Six String Banjos are great instruments for beginners as they’re easier to play than guitar and take metal guitar strings instead of nylon ones for an authentic Dixieland sound.
Adjust the bridge by moving it towards or away from the neck using either a digital guitar tuner, or by consulting a friend who plays guitar to assist.
Double Drop D Tuning
Six string banjos can be an excellent addition to a guitarist’s repertoire, particularly for players interested in bluegrass, Dixieland or ragtime music. Their skinny necks may help reduce muscle strain from strumming chords for long periods. A popular tuning for both 5-string and 6-string banjos is double drop D; this provides deep sounds while opening more strings to play chords on. Switching into this tuning simply involves plucking together the third fret of B string and open D string together before adjusting pegs until they’re both tuned; see Pete Steele’s Coal Creek March (fCFCD) for examples of this tuning at work!
Double drop D is the standard tuning for old time clawhammer banjos, dropping its second string from D to C and creating what is commonly referred to as C tuning – this approach makes transitioning from guitar to banjo easier and familiar to most guitarists.
Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward’s Charming Betsy (from Mountain Banjo Songs and Tunes”) is also available as an audio download on Folk Visions & Voices Vol 2. Molly Tenenbaum has recorded Hen House Door Capo 3 from Cumberland Gap of “Are You Traveling Here Below”, while Dave Hensley released Whiskey Before Breakfast by Clawhammer Style Banjo). Note: Gold Tone six string banjos often come pre-set up in this tuning; however regular checks on these screws ensure good tuning stability over time and stop them loosening over time.
Resonator or Openback
Some banjos come equipped with an attachment called a “resonator,” which hangs from the pot’s rear end and helps muffle some of the sound, making playing easier when you are with people who may have difficulty hearing you. Some individuals prefer playing without one; but not all do.
Open back banjos may also make it easier to hear yourself play and may also be less costly than their resonator counterparts – they still make for great musical experiences!
As a beginner, it may be prudent to purchase an effective resonator model. Advice may come from all sorts of sources – some may be helpful while other could not; carefully evaluate all information.
Beginners often start out playing an open back banjo, which sounds slightly brighter than its resonator counterpart. Open back banjos can make great choices for fingerpicking or strumming alongside guitar players.
Some of the more affordable banjos feature long bolt-like things on their coordinator rods that you can adjust to adjust neck angle and set up for either flat or radiused fingerboards, which makes a significant difference when playing bar chords in particular.
Pickup Options
6 string banjos often come equipped with both open or resonator models as well as electric pickup options, making them more suitable for live playing as the natural sound can be amplified without losing its essence, while lessening feedback issues when used with effect pedals.
Whenever using a 6 string banjo for Dixieland style playing (and you should), be mindful to avoid strumming open strings as these will ring and distort the tone of your instrument. Also try muted or fingerpicking the bottom two strings to dampen their tone for a more “folksy” sounding banjo.
Your standard guitar tuner can easily tune a 6-string banjo as they share similar tuning specifications to an acoustic guitar. There are various tuner types available including clip-on tuners, pedal tuners and smartphone apps to help tune it.
Most six string banjos feature natural finishes, although some come equipped with optional varnish. Although some individuals prefer non-varnished necks, a varnished one may make it easier for fingers to slide along fretboard more smoothly. You can choose either natural or dark stain finishes to further customize your banjo and its look; such as those found on Gretsch Dixie 6, Deering Goodtime Solana models and Rogue’s models.
Accessories
There are various accessories for six string banjos to help beginners or to upgrade existing instruments, and to enhance existing instruments. Most common accessories for six string banjos include tuners, capos (to change keys), stands (when not playing) and carrying cases – some even come equipped with these features!
Some players prefer nylon banjo strings over steel ones due to their lower tension and more gentle sound; plus they won’t ring as loudly, which may come in handy when playing bluegrass tunes with numerous open notes.
Purists may consider 6-string banjos “false,” yet many genres find them useful; such as country music, dixieland and ragtime. While not ideal for bluegrass or Scruggs style rolls, they do provide guitar chords and produce rich sounds that complement other genres well.
Deering has recently expanded their Good-Time series of six-string banjos. These instruments feature radiused guitar-style necks and take metal guitar strings rather than traditional nylon banjo strings for easier playability by guitarists who don’t wish to learn a new fretting system.