The banjo is a stringed musical instrument with its roots in traditional or folk music. It has since been adapted to play bluegrass, jazz, country and other modern musical genres. Initially it was designed to have four or five strings but in the mid 19th century a British crafter developed a 6-stringed version. From then on countless people took to playing the hybrid which has become a darling to versatile players and lovers of the banjo sound. Explained here is how to tune a 6-string banjo easily.
The fastest method to tune the instrument is utilizing an electronic tuner. The gadget is clipped to the neck of the banjo so as to minimize the errors and difficulty associated with non-clip tuners. Seek to be seated in a comfortable position where you can see the display while simultaneously plucking the strings.
The 6-string hybrid is tuned just like the guitar to the notes E-A-D-G-B-E and in essence the usual guitar tuner can be used. Once you are comfortable, switch on the tuner and get prepared to pluck the chords and monitor the display. The thickest and lowest note is usually the first one to be tuned and this is done to match the note E. Pluck the chord rhythmically and see if the display reads E. If the display shows a tendency towards the note D then the string needs some tightening to raise the pitch.
When the chord is too tight, the pitch will tend towards F which is higher than required in which case the peg needs to be loosened a bit. The string is perfectly tuned when it is plucked and the display indicates a stable E.
The next one in line is the second lowest which is to be tuned to A. Repeat the same procedure as with the E chord and be careful to first of all loosen the peg a little bit before any tightening it in order to allow the chord to stretch uniformly without forming nodes.
When the A chord is okay, move on to the third one and tune it to D. Do this up to the last chord which you are to set to the high E note. All this time take care not to form nodes on the strings for these becomes the future breakage points. Always be keen on the tuner so as to ascertain when to remove your fingers on the peg.
If you have a microphone set connected to your PC and a good Internet connection you can tune your banjo online nowadays. Follow the instructions provided in the tuning websites and you are good to go. You can also purchase tuners that come preloaded with easy to use instructions and with time you will be tuning your instrument easily as you play.
The fastest method to tune the instrument is utilizing an electronic tuner. The gadget is clipped to the neck of the banjo so as to minimize the errors and difficulty associated with non-clip tuners. Seek to be seated in a comfortable position where you can see the display while simultaneously plucking the strings.
The 6-string hybrid is tuned just like the guitar to the notes E-A-D-G-B-E and in essence the usual guitar tuner can be used. Once you are comfortable, switch on the tuner and get prepared to pluck the chords and monitor the display. The thickest and lowest note is usually the first one to be tuned and this is done to match the note E. Pluck the chord rhythmically and see if the display reads E. If the display shows a tendency towards the note D then the string needs some tightening to raise the pitch.
When the chord is too tight, the pitch will tend towards F which is higher than required in which case the peg needs to be loosened a bit. The string is perfectly tuned when it is plucked and the display indicates a stable E.
The next one in line is the second lowest which is to be tuned to A. Repeat the same procedure as with the E chord and be careful to first of all loosen the peg a little bit before any tightening it in order to allow the chord to stretch uniformly without forming nodes.
When the A chord is okay, move on to the third one and tune it to D. Do this up to the last chord which you are to set to the high E note. All this time take care not to form nodes on the strings for these becomes the future breakage points. Always be keen on the tuner so as to ascertain when to remove your fingers on the peg.
If you have a microphone set connected to your PC and a good Internet connection you can tune your banjo online nowadays. Follow the instructions provided in the tuning websites and you are good to go. You can also purchase tuners that come preloaded with easy to use instructions and with time you will be tuning your instrument easily as you play.
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Check out our guide on how to tune a 6-String Banjo for great advice on where to buy 6-string banjo on the Internet and features of a Dean Banjitar