Resonator banjos create an iconic sound, adding depth and dimension to any musical arrangement. While typically associated with bluegrass music, this instrument can also be found across genres of music.
Beginners might benefit from starting off on a budget-friendly Deering Goodtime series banjo with a resonator. This budget friendly option still produces great sounds!
The Resonator
This banjo from Deering is ideal for beginner players on a budget, boasting similar tone and design as their more costly open-back models but with an additional resonator.
Resonators enhance the sound of this instrument by adding more volume, as well as lower tunings. This makes the banjo more adaptable for playing various styles of music. Constructed of composite material with maple rim, and equipped with chrome armrest, traditional tailpiece and 5th string planetary tuners. Plus there’s even added mass with its rolled brass tone ring and tension hoop to increase resonance; making this affordable yet long-term banjo an exceptional investment!
The Bridge
Bridges are musical sections designed to keep listeners’ interest by offering something unexpected in terms of dynamic range or key variation. Switching keys for your bridge may also have varied results including raising or lowering energy levels or heightening emotional resonance.
Resonators can help make an open back banjo louder, which is useful when playing bluegrass and in jam sessions where it may be necessary to stand out amongst your colleagues. But if resonators aren’t your cup of tea, there are other solutions available to you.
The Gold Tone AC-5 Resonator Banjo offers an ideal balance between affordability and premium features, offering beginners a bright, clear tone as well as staying in tune due to its Maple neck and Resonator made of Composite material resonator. Furthermore, installing resonators on any open-back banjo model such as this model is effortless!
The Fretboard
This resonator banjo features a maple neck and composite resonator material for an affordable yet lightweight solution.
Fretboards resemble regular guitars in terms of string-by-string arrangement; each note on the neck has been given its own name, with when moving up or down one fret (or an octave), their names reappear in their new location.
Learning all of the notes on a fretboard can be one of the easiest steps towards elevating your playing to new heights. Use a metronome set at low tempo, and for each click of its metronome finger a note from the fretboard while calling out its name.
Exercise for practicing with favorite songs or scale patterns. It can also be an enjoyable way of familiarizing yourself with a key, for instance G!
The Tailpiece
One of the more frequently asked questions is why some banjos have backs while others do not? This has to do with how sound travels through its sound hole; my article entitled Sound Hole Sound provides more details but is very technical in terms of flow physics rather than musical aspects.
The CC-100R features a resonator to make its banjo louder for bluegrass or when playing together with others; yet, it easily converts to open back banjo style playing for clawhammer style playing.
There are various devices that shorten the fifth string to allow it to be tuned up or down by one semitone, commonly referred to as capos. Another way is using a model railroad spike; these titanium spikes are installed at the fifth fret and hook under which strings can be hooked for easy adjustment – something many experienced clawhammer players such as Ralph Stanley and Stringbean employ when tuning their instrument.