Resonator banjos are ideal for bluegrass music and beginners seeking louder tones; open-back banjos without resonators offer more muted tones suitable for traditional genres of music.
Tone rings and mylar heads can make an enormous impactful change to a banjo’s sound profile. Metal tones rings can create an ear-piercing tone while wooden ones like those found on Deering Goodtime Hartford models may produce a more soothing and harmonic tone.
Fingerpicking
Banjo playing comes in many varieties. Open back banjos tend to excel at slower genres such as bluegrass and clawhammer, while resonator models may provide greater volume when performing Scruggs style banjo picking live performances.
Make sure that you plan for which kind of tuning you intend on employing (standard, GDAE, or Irish/Celtic). Some players prefer an electronic tuner while others may use tuning by ear.
Make sure to buy a quality banjo that meets both your budget and resale value requirements. Look for one with low action and easily reachable frets; also keep an eye out for the material of its fingerboard and nut, since some brands tend to make these components more durable than others and this will affect tone of the banjo itself. Additionally, pay attention to string spacing and depth as this could impact performance as well.
Tuning
Your choice between an open-back or resonator banjo depends on both your dedication to music and what type of genres interest you. Resonator models produce louder tones and tend to be preferred among bluegrass players due to being capable of handling higher tension steel strings that would be impossible on an open-back banjo.
Resonator banjos can also be modified to lower their volume by removing or installing bridge mutes – this option can be useful for beginners looking to practice quietly without disturbing roommates or neighbors.
If you decide to acquire a resonator banjo, learning how to tune it will be invaluable. While you can use an electronic tuner, having knowledge of interval tuning may make for quicker tuning sessions by ear. Sweetwater offers both chromatic and clip-on banjo tuners which could add greatly to your musical instruments collection.
Left Hand Positions
Bluegrass picking requires your left thumb to rest low on the back of the neck (similar to guitar fretting hand). If desired, you may also use it to support the banjo on your leg; keeping the banjo flat against your leg helps minimize stress on both neck and shoulder.
Your index and middle fingers should pick the strings with sweeping motions while your ring and pinky fingers hold down against the frets. Some players employ all four fingers at once; this advanced technique requires time and practice before becoming successful.
Many new students find the concept of playing a right handed instrument while being left-handed daunting, yet practice makes perfect; even less dominant hands can learn to respond with equal dexterity over time.
Right Hand Positions
Different positions for your right hand above the neck of the banjo can alter its tone and volume. When thumb, index finger, and middle finger line up closely they produce a soft tone; further apart they allow louder notes with more impactful sound.
At first, fretting may be sore; however, over time calluses will form on your fingers that will make fretting much simpler. Also remember to practice for short durations as marathon sessions can lead to repetitive stress injuries like tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Your long-forgotten physics class probably taught you that cutting or shortening a vibrating string doubles its frequency, and therefore should be cut exactly in half to create an in-tune octave. A properly placed bridge is of vital importance in this regard – so seek advice from a banjo expert when setting up yours properly.