4-String Tenor Banjos

There are Three Types of 4-String Banjo; the 17-Fret tenor, 19-Fret tenor, and 22-Fret plectrum model. The 17-Fret is generally played in Celtic, Irish & Folk music. It has a short neck and its standard tuning is GDAE (like the Mandolin and Violin) so it's a great crossover instrument for those players. The 19-Fret is generally played in Dixieland & Traditional Jazz music and it's standard tuning is CGDA. The 22-Fret (Plectrum Banjo) is a similar scale length to a standard 5 string banjo and is also used mainly in Dixieland & Traditional Jazz but some Celtic, Irish & Folk players also use them. The standard Jazz tuning is CGBD but often guitarists will use them and tune them to DGBE, the top four strings of the guitar which is known as Chicago tuning. When Celtic, Irish & Folk players use them, they generally stick to their standard GDAE tuning like they would on their 17 fret instrument … To Contact Us – Call 01524 410202 or email [email protected] for more information … Go Back to the Banjo Department Home Page.