a split stroke technique on his first string that gave his playing its distinctive voice. A split stroke requires depressing the string using their left-hand fretting finger while strumming them with their right hand or plectrum; this allows any individual string to be picked or strung separately or multiple voice chords may be played at once.

The banjo ukulele’s characteristic drum-like sound comes from its tension ring that sits above its head, adjustable via screw hooks fitted onto its body. Tightening up on it produces more distinctive note separation; loosening it gives a less distinct and mellower tone.

Matthew Quilliam’s Ukulele Online courses provide a wealth of banjo-ukulele techniques. You will learn everything from how to start playing to advanced techniques like three-finger rolls and how to solo! Additionally, this groundbreaking resource features an in-depth tuition series on Scruggs style picking on a ukulele; adding extra dimension and honing your rhythmic skills!

Right-Hand Techniques

An essential step to getting great sounds out of a banjo ukulele is honing a strong right hand technique, especially when learning fingerstyle playing techniques. Luckily, since both instruments share a G string high G string, many of the right-hand techniques used on an acoustic guitar also apply perfectly well on this hybrid instrument.

Split Stroke Strum – this right-hand technique originates in ragtime music of the 1920s and 1930s and requires practice to master. Once accomplished however, it adds excitement and flavor to your music!

Another effective way of adding variation and variety to your playing is through exploring various dynamic settings. This involves altering the intensity of your playing without altering its tempo; louder sounds create punchier tones while softer tones allow more breathy tones to emerge. Experimentation with different dynamics will help create a more versatile sound on banjo ukulele.

The banjo ukulele is an unconventional hybrid instrument that combines the ease of playability of ukuleles with the tone and sound projection of banjos. This hybrid instrument reached its pinnacle popularity during vaudeville acts in the 1920s and 30s when they needed something portable that was easy to play while on tour. This instrument typically features a small banjo body connected by fretted ukulele neck, usually tuned an octave higher than traditional ukuleles.

Like its guitar cousin, the banjo ukulele can be fitted with various kinds of strings and heads to alter its sound and feel. Calf skin heads create an inherently bright tone while synthetic ones produce warmer tones. Furthermore, tension hooks attached to its body allow users to customize its drum-like sound; tightening creates rockier sounds while loosening will produce less intense ones.

Three-Finger Rolls

Bluegrass banjo music relies heavily on three-finger roll patterns as its basis. This style of picking distinguishes its sound from other forms of stringed instrument music and makes the banjo particularly distinctive; although each song may feature slightly different roll patterns based on similar principles.

Step one in building this technique involves learning a few basic rolls well enough that they can be played comfortably over chords you are familiar with. After this has been accomplished, practice these patterns over different chords in order to gain an understanding of all possible combinations and how they fit together.

When learning the fundamentals of three-finger picking, it’s essential to keep melody as the goal in mind. Scruggs was well known for his melodic playing and used rhythmic patterns of three-finger roll to fill in around his melodies – this method requires more patience than many beginner approaches that focus on learning the roll patterns first and attempting to add melody later.

One of the primary principles behind three-finger picking is for all fingers, including your thumb, to be flexible enough to move in all directions without losing their rhythm or timing. Doing this allows you to play various rolls over different chord shapes.

Beginners should begin by playing a basic forward roll on either the second or third string of a G major chord. Later on, you may change up which string your thumb plays on beat two or four; but, overall, this basic pattern remains constant.

An additional basic roll to experiment with is the in and out roll, which can be played on any of the five strings on a G chord. This variation allows your thumb to play melodies as well as bass notes of the chord.

The Advanced Ukulele Lessons by Fred Sokolow provide intermediate ukulele players with practical techniques for increasing their playing enjoyment and proficiency. He adapts many banjo techniques specifically to the ukulele, such as physical exercises, right hand maneuvers and chord progressions – even providing tips for physical exercises! His lessons cover everything from playing with bounce and the collapsed finger bar to scales and patterns, rhythm and emphasis drills and roll patterns with different roll patterns thrown in for good measure!