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| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner | Page: 1 2   |
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| Plectrum Banjo | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 05:31 pm |
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1st Post |
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viking Approved 
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Plectrum banjo,standard or chicago(guiter) tuning? Hi I am a new member and this is my first time on a forum. As a guitarist come vocalist playing in local pubs and clubs it was clear that a dfferent voice was needed when jam sessions grew into 4 or 5 guitars and little else. So the local music shop had a plectrum banjo at the right price of which I am now the proud owner. I allready play guitar to a reasonable standard for performance in fingerpicking,clawhammer.flatpicking and plectrum styles SO am I reinventing the wheel by learning banjo in anything other than chicago tuning DGBE Standard G tuning CGBD does feel and sound more Banjoey to me but what would others advise to gain a fast start and have my banjo being heard in the jam on a sunday afternoon ASAP ???
____________________ Hear You Soon MARK |
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 08:32 pm |
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2nd Post |
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Richard Hefner Administrator 
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Hi Viking, I don't play plectrum banjo and I'm not sure anybody on this board does, but I would think if you're already a guitar player you'd just go with the Chicago tuning instead of something so completely different. It's a banjo so it should at least sound somewhat different than a guitar without too much work. Here are a couple of links that look like they might be helpful... http://www.plectrumbanjolessons.com/ http://users.erinet.com/33224/ Good luck!
____________________ Richard Hefner MP3 Page: http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/richardhefner Running Blog: http://old-runner.com |
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24th, 2006 08:59 pm |
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3rd Post |
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Will Approved 
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Hello, Viking. There's nothing wrong with sticking with DGBE tuning. I play a tenor banjo with DGBE "Chicago" tuning. DBGE was a common tuning used by guitar players who wanted to play a plectrum or tenor banjo part of the time for a different sound. Someday, I might buy a plectrum banjo. Bob Shane of the Kingston Trio played a plectrum banjo tuned DGBE on some of their most famous records - Tom Dooley and Worried Man. I learned the baritone uke before I learned guitar, so that tuning was already very familiar when I bought a tenor guitar (actually, it's a plectrum guitar because the scale is longer) and a tenor banjo later on. Works for me... I'm even from Chicago.  Here are a few songs posted where I used the tenor banjo: Sloop John B - http://ezfolk.com/audio/play.php?band_id=245&song_id=1007&mode=song_hifi Take Me Out To The Ballgame - http://ezfolk.com/audio/play.php?band_id=245&song_id=1008&mode=song_hifi Last edited on Wed Jan 25th, 2006 03:35 am by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25th, 2006 12:05 am |
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4th Post |
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beeconk Approved
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You could also try DGBD - pretty much a Bluegrass tuning (GDGBD) without the drone 5th string (high G) That would give you alot of easy one finger barre chords I monkeyed around with an old Slingerland Style B plectrum for awhile - but I just couldn't get used to using a flat pick - sold it on Ebay.
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| Posted: Thu Jan 26th, 2006 12:49 pm |
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5th Post |
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viking Approved
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Thanks everyone for your replies, the consensus seems to be stick with chicago. With that in mind most of the songs I'll be playing will be 3 chord 12 bar etc tunes in G or D. Does anyone have some generic bluegrass/country picking patterns, turnarounds, licks etc. that i can have a crack at and will sound authentic in this tuning. Thanks again MARK (viking) Lake District, Cumbria, England 
____________________ Hear You Soon MARK |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 6th, 2006 07:38 pm |
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6th Post |
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Will Approved
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viking wrote: Thanks everyone for your replies, the consensus seems to be stick with chicago. Mark: I don't read music or tabulature, so I can't help with written charts or anything, but here's a recent recording of "Blackberry Blossom" I did with The Earth Tones, playing tenor banjo in DGBE tuning along with 2 fiddles and 2 guitars: Blackberry Blossom by The Earth Tones, recorded 2/21/06: http://ezfolk.com/audio/play.php?band_id=337&song_id=3993&mode=song_hifi
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Wed Jun 13th, 2007 10:56 pm |
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7th Post |
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BizarreBanjoCult Approved
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Richard Hefner wrote: I don't play plectrum banjo and I'm not sure anybody on this board does Two of us now! Bit late for viking, but for anyone in a similar position, here's something that might be of use. I agree with what viking says about tone, pulling the first up to E can make for some very shrieky overtones and hard picking. A useful option to consider if you are moving from guitar and want to get going quickly but maintain good tone, is to tune down to CFAD, put an elastic capo on the second fret and leave it there. That way you avoid putting too much strain on the neck and get a good 'twangy' banjo sound. Also, the capo damps out some of the nasty overtones you can get on "starter" instruments and you have less of a stretch between frets.
