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Michael Keyes - Beginning the Irish Tenor Banjo | Luthier Interview - The Lee Banjo Company
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Beginning the Irish Tenor Banjo

by Michael Keyes

If you have just decided to learn more about playing traditional Irish music (ITM), the banjo is a great place to start. Over the past 150 years or so Irish musicians have incorporated all sorts of instruments foreign to Ireland including the bouzouki, accordion, and the banjo which has a history of about 80 years or so in the tradition but is only now becoming a mainline instrument. The advantage the tenor banjo has is that it is tuned in fifths like a fiddle (GDAE, but an octave below) but unlike a fiddle it is easy to play a tune on it. Irish traditional music, which grew out of dance and song, has a highly ornamented style that you can play on the tenor banjo by learning just a few techniques to start.

On the other hand, it is very hard for a beginner to play ITM on a 5 string banjo because the triplets and other ornaments are much more difficult to produce using the usual three finger or clawhammer styles. With a little practice a new tenor banjo player can play recognizable Irish tunes very quickly.

The tenor banjo is an American invention dating back to the early 1900's when the early jazz bands needed a loud rhythm instrument and there was no other practical way to amplify sound. The heyday of the jazz tenor banjo was between 1925 and 1935 before the Depression and Swing made the tenor banjo obsolete. But in those ten or more years some great instruments were built and are still available today. In addition there are contemporary makers (thanks to the popularity of the 5 string banjo) who are making tenors once again for the Irish players.

arly (1900 to 1920) tenor banjos had 17 frets and rarely came with resonators. As the bands became louder and bigger, the manufacturers lengthened the scale to 19 frets (and to 22 frets for the plectrum banjo which was developed for guitar players who wanted to double up) and resonators became a normal part of the instrument. For some reason the 17 fret banjo has become identified with ITM - most likely because it was cheaper in the early days to own a 17 fret banjo but it also made it easier for a fiddler or mandolin player to transfer techniques due to the shorter scale. But ITM can be played on a 19 fret instrument just as well and a lot of the professional players prefer the sound of the 19 fret banjo.

How to buy an Irish tenor banjo.

There are plenty of good instruments available to the beginner at very reasonable prices. You wouldn't know it if you went to your local music store, but a simple survey of the usual online stores or auction houses will reveal a bewildering variety of old banjos for sale. In addition there are several banjo makers who are featuring entry level banjos for the beginner. It is hard to go wrong with an entry level banjo from one of the famous old names like Vega, Bacon, Paramount (any banjo made by William Lange), or Weymann and the newer banjos from Goldtone and Deering have a lot to offer. If you are interested in getting an older banjo my best advice is to buy from one of the reputable dealers . They have a reputation to uphold and will describe the instruments honestly. The little extra that you put out for the banjo will more than pay for itself in the end. If you are buying from an online auction remember it is buyer beware. You won't really know what you are getting until the banjo arrives. Nonetheless, if you are buying a quality 17 fret banjo, the neck will usually be straight and any other problems can be repaired. My suggestion is to buy a new entry level banjo from Goldtone or Deering. Both companies offer reasonably priced instruments that sound good and are easy to play. If you shop around you will be able to find the best prices with little effort.

Setting up your banjo

While tenor banjos were made to be played in CGDA tuning, with the proper strings they can sound great in GDAE. One of the common beginner questions is. "What gauge strings do I use for Irish banjo?" The answer varies a little depending on the scale, but a good starting set would be .040, .030, .020, .010 (GDAE) and then experimenting a little from there. There are a few "Irish Tenor Banjo" sets available, but they seem a little light to me and it is easier and cheaper to buy bulk loop end strings from the various dealers.

If the strings feel like ropes to you or are "floppy" (especially the G string) then you need to change the gauge of the strings. It will not take long to figure out what you need. The only other advice I will give is to make sure the head is tight. The most common problem with a new banjo (be it antique or brand new) is a loose head. New banjos are set up at the factory, but heads tend to stretch for quite a while and what sounded great in the factory may be a dud at the store. Careful tightening of the head will usually result in a brighter and better sounding banjo.

Next

Over the next few months we will explore how to learn the Irish tenor banjo, look at some ways to make the transition from your old instrument to the banjo a little easier, and talk about sessions, playing in a band, cutting edge styles, and the mechanics of playing the Irish tenor banjo. If you have questions or comments, I can be reached at mikeyes@charter.net. I will try to answer all inquiries or may use them in another column.

About the Author

Mike Keyes, a native of Franklin, Tennessee, has played tenor banjo since 1957 and over the years has learned to play five string banjo, mandolin, and guitar. He earned his way through college and medical school playing in bluegrass and dixieland bands and currently plays in the Irish band "Good Luck." He is an expert in sports performance and has written and book and over 200 articles on the subject.

His interest in Irish music started a number of years ago when effort to learn more about his musical roots led him to the discovery of session playing. Since then he has been to Ireland to learn more about the music and has taken classes and interviewed such banjo greats as John Carty, Charlie Piggot, and Gerry O'Connor.

His medical practice is in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin where he practices Psychiatry.