The banjo is a plucked instrument consisting of a fretboard attached to a metal hoop over which parchment is stretched. It has from four to nine strings which resonate in the body of the banjo producing a bright sound when played.
Tuning depends on the amount of strings, the 5 string has four of its strings tuned to C, G, B and D (from the bottom up) plus a high string tuned to G which is positioned next to the lowest, shorter than the others it is often used as a drone string, although it can also be fretted. The Tenor banjo is tuned in 5ths.
 The instrument is believed to have originated in North West Africa and brought over on slave ships in the 18 & 19 centuries, where it was later used by minstrel, folk and jazz bands.
Played by strumming or picking the notes, the banjo is an alternative to the guitar and is most widely used in country and western, bluegrass, jazz and country rock music.
Banjos, Mandolins & Ukelele
Banjo Books
Banjo Lessons
Banjo Links
Banjo Online Applications
Banjo Tab
Banjo Webring
Banjo Tab
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Banjo Lessons & Apps
- Play the Banjo!
Learn to play banjo chords, includes banjo tuner with slide, hammer-on etc.
- Banjo Hangout
Lessons & more.
- John Hornby Skewes
provide an excellent UK guitar, mandolin, lute, banjo & bass guitar teachers list.
- Mad for Trad
traditional irish music tutorials for banjo, fiddle, guitar and other traditional instruments using video, text, photos & music notation.
- Phil Morley
Bluegrass Banjo Lessons - audio tapes & books (in tab), one to one tuition or mail order service. Also publishes quarterly magazine THE BANJO GAZETTE dedicated to bluegrass and old-time banjo enthusiasts. Features tabs, Interviews, CD Video and Book reviews, plus much more. Now in its 8th year. Price is £8.00 (4 issues) £9.50 overseas. Cheques PO payable to P. Morley and sent to 2A Langton Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex. CM1 2BP Tel. 01245 264450
- String Pedagogy Notebook
A resource for teachers and performers provided by the University of Vermont containing an introduction to string instruments, techniques for left and right handed players with instructional movies, teaching process plus instrument care and maintenance.
- Banjo - Instructional Methods
Browse and buy books, software and other educational products for learning the Banjo from SheetMusicPlus.
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Banjo Online Applications
- Arto's String Calculator
very comprehensive online program with full instructions for calculating where a string can be used by setting the diameter and more. Measures string tension and diameter for a number of instruments, in a variety of settings.
- Arto's String Diameter/Tension Drawer
alternative java applet from Arto which allows the user to select note name, octave, tuning, string length and density then draws the tension/diameter on a graph.
- Bob's Handy String Tension Designer
With this Netscape Javascript program, you can see how pitch, tension, string length, diameter and inharmonicity are related. First select an octave, then click on note to select, and enter values in the fields above the COMPUTE button. Select type of string. Click on COMPUTE to find out how much tension is required. This program does not work for wound strings.
- Doug Sparlings Lutherie Pages
Fret Placement Calculator-Free Download-Windows95/98/NT/2000 FretCalc is used to find fret placement for fretted stringed instruments. Any combination of scale length and number for frets can be chosen. The fret placement from the nut to each fret and the distance between adjacent frets is shown in a chart that can be printed out. Site also contains online Fret Placement Calculator, Dulcimer Fret Placement Calculator, Lutherie FretCalc Calculate stringed instrument fret locations and Mandolin Chord Finder.
- Experimental Musical Instruments Fret Placement Calculator
an online fret placement calculator to calculate fret locations for fretted stringed instruments including mandolin, banjo, guitar, ukelele and dulcimer.
- Java Tuner
This Java applet demonstrates various historical tunings and temperaments and allows one to experiment with them. It was developed to accompany a text on Understanding temperaments, and is complemented by a set of MIDI files demonstrating various tunings and temperaments, full instructions and a variety of modern and archaic tuning modes. Also provides selected intervals and a chord player.
- Simpler Scaler
a complete Windows based fret calculation package that is cheap at only $5 or download the older version free. Can also purchase drawings, plates, diagrams for making your own Mandolin, Violin, Ukelele, Dulcimer, Banjo and Cam Clamp.
- String Guage & Tension Calculator
Check your string tensions based on pitch, guage and type of string, also does the inverse calculation when you type in other string parameters.
- ukulele mandolin banjo chords generator
Over 1,000,000 chords in an easy to read format. Display or print a list of your favorite chords.
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Banjo Links
- alt.banjo newsgroup
Online discussion and newsgroup for banjo players available via Outlook Express and your ISP.
- Banjo Newsletter
America's 5 string banjo magazine contains sample tab, tabulature index, free mp3 soundfiles for tabs from previous issues, interviews with banjo players,
- Banjo Teacher
Two free Bluegrass Banjo lessons online plus adverts for commercial books, soundbytes, set up advice, tabulature, downloads, workshops and other banjo related products.
- Celtic Roots
BBC site containing description and sound sample for the banjo and various other celtic related instruments.
- CISE banjo links
- Desert Bluegrass Association
- Gary Price instrument makers includes banjo links.
- Phillip Mann's Banjo Resource
- Sounds from the Vaults Virtual Instruments Enter the vault and click on the images to display musical instrument artifacts, then follow the instructions to play them (uses Shockwave for playing).
- Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum
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