6 String Banjo Q

[HAPPYDAN]

Well, thanks to The Band Perry and their Glen Campbell album, it re-ignited a desire to sing and play that old Glen Campbell/John Hartford standard "Gentle On My Mind". As a kid, I watched his show religiously, even had a song book and practiced some of his songs. Since then, I've become pretty handy at fingerstyle guitar, mostly John Denver stuff. Sooo, singing and playing Gentle On My Mind with my GS Mini sounds pretty good, but - I want to try it on a banjo! Never touched a banjo. Hmmm. What about a 6 string banjo? If it tunes and plays like a standard guitar, should be no problem. Calling all banjo players - will this work, or am I just blowin' in the wind? I think my local Guitar Center may have one. Is it worth a try?

[Cone Head]

Originally Posted by HAPPYDAN

What about a 6 string banjo?

It's not a substitute for a 5-string banjo.
The 5-string's sound is in large part due to the tunings associated with it, but mostly the short 5th drone (thumb) string. If you've ever played in open G tuning on guitar, switching to the very common banjo gDGBD tuning shouldn't be that hard. Even if you haven't, the D, G, and B strings are tuned the same way as a guitar, that will give you a head start.

The 6-string banjo is its own instrument. Standard guitar tuning will not produce the sounds you associate with 5-string banjo. If you're into 1920s and 1930s ragtime guitar, you'll enjoy a 6-string banjo, it was a popular instrument in those days. My 1923 Gibson 6-string banjo is my favorite ragtime "guitar" and that's how I view it: a banjo-voiced guitar, the same way that a mandolin-banjo is a banjo-voiced mandolin.

Here's some unaccompanied 6-string banjo music, maybe it'll make what I'm saying a little clearer.







You'll also hear it on early jazz records by Louis Armstrong and others played by the great Johnny St Cyr. Here's an example of him playing with Johnny Dodds' band:

[ifret]

I'm a finger style guitar player and had the same thought process. I tried a couple Deerings and a GoldTone 6 strings. I was unimpressed. I did like the Deerings better than the GoldTone, but they all sounded weird.....because I wanted the banjo sound. I DO play banjo, so, I'm going to stick with that. I think it was the bass strings....just didn't sound right. The previous poster was right, you need that 5th string banjo string. That said, those that play these can really make them sing and there are songs that sound great with them. It just didn't work for me.

I play finger style guitar and I play 5-string banjo. What you're hearing on GOMM is John Hartford on 5-string. You won't get that sound from a 6 string banjo; its a different animal. I've played them and don't like them at all. Try before you buy

[Steve DeRosa]

Try an old studio trick called re-entrant tuning: swap an .011 for the low E and tune it up two octaves, an .016 for the low A and tune it up an octave, and leave the DGBE strings alone; you'll most likely need to get a new nut made, but if you're a reasonably proficient fingerpicker you should be able to get that high-string drone going on the fifth and sixth strings - and the best part is that it'll always be in tune (no odd suspensions or strange intervals if you're playing in sharp/flat keys or using chromatic chord patterns)...

[Doubleneck]

Glenn Campbell playing 6 string banjo in his studio recordings. First you need a good 6 string so many cheap ones made that I think discourage people. I got a used Deering B6 open back. Approach it like its own animal. I finger pick it and have had a blast having it work for lots of banjo material. You can go Nashville tuning it you want that higher pitched sound. Don't let the 5 stringers get to you they really don't know any better. Lol

[HAPPYDAN]

Thanks to all responders - very educational! It sounds like the 6-string banjo won't quite work, unless maybe Nashville or other alternate tuning is used. At 63, I hate the thought of trying to learn a new instrument. But since I'm retired now, at least I have the time. Thanks again!