What is the difference between a plectrum banjo and a tenor banjo

When the banjo first developed in America from its African origins , no one knew it would grow into the immense popularity the instrument faces today. Growing in popularity in recent years, more people are flocking to the banjo for the first time. The banjo for the liveliest music, 4-strings are highly versatile.

Expect a 4-string to look and play like a ukulele. They use either two tenors for tuning: the same as a mandola and viola or an Irish tenor similar to the mandolin and violin. However, the sound is around an octave lower and smaller.

If you want to play the music that makes toes tap and hands clap, the 4-string banjo is for you. The tuning is similar to a fiddle or mandolin. The main difference between the 17 and fret tenor banjos is the number of frets as well as the scale length. Perhaps the reason for their popularity is due to the versatility of the strings. You can play Celtic or Dixieland music with the fret, but the difference is in the type of strings and how you tune it.

If you want to play Irish music, a fret is the best banjo for you. The quick-paced fiddle-like tunes are easy to play with this instrument, and most Irish banjos are open-back designs. Tenor banjos are often used in traditional Irish and Celtic, and early Jazz music from dance hall numbers to Ragtime, Dixieland, and even Tin Pan Alley songs. Kids and women may also prefer a smaller scale banjo. You can still use a fret in the Irish tenor, but this banjo is typically set from the 4th to 1st chords as C, G, D, A.

Many musicians select the fret for versatility. The symmetrical tuning of a fret is similar to a mandolin, but mandolins play in the G chord. Jazz music, for example, always uses a C chord. The music you play all lies in how you tune the banjo. The fret tenor banjo is more likely played by professionals and in Dixieland Jazz.

However, you can tune the banjo to the G chord to also play Irish music if you want. By the s the ballroom craze was in full swing, fuelled by the success of ragtime music, establishing classic dances such as the Tango and Foxtrot in and respectively.

Professional banjo players seeking to stay relevant in this dance band era began to reevaluate the design of their five-string instruments. With a greater emphasis being placed on rhythm, and a need to produce a louder, punchier sound, the plectrum style of play started to gain traction. As vaudeville performers had done in the s, dance band banjoists began to leave the fifth string off their instruments altogether.

Manufacturers responded to these new trends with some of the first purpose-built, four string plectrum banjos. Around the same time as some finger style banjoists were starting to transition towards these instruments, mandolin players also angling for work in popular dance bands began eyeing up the banjo as well. Their native instrument was too quiet to be of use in these louder ensembles. Hybrids that combined the mandolin's eight strings and scale length with the banjo's drum head had already been in production since the s.

Yet, the additional strings gave these mandolin-banjos too much sustain to be proficient at the staccato, percussive role required of them by dance bands. Banjolins, which cut the string count back to four, were an improvement, but still not loud enough.

By lowering the tuning and increasing the scale length from 14 to 17 inches, mandolin players overcame these issues, and in the process created what we now refer to as the tenor banjo.

Tenor banjos did not achieve widespread production until around These instruments were perfect for providing rhythmic accompaniment to the dance bands of the day, and only grew in popularity as musicians adopted them for similar roles in the jazz explosion of the s. Plectrum banjos, with their inch scale lengths, were primarily of benefit to musicians coming straight from the tradition of five-string banjo. The shorter tenor banjo was tuned in fifths CDGA to make up-the-neck chord changes easier.

It became the obvious choice for those approaching the instrument from other disciplines with the intention of playing dance music and jazz. In some ways, plectrum banjo may be considered the most intuitive style of banjo to begin to learn.

If you've ever strummed a guitar or ukulele before then you'll already have a basic understanding of the right-hand technique used on plectrum banjos. This is in comparison to finger-picked roll patterns or the downpicking of Scruggs Style and Clawhammer respectively, which often require more thorough introduction for new players.

Having said that, basic strumming out of chord shapes isn't all there is to plectrum banjo. This rhythmic foundation can be built upon by picking out individual notes for melodic emphasis. While down-strumming is typically used to accentuate the strong beats of a song, all manner of licks and embellishments can be used to add depth to the spaces in between. It is in this style of play that the influence of earlier five-string banjo can still be keenly felt.

Advanced techniques include the tremolo, a method of rapidly picking either single or multiple strings up and down to produce a continuous, trembling effect.

The level of natural sustain on banjos is quite low, meaning that the sound produced by strumming it will quickly fade to silence. A tremolo allows plectrum banjo players to produce constant sound which links one chord strum to the next.

When it comes to tuning your plectrum banjo there are a couple of options available which have established themselves as firm favorites over the years. Standard plectrum banjo tuning is in CGBD. Another of these is the mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. You will actually get great features like a customizable truss rod, guitar-style tuners, and mahogany resonator. If you are on a tight budget plan, this is the tenor banjo we suggest. Pros: Great sound Lightweight Simple, functional hardware Great for traveling.

There might be an argument that we picked Deering fret over the fret version. We could have picked this one but we stayed with the other because of the availability on Amazon right now. Another big difference other than the additional two frets is the resonator that is included with this instrument which assists with projecting the sound.

It is made of maple very much like the rim, neck, and headstock. Pros: Maple resonator, rim, and neck Deering goodtime quality Made for Dixieland and traditional jazz musicians A slender neck is comfortable for beginners. If you know about Gold Tone banjos you recognize that the Cripple Creek is their entry-level setup.

This line brags more than sales since its introduction 12 years prior. This fret Irish tenor banjo actually sings while featuring a maple rim, neck, and resonator.

These banjos are additionally set with low string movement that assists beginners with playing the instrument. The maple headstock, brass tone ring, and dark binding on the neck and resonator make this one of our number one looking tenor banjos. The resonator is likewise removable, offering you the choice to play this instrument open-backed if you would like.

Pros: Maple Rim and neck Removable maple resonator Attractive finish Cripple Creek is a famous and most loved instrument line. Plectrum or tenor banjo; Although they have differences, they are the amazing style to be played on different bands.

We hope you explored their differences, playing style, and best plectrum banjos or tenor with us. To learn more about banjos , please browse our content section. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Skip to content. Last Updated November 9, Disclosure : As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. There were two significant styles to play the banjo: Finger-picking styles the ancestors of modernized Bluegrass patterns Strumming styles similar to later Dixieland styles Table Of Contents.

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