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| Posted: Thu Jun 14th, 2007 10:31 pm |
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8th Post |
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Philj200 Approved 
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I play tenor banjo as well tuned in the traditional manner. It's a Regal made between 1930 and 1950. And it's not my first (second or third) (or fourth) instrument. I am building my second cookie tin banjo which will be a tenor dedicated to the DGBE tuning. I have an old Gibson neck laying about idle. And just today, I clomed onto a cookie tin of the right proportions. And it's the same color as the exisitng banjoreo. When that gets closer to pluctrition, I'll post more on it in a separate thread.. I believe that more than two guitars constitute mud in most cases. A second voice is a good idea. And a banjo is always a good idea. Any kind of banjo. For folky/traditional/old-timey and even a lot of other kinds of music a 5-string might be worth the learning curve. But the easy transference of guitar skills to a DGBE-tuned banjo will do what you want too.
____________________ My MP3 Section: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1143/ My Myspace area: http://myspace.com/philj200 |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 02:13 pm |
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9th Post |
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viking Approved
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Hi Sorry it's taken a few days to pick up on the revival of this thread!! Yep 4 string Banjo's tuned DGBE makes life a lot easier for guitar players. I have found myself transposing a lot to D or G and finding the right banjoesque patterns and turnarounds is I suppose one of the reasons I asked for advice, but very few have surfaced. Of course listening and repeating what you hear is invariably the best way to learn licks but a few starting points would have been apprieciated. HO HUM ANYHO BBC thanks for the detuning tip and as allways thanks to Richard ,Will and Phil who along with a few others always seem to find time for constructive help and comment. As for my Plectrum Banjo I should take it off the wall more often but my opportunities for playing with others has declined this year with the departure of a few enlightened landlords who's replacements are more interested in selling prawn sandwiches than creating traditional ambiance in there bars.So when playing with myself (a practice to be discouraged in all musicians for fear of loss of sight and the developement of arthritic conditions in the hand and wrist) I tend to take the guitar to gigs, maybe one day I'll find the nerve to feature the banjo in public. I hope to publish some recordings soon and following neals facinating post, hope to get some feedback +or -. Thanks again HEAR YOU SOON MARK
____________________ Hear You Soon MARK |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 02:36 pm |
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10th Post |
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Will Approved
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BizarreBanjoCult wrote: Richard Hefner wrote:I don't play plectrum banjo and I'm not sure anybody on this board does I play a 19-fret tenor banjo tuned DGBE, and with the shorter neck, I find that standard banjo strings don't quite "fit" this tuning with the shorter tenor neck, particularly the B string, which produces the nasty overtones that you mentioned I remedied the problem by substituting that string with a slightly heavier gauge (0.16") string tuned to B, and the problem went away. One big advantage I've found playing to a 4-string banjo (in addition to the familiar guitar/baritone uke tuning) is that a capo may be freely used to play in "odd" keys rarely played on 5-string banjos, such as Bb (G fingering capoed at the 3rd fret) or F (D fingering capoed at the 3rd fret, or E fingering capoed at the 1st fret), because there is no 5th drone string to worry about. Last edited on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 02:37 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 03:36 pm |
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11th Post |
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viking Approved
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ODD KEYS Bd Ed etc I'm no historian of this kind of instrument but was not the original use of 4 string banjos as part of large ensembles. Such as jazz bands/dance bands/brass bands etc where the banjo would comp along with the band in the ensemble key, usualy Bd or Ed I'm not sure! Maybe someone has more knowledge of the history of this style of instrument and will let us know. HEAR YOU SOON MARK
____________________ Hear You Soon MARK |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 04:13 pm |
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12th Post |
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Will Approved
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viking wrote: ODD KEYS Bd Ed etc During the 1920's rise of jazz music in the U.S., the tenor banjo became popular (originally called the "tango banjo"); the CGDA tuning allowed it to cut through the mix of loud brass instruments; the 5th string was removed because it facilitated playing chords with a plectrum. Similarly, the plectrum banjo retained the same scale length as a 5-string, but was tuned CGDB with the 5th string removed to be played with a plectrum. Bb and Eb are common keys for brass instruments, so being able to capo to those keys is very useful. I've actually practiced playing El Capitan, a John Philip Sousa march, in the key of Bb, on the 4-string banjo (I learned it by ear on the organ many years ago). Last edited on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 04:21 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 04:25 pm |
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13th Post |
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viking Approved
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I thought it was something like that Will Wasn,t the rise of the resonator guitar along simular lines, the desire for a stringed instrument to "cut through" large ensembles?
