Hi I am just learning the Tenor Banjo And would appreciate some help please
I am playing a 19 Fret Grafton Clipper from Andybanjo lovely Banjo for the money
My Question
Is the Fretboard width the same on all 19 fret tenors as I find the width of the fret board at second fret very narrow and find it difficult to fit my fat fingers on one string without hitting the string beside it
I apoligse in advance for the stupid question if it is but if anyone could clear it up for me i would appreciate it
I got my lovely 17 fret Grafton from the same source only 18 months and had the same thoughts as you. I reckon most banjos have about the same string separation and it's technique that you need to acquire. Let's hope more expert advice arrives but in the meantime:
a) give it time,
b) try to make your finger tips come down vertically on the fretboard by keeping fingers and palm curved so they arch over.
c) as your calluses develop fingers don't splay so much and you can use just the very tip.
d) Only use just enough pressure so the note sounds cleanly, ie avoid the vulcan death grip
When you think it can't be done remember those fiddle and mandolin players with big fat fingers on their tiny instruments.
I think they would vary. I'm not sure about banjo's though i just know that guitars vary widely between makes and even mandolins vary somewhat.
I had the same problem with certain chords on the guitar too, the sound of a beautful B7 chord can so easily be destroyed by the buzzing of a D string on my nail... I feel your pain lad.
I'm sure they vary - my first tenor had a very 'thin' neck and my new tenor's neck is quite a bit thicker - but I'm sure the technique will develop over time, you tend to 'get to know' your instrument.
The fretboard of my tenor banjo is ridiculously thin - only 1 inch (2.54 cm) at its narrowest point. Nevertheless, I eventually got used to it (and I don't have thin fingers). No doubt you will get used to yours too, if you keep playing it long enough!
If you are using your TB to play melody (e.g. with GDAE) tuning, a 17-fret instrument would have been a better choice. Less of a stretch - particulary when playing fast reels. 19-fret tenors are primarily intended for use in jazz bands. They use a close harmony tuning for chord-playing, so finger stretching is less of an issue. Having said that, the longer scale length does deliver a superior tone, and like the fretboard width, you can adapt to it - given time.
A question from me - why did you buy it if you thought it was difficult to play?
I think you got great advice from Lurcher John. It's just a matter of sticking with it and following LJ's advice. It might even be an advantage when you need to hold down two strings with one finger (later!).
If you've got a low bridge fitted then you won't need to use too much pressure when fretting a note - maybe relax a bit and don't press down so hard.
I've had a short-scale clipper for 7 months now and I very rarely play anything else. I've tried a few other banjo's - some of them really rare and expensive, but I still prefer the clipper.
I think that you made a good choice with the longer neck. The G string is a b*gger to tune on a short-scale tenor using GDAE.
To Mix OLydian as I said I am totally a beginner so any banjo would be hard to play I am very happy with the grafton I just was asking if every newbie has the same problem as me This is my first attempt to play any instrument so I am just trying to learn
Regarding post from Horace Bampton-Morris, I don't have any issues tuning the lowest string, as I tune it to A, and thus have ADAE tuning. This is a nice alternative to the standard "Irish" tuning, and a good choice if you play a lot of tunes in D or A major. This tuning was recommmended to me by someone many years ago, who told me that it was an American fiddle tuning (although of course, an octave below). I got hooked on it straightaway, and never went back to the standard tuning. It's also quite a good deterrent against anyone borrowing it at sessions!
Great advice. I don't play the banjo, but I do play the fiddle and I'm constantly struggling with keeping my fingers from hitting other strings.
You mentioned developing callouses. In my year of playing, I have yet to develop any callouses (which maybe explains a lot). I would love to hear from other fiddlers on this issue.
At any rate, it sounds like I need to focus on playing on the fingertips.
I never really thought about it, but I just picked up my banjo to see, and my (fairly large) fingers do sometimes touch the other strings slightly when I'm playing melody. But unless you're trying to let a string ring, that's not much of an issue with melody. On the occasions that I play a chord (usually just a double stop - only two strings), I notice that my fingers automatically go a bit more up onto the very tip.
But the advice you've gotten so far is very good. I know it's hard when you first start out, but relaxation is maybe the biggest key. If you're pressing hard enough to hurt your fingers, even when you haven't built up callouses yet, then you're pressing too hard. Your goal should be to only press as hard as you need to to fret the string. if you're pressing down hard, then your fingers are more likely to flop onto other strings. If you watch videos of the top Irish banjo players, you'll see how effortless they make it look, and a lot of that is because it *is* effortless, once you get comfortable with the instrument.
Most all stock tenor banjos, old and new, are too narrow at the nut for me. The two that I have had built are 1.25 " at the nut, and that seems about right. But I have big hands too. I can still cover two strings with one finger, when need be, but never have to touch adjacent strings otherwise.
This may help - hold the neck as though you were about to pick a flower, rather than yanking a weed out of the ground; just your thumb (on the back) counter balancing the pressure you apply on the fingerboard with your fingers. Generally ... most of the time your first finger is poised over the 2nd fret, the second finger poised over the 3rd fret, third finger over the 4th fret - fourth finger over the 5th fret. If it still feels awkward, raise the neck up to 45 deg - almost at your eye level - this forces you to stick your elbow out slightly and therefore give you more movement with your fingers. After a week or so you can relax and find the best position for you. Its natural to grasp the neck in the palm of your hand which limits how much movement you have in your fingers.
