Tenor banjo thoughts

plunker · Nov 14, 2020

I was watching a video and saw a tuning for a tenor banjo is cgda. Just wondering, if one could tune the d up to an e and swap the c and g. I would have it turned like a uke and could jump into playing right away. just a thought

LarryL · Nov 14, 2020

That is what I have been wondering lately also...I would "assume" with the proper string gauges you would be able to do that, but I have no experience. I have been considering buying a tenor, either the Goldtone CC or the Deering Goodtime tenor. dont mean to hi-jack your thread, but I want to know the answer also.

Canada Jim · Nov 14, 2020

I have nylon strings on this old S.S. Stewart with a guitar 1st string on the 1st and 4th. had to use a capo on the second fret to get it up to gCEA. Open it's fBbDG.

I play it quite often in the Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band.

plunker · Nov 14, 2020

LarryL said:
That is what I have been wondering lately also...I would "assume" with the proper string gauges you would be able to do that, but I have no experience. I have been considering buying a tenor, either the Goldtone CC or the Deering Goodtime tenor. dont mean to hi-jack your thread, but I want to know the answer also.

Hijackers welcome. I would think the tuning would be like a high g uke as the top string C is lower than the 3rd sting g. Doing that it would mean just swapping the strings and bringing the d up a step. I don't think that would be so much that is would snap.

ripock · Nov 14, 2020

I bought a tenor guitar that was tuned CGDA but I didn't want to learn anything new. So I just uptuned the fourth string to a D and downtuned the first and second strings to a B and E. And then I had a steel stringed baritone ukulele. I never bothered to learn Baritone chords; I just play it like a soprano ukulele with the understanding that I'm not playing in the key I think I am playing in. For example, if I am playing a blues progression in E, I am actually playing it in B. But, as the kids say, Whatever!

plunker · Nov 14, 2020

ripock said:
I bought a tenor guitar that was tuned CGDA but I didn't want to learn anything new. So I just uptuned the fourth string to a D and downtuned the first and second strings to a B and E. And then I had a steel stringed baritone ukulele. I never bothered to learn Baritone chords; I just play it like a soprano ukulele with the understanding that I'm not playing in the key I think I am playing in. For example, if I am playing a blues progression in E, I am actually playing it in B. But, as the kids say, Whatever!

I do the same with my baritone uke.

plunker · Nov 14, 2020

Mike $ said:
You can put whatever strings you want on a tenor, but if you swap them around like you are thinking, it won't sound good. That C on the tenor 4th string is an octave below middle C. Tenor banjos are tuned in 5ths for unique voicings which work great for jazz chords (extended chords). I would love to learn Tenor banjo, but if I got one, I wouldn't be playing it like a Uke because it is a different instrument. When I get my ukulele next June, I will take my fake ukulele strings off my guitar and put some tenor guitar strings on it to practice using the CGDA tuning. There are great video tutorials by Tenor great Eddie Davis on YouTube if you are interested in playing the tenor how it has been traditionally played since they started making them. Otherwise, why not just get a banjolele if you aren't willing to learn something new?

YOu make a good point. I play around with guitar some, lerned some new chords. Why must I be so lazy. Thank you.

ripock · Nov 14, 2020

Mike $ said:
You can put whatever strings you want on a tenor, but if you swap them around like you are thinking, it won't sound good. That C on the tenor 4th string is an octave below middle C. Tenor banjos are tuned in 5ths for unique voicings which work great for jazz chords (extended chords). I would love to learn Tenor banjo, but if I got one, I wouldn't be playing it like a Uke because it is a different instrument. When I get my ukulele next June, I will take my fake ukulele strings off my guitar and put some tenor guitar strings on it to practice using the CGDA tuning. There are great video tutorials by Tenor great Eddie Davis on YouTube if you are interested in playing the tenor how it has been traditionally played since they started making them. Otherwise, why not just get a banjolele if you aren't willing to learn something new?

That's good to know. There are certain chord qualities that I avoid (depending on which root I use) on the ukulele. For example some add9's, some 13's, some minor11's. And it sounds like 7#9 chords would be less of a stretch. I will definitely keep it in mind.

LarryL · Nov 14, 2020

I feel like I am just going to buy a tenor banjo, play it in C G D A jazz tuning...I dont mind learning new chord shapes...at 73, its good for my brain anyway !

I have tried Chicago or guitar tuned banjo and didnt like it, tried 6 string banjos and definately didnt like that sound, and my banjo uke is okay but I like the sound of the steel strings on a banjer, so I will bite the bullet, get either a Gold tone or Deering tenor, learn the chords and play chord melody on the old tin pan alley tunes and enjoy the ride.

Swamp Yankee · Nov 15, 2020

Jim Yates said:
I have nylon strings on this old S.S. Stewart with a guitar 1st string on the 1st and 4th. had to use a capo on the second fret to get it up to gCEA. Open it's fBbDG.
View attachment 130652
I play it quite often in the Maple Leaf Champions Jug Band.
View attachment 130653

What Jim says here. I’ve been playing a 1920s tenor (17 fret) banjo like this since, like, 2006 or so. I string it with nylon guitar strings, first four strings, linear F, Bb, D, G.

It sounds WONDERFUL.

I first tried it by cannibalizing a nylgut 5 string banjo set and tuned it re-entrant using the 5th string as the 4th on my uke-ified tenor. But I like it in linear tuning better.

If I want to play it with other ukes, I slap a capo on it.

Swamp Yankee · Nov 15, 2020

FWIW, 17 fret tenor banjos are pretty much the same scale length as baritone ukes.

Tenor banjo thoughts

plunker

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Canada Jim

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