____________________ Hear You Soon MARK |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 05:24 pm |
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14th Post |
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Will Approved
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viking wrote: I thought it was something like that Will The resonator guitar's creation was driven by the popularity of Hawaiian music. The first guitars used in Hawaiian music were regular steel string guitars, but due to the lap style of playing with a steel bar, the sound projected upwards rather than forwards towards the audience. The need to create a louder guitar resulted in a variety of solutions. Wiessenborn created some guitar designs where the neck itself was hollowed out. The Dopyera brothers came up with the aluminum cone resonator design, later to be generally called Dobros. At one time (during the 1920s), Hawaiian guitars were so popular, that the adjective "Spanish" was used to distinguish the acoustic guitar from the Hawaiian guitar. The very first amplified electric guitar was the electric lap steel, which used just a single coil pickup, and for years, the lap steel became the signature sound of Hawaiian music, with ukuleles playing chordal accompaniment. Last edited on Mon Jun 18th, 2007 05:25 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Mon Jun 18th, 2007 06:18 pm |
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15th Post |
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Preston Approved 
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Will, thanks for the information. I am always amazed at your knowledge of these instruments and your posts are always helpful and informative. I recently bought an instrument from Wendell Powell (the Dulciaddict) which was patterned after one of his long neck dulcimers, but this one has 4 strings and has a chromatic fretboard. I have it tuned to DGBD . It also sounds good tuned to DGBE but I like DGBD which gives me an open G tuning. It sounds sweet and "Mountainy". I call it a "Not A" because it's not a dulcimer, not a banjo, not a guitar, not a mandolin, not a ukulele, etc....... I will post pic and soundfiles when I have the time.
____________________ My EzFolk Page: http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1072 |
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| Posted: Sun Sep 20th, 2009 04:49 pm |
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16th Post |
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stevengaub Approved
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I have played at tenor tuned Chicago (guitar). I love it and it was much easer to transition from guitar playing. I am now having some second thaughts as I watch more common tunings and can see that many of the (banjo band 1890 - 1940) music is more tuneful and easier to play in the standard tunings. I am an old fart and probably will not change from Chicago tuning but if I were young and just starting I might consider the standard tenor tuning. 
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| Posted: Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 04:22 pm |
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17th Post |
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Jim Yates Approved 
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Will, The tango banjo is a smaller, 15 fret version of the tenor banjo. A tenor usually has at least 17 frets. Here's a link to a photo of my S.S. Stewart tango banjo: http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/photos2.asp?id=17973&photoID=60090&albumid=507 According to Bob Brozman, the resophonic guitar was invented because the regular guitar could not be heard in big bands. It never caught on in the big bands but did become popular with lap style players. Last edited on Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 04:33 pm by Jim Yates ____________________ Jim http://www.myspace.com/jimyates http://www.myspace.com/mapleleafchampionjugband |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 23rd, 2009 05:57 am |
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18th Post |
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Will Approved
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Jim, That tango banjo photo appears to have 17 frets on the neck. My tenor banjo has 19 frets on the neck. The 17-fret tenor banjo is still sold by Deering (Goodtime II tenor) and by other companies as "Irish tenor banjos" (Goldtone). -Bill
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 10:36 pm |
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19th Post |
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Jim Yates Approved
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Whoops! You're right Will. My banjo does have 17 frets. It's a much shorter scale than any of the other banjos at our local sessions, but perhaps not short enough to qualify as a tango banjo.
____________________ Jim http://www.myspace.com/jimyates http://www.myspace.com/mapleleafchampionjugband |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 25th, 2009 04:20 pm |
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20th Post |
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Will Approved
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After resisting for five years, I finally ordered the Goldtone Cripple Creek plectrum banjo: http://www.wwbw.com/Gold-Tone-CC-Plectrum-473750-i1425415.wwbw 
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ A Bunch Of Coconuts http://abunchofcoconuts.com |
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