How to play:
Banjos can be played in many ways:
- The frailing style, also called as clawhammer. Usually, the musician uses the nail of his middle finger & index finger. It's a playing technique used from 1800's.
- By using a pick, the musician uses it to pluck or strum the strings. This is frequently used by Jazz and Irish musicians.
- Scruggs-style, also called as 3-fingered picking style. Normally, picks are placed on the index middle & small finger frequently used in country, Irish, Bluegrass and folk music.
Family:
String
First Known Banjos.
The banjo it had origin African and in the 19th century was brought into America by slaves. In its' earliest shape it had 4 gut strings.
Types:
There are 2 main types:
- Tenor banjo: More small that the 5-string banjo, it has four strings & used to play the jazz section.
- 5-stringed banjos: Generally tuned to open chords & used in American and Irish music. As the name implies, it has five strings, four of these are used to play the melody.
Banjo Players
- Harry Reser
- Pete Seeger
- Eddie Peabody
- Béla Fleck
- Perry Bechtel
- Elmer Snowden
- Earl Scruggs
- Ralph Stanley
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