Newbie Tenor Banjo
Newbie Tenor Banjo
Hi I am just learning the Tenor Banjo And would appreciate some help please
I am playing a 19 Fret Grafton Clipper from Andybanjo lovely Banjo for the money
My Question
Is the Fretboard width the same on all 19 fret tenors as I find the width of the fret board at second fret very narrow and find it difficult to fit my fat fingers on one string without hitting the string beside it
I apoligse in advance for the stupid question if it is but if anyone could clear it up for me i would appreciate it
thanks
mylesm
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by glengarslasher
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
I got my lovely 17 fret Grafton from the same source only 18 months and had the same thoughts as you. I reckon most banjos have about the same string separation and it's technique that you need to acquire. Let's hope more expert advice arrives but in the meantime:
a) give it time,
b) try to make your finger tips come down vertically on the fretboard by keeping fingers and palm curved so they arch over.
c) as your calluses develop fingers don't splay so much and you can use just the very tip.
d) Only use just enough pressure so the note sounds cleanly, ie avoid the vulcan death grip
When you think it can't be done remember those fiddle and mandolin players with big fat fingers on their tiny instruments.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Lurcherjohn
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
I think they would vary. I'm not sure about banjo's though i just know that guitars vary widely between makes and even mandolins vary somewhat.
I had the same problem with certain chords on the guitar too, the sound of a beautful B7 chord can so easily be destroyed by the buzzing of a D string on my nail... I feel your pain lad.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by session savage
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
I'm sure they vary - my first tenor had a very 'thin' neck and my new tenor's neck is quite a bit thicker - but I'm sure the technique will develop over time, you tend to 'get to know' your instrument.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by camwebby
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
The fretboard of my tenor banjo is ridiculously thin - only 1 inch (2.54 cm) at its narrowest point. Nevertheless, I eventually got used to it (and I don't have thin fingers). No doubt you will get used to yours too, if you keep playing it long enough!
If you are using your TB to play melody (e.g. with GDAE) tuning, a 17-fret instrument would have been a better choice. Less of a stretch - particulary when playing fast reels. 19-fret tenors are primarily intended for use in jazz bands. They use a close harmony tuning for chord-playing, so finger stretching is less of an issue. Having said that, the longer scale length does deliver a superior tone, and like the fretboard width, you can adapt to it - given time.
A question from me - why did you buy it if you thought it was difficult to play?
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
Mylesm
I think you got great advice from Lurcher John. It's just a matter of sticking with it and following LJ's advice. It might even be an advantage when you need to hold down two strings with one finger (later!).
If you've got a low bridge fitted then you won't need to use too much pressure when fretting a note - maybe relax a bit and don't press down so hard.
I've had a short-scale clipper for 7 months now and I very rarely play anything else. I've tried a few other banjo's - some of them really rare and expensive, but I still prefer the clipper.
I think that you made a good choice with the longer neck. The G string is a b*gger to tune on a short-scale tenor using GDAE.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Horrace Bampton-Morris
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
Thanks Everyone for replies
To Mix OLydian as I said I am totally a beginner so any banjo would be hard to play I am very happy with the grafton I just was asking if every newbie has the same problem as me This is my first attempt to play any instrument so I am just trying to learn
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by glengarslasher
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
Regarding post from Horace Bampton-Morris, I don't have any issues tuning the lowest string, as I tune it to A, and thus have ADAE tuning. This is a nice alternative to the standard "Irish" tuning, and a good choice if you play a lot of tunes in D or A major. This tuning was recommmended to me by someone many years ago, who told me that it was an American fiddle tuning (although of course, an octave below). I got hooked on it straightaway, and never went back to the standard tuning. It's also quite a good deterrent against anyone borrowing it at sessions!
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Mix O'Lydian
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
Lurcherjohn,
Great advice. I don't play the banjo, but I do play the fiddle and I'm constantly struggling with keeping my fingers from hitting other strings.
You mentioned developing callouses. In my year of playing, I have yet to develop any callouses (which maybe explains a lot). I would love to hear from other fiddlers on this issue.
At any rate, it sounds like I need to focus on playing on the fingertips.
Thanks for the advice
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by macnasparade
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
I never really thought about it, but I just picked up my banjo to see, and my (fairly large) fingers do sometimes touch the other strings slightly when I'm playing melody. But unless you're trying to let a string ring, that's not much of an issue with melody. On the occasions that I play a chord (usually just a double stop - only two strings), I notice that my fingers automatically go a bit more up onto the very tip.
But the advice you've gotten so far is very good. I know it's hard when you first start out, but relaxation is maybe the biggest key. If you're pressing hard enough to hurt your fingers, even when you haven't built up callouses yet, then you're pressing too hard. Your goal should be to only press as hard as you need to to fret the string. if you're pressing down hard, then your fingers are more likely to flop onto other strings. If you watch videos of the top Irish banjo players, you'll see how effortless they make it look, and a lot of that is because it *is* effortless, once you get comfortable with the instrument.
# Posted on July 23rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
Most all stock tenor banjos, old and new, are too narrow at the nut for me. The two that I have had built are 1.25 " at the nut, and that seems about right. But I have big hands too. I can still cover two strings with one finger, when need be, but never have to touch adjacent strings otherwise.
# Posted on July 27th 2008 by will morgan
Re: Newbie Tenor Banjo
This may help - hold the neck as though you were about to pick a flower, rather than yanking a weed out of the ground; just your thumb (on the back) counter balancing the pressure you apply on the fingerboard with your fingers. Generally ... most of the time your first finger is poised over the 2nd fret, the second finger poised over the 3rd fret, third finger over the 4th fret - fourth finger over the 5th fret. If it still feels awkward, raise the neck up to 45 deg - almost at your eye level - this forces you to stick your elbow out slightly and therefore give you more movement with your fingers. After a week or so you can relax and find the best position for you. Its natural to grasp the neck in the palm of your hand which limits how much movement you have in your fingers.
# Posted on July 28th 2008 by Andrew Donovan