Hi. Do any of you tenor banjo players out there tune your banjo to open D: ADad ? Does this work well for playing melody, or is more of a chord/backup tuning?
I'm just starting on banjo and it seemed to really make sense to me, but I know GDAE is the standard tuning most people use. I'm also brand new to string instruments so maybe it will become clear as I learn more.
If were you I would stick with the fiddle tuning GDAE, you can get all the keys of Irish music with little effort. The open D will be of some use if you are backing songs or doing chords in the the formation of the D scales. It will only break your heart trying to get tunes played in their proper scales. I have never seen anybody on Tenor banjo use this tuning, not that they don't, I just haven't seen it.
The only alternative tuning which some people use, such as Gerery O'Connor, is CGDA. This is the old jazz tuning and is often used for Jazz chord accompaniement.
I agree with compaqjohn and suggest that there is no need to make it more difficult than it already is and unless you is a moosical genius (which you may be) then stick with the standard GDAE tuning, especially for melody playing (and you won't be too popular in a sessio n if you start thrashing out chords on a banjo as it is likely to drown out everything else)
good luck with learning it can be a fun but frustrating ride (particularly them darn triplets)
Banjo tuning (ADad) ?
Banjo tuning (ADad) ?
Hi. Do any of you tenor banjo players out there tune your banjo to open D: ADad ? Does this work well for playing melody, or is more of a chord/backup tuning?
I'm just starting on banjo and it seemed to really make sense to me, but I know GDAE is the standard tuning most people use. I'm also brand new to string instruments so maybe it will become clear as I learn more.
Thanks for any info!
-Brett
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by bretton
Re: Banjo tuning (ADad) ?
If were you I would stick with the fiddle tuning GDAE, you can get all the keys of Irish music with little effort. The open D will be of some use if you are backing songs or doing chords in the the formation of the D scales. It will only break your heart trying to get tunes played in their proper scales. I have never seen anybody on Tenor banjo use this tuning, not that they don't, I just haven't seen it.
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by compaqjohn
Re: Banjo tuning (ADad) ?
The only alternative tuning which some people use, such as Gerery O'Connor, is CGDA. This is the old jazz tuning and is often used for Jazz chord accompaniement.
I agree with compaqjohn and suggest that there is no need to make it more difficult than it already is and unless you is a moosical genius (which you may be) then stick with the standard GDAE tuning, especially for melody playing (and you won't be too popular in a sessio n if you start thrashing out chords on a banjo as it is likely to drown out everything else)
good luck with learning it can be a fun but frustrating ride (particularly them darn triplets)
# Posted on January 5th 2005 by nick b
Re: Banjo tuning (ADad) ?
Thanks for the replies! That's what I suspected.
-Brett
# Posted on January 8th 2005 by bretton