How to choose a banjo

From an original article by Wayne Rogers of Gold Tone

There are many styles of banjo music and techniques and the first trick as a beginner is to pick the right instrument.

5-string bluegrass
The most popular style of five string music is bluegrass. This is played on a banjo with a resonator, and the preferred tone is loud and attacking as you normally play with other bluegrass instruments. The picking hand plays "three finger style" using finger picks (popularized by the legendary Earl Scruggs). The style is not difficult to learn but requires much practice to achieve the desired fluency and tempo.

5-string clawhammer, (frailing, drop thumb)
This "folky" style is a very old style of playing and is now very popular with "old time" and folk enthusiasts. It is normally played with an open back banjo (no resonator), as the tone desired is plunky and mellow. Many different banjo tunings are used to facilitate easy fingering, as most songs are played with a melody similar to fiddle. The 'frailing' hand attack is different to bluegrass, as finger picks are not used. Generally, the middle finger strikes the string with the back of the fingernail, followed by a thumb stroke of the fifth string or in drop thumb the fourth, third or second string. Relatively easy to learn and is also well suited to vocal accompaniment.

5-string folk style
This style is a combination of clawhammer and "up picking" and was popularized by Pete Seeger. Played without finger picks and usually mixing melody playing with chords. Very often a long neck banjo is used because it maybe tuned lower to better suit vocal ranges. There are many variations of this style and may be played on an open back or resonator banjo.

4-string tenor
Tenor banjo (like our Goldtone Tenors) are always played with a plectrum (pick) and use a strumming style. It is the typical banjo for New Orleans style jazz sound. This four string has a shorter neck than a five string as the tuning is higher and is an excellent rhythm instrument for jazz bands. A resonator is typically used, since the banjo's sound must be loud and piercing to compete with other instruments in the band. Single string melodies can be played but chord melodies are more traditional. The Irish Tenor banjo is similar but uses a seventeen fret neck instead of the nineteen fret neck. The shorter neck allows a higher tuning so the songs are better suited to the keys of Irish music (G, D, A, etc.). The style is played with a plectrum and often played with rapid single string melodies. Normally you don't use a resonator as the sound desired is mellow but with attack.

Plectrum banjo
The neck on a plectrum banjo has the same scale as a five string neck but eliminates the fifth string. A plectrum may be used in either melody playing or chord accompaniment for vocals. Can be played with or without a resonator. Usually uses G tuning and chords are easier than a tenor banjo.

Alternative banjos

These include the six string banjo (like Gold Tone Banjitars), the Banjo Mandolin, Bass Banjo, Ukelele Banjo, even Dobro Banjo. Most use a banjo-style body but neck and tuning is the same as the names they simulate. They allow non-banjoists to achieve a banjo tone without learning a new instrument.