It’s generally better to use one of them rather than transpose this tuning onto a tenor banjo.There are a number of basics to playing banjo that apply equally to plectrum and tenor banjo.įor a number of reasons I do not (and in fact I generally refuse to) play while standing. Banjo ukuleles are smaller than tenor banjos, and are commonly available. The high first string However, this tuning has not one but two strings tuned high enough that breakage is an issue. It’s certainly a great option for any ukulele player who wants a banjo sound without having to learn new fingerings. This has been experimented with by many a ukulele player, with some mixed results. Speaking of ukuleles… Ukulele Tuning: gCEA (re-entrant) And they’ll certainly be familiar to any ukulele players. Still, they can be fun to experiment with if you have an extra banjo or two lying around. Ultimately, for tenor banjo players, re-entrant tunings are probably more of a novelty than a practicality. The resulting shimmering sound has been used to great effect in songs like “Wild Horses” and “Hey You.” This is the idea behind a popular re-entrant tuning for guitar, the so-called “Nashville tuning.” The bottom four strings are all tuned up an octave, and it’s usually played with another guitar in standard tuning. It can also contrast nicely with a standard-tuned banjo. While it makes melody playing much harder, the closer harmonies can work nicely for chord strumming. You can make pretty much any tuning into a re-entrant one just by tuning a string an octave up or down (change the string first, though!). The higher G string gives the ukulele its unique sound, bright with tight chord voicings. The most famous example is the tuning on most ukuleles, gCEA. Re-entrant tuning means that the strings aren’t strictly arranged from lowest to highest. It also means that the strings are under less tension, decreasing the likelihood of breakage. This has the added benefit of a shorter scale, making melody playing even easier. It’s worth noting that you can get the same tuning by simply putting a capo on the second fret of a standard-tuned tenor banjo. However, you lose any notes below D, which will affect many great fiddle tunes. It gets rid of the pinky reach for the high B that troubles some Irish tenor banjo players, especially those with small hands. However, it is also well-suited to Irish music. It increases the tension on the strings, which will also increase the chance of them breaking. This one is a variation on the traditional jazz tuning. It’s also a popular tuning for chord-melody playing, and you can find old jazz tune books with tabs for plectrum banjo. Like Chicago tuning, it’s perfect for tight harmonies and strumming. However, some tenor players do use this tuning on their tenor banjo, often to make use of the shorter reach. The plectrum banjo is a whole different instrument, with a longer scale length and more frets. Still, it’s good to properly set up any banjo you’re going to play in GDAE, so it sounds its best. If you’re buying used, these modifications may already have been done. They will need modification, most notably on the nut and bridge. Many modern tenors, especially those marketed as “Irish tenor banjos,” are specifically built for GDAE tuning. Many Irish players end up preferring 19 fret banjos, particularly professional players who want the extra punch and volume that comes from higher tension. The shorter scale length of 17 fret banjos compounds that issue, and it’s harder to get a decent tension without very thick strings. However, GDAE tuning is already lower than most tenor banjos are designed for. This does give small hands an easier reach up to high B. There’s a common misconception that Irish tenor players prefer 17 fret banjos over longer-scale ones. This has made it popular beyond Irish music, especially with mandolin players looking for a different sound. You also get a lower range than CGDA, with a nice growl on the low G string. With GDAE tuning, popular folk music keys like G, D, C, and A are easy to play in. Overall, though, most tenor banjo strummers look to other, higher tunings like CGDA or Chicago tuning. Higher-tension strings and fiddling with the tension on the head can fix some of those issues. However, the low tuning does often sound muddy or hollow on the tenor banjo. Melody playing is straightforward in fifths tunings like GDAE. Played an octave down from the fiddle and mandolin, most Irish tunes fit very easily under the player’s fingers. GDAE mirrors the tuning of that classic Irish instrument, the fiddle. That’s because Irish music has taken up the banjo quite readily. While CGDA is technically the standard tenor banjo tuning, you may end up running into GDAE more when you meet other players.
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