Resonator Banjos have metal resonators which amplify and project their sound, making them louder than open-back banjos – perfect for bluegrass or clawhammer music!
Beginners can still play many styles on any 5-string banjo as long as it’s playable; for frailing or clawhammer, however, resonators may be necessary for optimal sound production.
Bluegrass
Resonator banjos are an indispensable instrument in bluegrass music. Their powerful, punchy tone helps distinguish this genre of music while also enabling players to explore more complex melodies through drone notes (repetitive strings played at specific intervals that give the impression that multiple instruments are playing simultaneously).
Advanced musicians know the ability to fret the strings can greatly expand their sound and creativity. Fretting requires patience and practice to master, with thumb, index and middle fingers picking strings with sweeping motions while the ring and pinky fingers press against frets to achieve proficiency. Positioning of fingers closer together produces softer tones while further apart creates louder sounds with greater impact.
People outside of banjo playing are familiar with its distinct, powerful sound; Grammy Award winning country/pop singer Taylor Swift is no exception, featuring it prominently in her song “Mean.” In it she plays a Deering Boston 6-string banjo tuned like a guitar which adds another layer to her music without departing too far from its origins.
Old Time
Old Time Music (or Old Time, as it is more commonly known) is a genre of string band music featuring fiddles and banjos that predated bluegrass, usually played either solo instruments or by small ensembles called string bands. A typical string band typically comprises fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and sometimes even ukulele or acoustic bass as its members.
Clawhammer banjo was the predominant style used in old time music, though there were also multiple other techniques. These included two-finger index lead (North Carolina Picking), and one-finger thumb lead (Kentucky Picking). Most old time musicians learned their style through learning from either their parents or older siblings.
Resonator Banjos are heavier than their open-back counterparts and feature a sound chamber equipped with a metal resonator, producing louder sounds that often prove popular with Bluegrass musicians. Resonator banjos also make an ideal first choice as their tuning process is simpler than open-back banjos; their use of planetary tuners that sit directly behind the instrument keeps its traditional aesthetic intact while eliminating unnecessary tuner protrusion from either side of the instrument.
Country
Although commonly associated with Bluegrass music, banjo has found a home in other genres as well. Its distinctive sound often utilized by Country musicians is also utilized by Jazz musicians. Some players prefer removing its resonator because its loud tone may make the instrument too loud for certain genres such as Jazz music.
Resonators were first developed around 1860 in an attempt to make banjos louder. Originally banjos had open backs; as tastes evolved towards dance music and manufacturers began providing instruments with resonators so as to be heard above brass and reed instruments found in dance halls.
Resonator banjos are often seen in Irish music, usually with an open back design to better hear over brass and reed instruments at play. Tenor banjos also play a prominent role in jazz as their tune can be played chromatically for more complex soloing techniques and have their own distinct sound.
Blues
Metal resonators on banjo bodies allow it to project its sound more widely and make it suitable for bluegrass and country music performances. Open back banjos may still produce loud sound but may not project as effectively.
Although clawhammer players usually opt for open-back banjos, resonators can also be an excellent way to play various styles on clawhammer music. To do so effectively and comfortably, select the instrument best suited to the style in which you intend to perform.
Banjos were initially composed of gourd or pot bodies and tuned like African akontings with one short string serving as the drone note. Early five-string banjos did not have frets for changing keys for melodies that required it. Later came 4-string plectrum and tenor banjos which did not replace five-string models completely but made folk rock popular again while bluegrass music remains central to its soundscape.