[Dixielandjazz] Banjos

[Phil Wilking]

The tenor banjo in its standard neck length of 19 frets and its standard
tuning of C-G-D-A (A=440 Hz, the same as a viola) works well in the rhythm
sections of  jazz bands and dance orchestras because its usual chord
fingerings cover a span of 1½ to 2 octaves. It therefore will be heard no
matter which other instrument is playing. If you plan to do a lot of "lead"
playing on a tenor banjo, however, you probably will want to learn to play
single string melody interspersed with chords, because chord melody on a
tenor banjo gets very high-pitched and a little goes a very long way -
rather like
listening to 10 straight minutes of piccolo solo (I play tenor banjo, so I
can say this). Since the tuning is in straight fifths, It is not as
formidable a task to learn as it would first appear.

The other standard 4-string banjo is the "Plectrum" banjo. It has 22 frets
and the standard tuning is C-G-B-D. The 4th and 3rd strings are the same as
the tenor banjo and the 1st string is the same as the tenor 2nd string, with
the B 2nd string 2 tones above the G. This results in "close harmony"
chords. As a chord instrument, it does not have the "penetration" of the
tenor banjo, so it may not be your first choice in a jazz/brass band
setting, but chord melody on a plectrum is much mellower than on a tenor
banjo. In the USA, many polka bands seem to prefer plectrum over tenor
banjos.

While the tenor banjo CAN be tuned in a non-standard way, most guitarists
who want a banjo choose a plectrum model. The guitarist then tunes it as the
first 4 strings of his guitar and usually only other banjo players can tell
the difference.

There are, of course, banjos with six string necks, tuned and played as
guitars. Several early jazz bandsmen used these, John Saint Cyr of New
Orleans was one, as was Danny Barker.

As to what make to look for, that can be an essay in itself. Do not expect
to get good sounds from something cheap (in either sense of the word). The
banjo market is very small compared to the guitar market, so a good
instrument is going to be more expensive than a comparable quality guitar.
You are going to require first class materials and workmanship - never
inexpensive - for durability and sound quality, so don't be seduced by fancy
decoration on second-rate wood poorly assembled. There are several famous
marques, some still made and some only available 2nd (or 6th) hand. Each
make has its following. As you find many banjo shops in the U.K., I suggest
you go into a few and ask for demonstrations. Choose the instrument which
sounds and feels best to you.

Even better would be to attend performances of jazz bands which have banjos;
the player does not have to be a virtuoso, you will be more interested in
the various instruments' tone quality and carrying power. Which brings up
one last point: good banjos have excellent volume without the need to beat
on them violently. They are designed to be heard from the front without
amplification, so you will not hear what an audience hears when you are
behind it playing it. Stroke a cat when you strum, do not gouge a trench
through the strings. Record yourself from the audience's position or ask
another player to sit-in while you listen from "out front" and you will be
amazed at the difference you hear.

Note that banjos never come out of a shipping box sounding their best. Each
must be "tweaked" individually in head tension, string gauges, neck angle,
etc. Also, as you are a lefty, to get the best sound from the instrument you
will need to learn to play the banjo right-handed, or have a new nut
installed which has string slots of the proper widths for reverse stringing.

I hope this helps,

Phil Wilking

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allan Brown" <allanbrown at dsl.pipex.com>
>
> I'm interested in a tenor banjo as it seems to works so well with
> Dixieland style music. However, there appear to be all manner of lengths
> and tuning systems and I'm a little confused. Is there a standard tuning
> that banjo players use for playing jazz and does the tuning system depend
> on the length/ number of frets the banjo has?
> But perhaps
> I'm getting unnecessarily hung up on the "Chicago Tuning" and would be
> better served by rolling my sleeves up and learning a different tuning
> system altogether? What do you banjo players out there use?
>
> I'm based in the UK and there appear to be a plethora of banjo shops - do
> any of you have any suggestions as to what is a reasonable make of banjo
> for a beginner. That said, I'd probably prefer to invest in something
> that'll serve me in the longer term and has the potential of sounding half
> way decent should I ever get any good on it.
>