5-String Banjo: Imitating a 4-String Banjo

Subject: Tenor Banjo
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 16:05:58 -0400

I was wondering if you could "create" a tenor banjo by using tenor strings on a 5 string banjo. Of course, you would have to remove the drone string. But could it be done? Thanks a lot for your help
Sincerely
Timothy

Sure Timothy...you can create a 4-string banjo by converting a 5-string. However, be aware, scale length on a standard 5-string would be more like a plectrum 4-string than a tenor 4-string. Therefore, your tuning would have to accommodate the scale length.

Hope this helps...Mickey

Subject: Emulation of 5-string on 4-string
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 17:39:24 +0200

Dear old Mickey,

I would like to comment part of your answer to Richard Stone who
asks what banjo he should get (at FAQ page Tenor/Plectrum 4-String
Banjo vs 5-String Banjo http://www.folkofthewood.com/page1768.htm).

"It is possible to play (fake) dixieland on a 5-string by learning
to strum the bottom 4 strings eliminating the 5th string drone.
However, it's next to impossible to emulate a 5-string on a
4-string."

I am able to sound very bluegrassy when I fingerpick my 4-string
banjo retuned to open G tuning DGdg.
See my page http://www.geocities.com/patekstylebanjo

Greetings from Mirek Patek
Prague, Czech Republic

Greetings Mirek,

Thanks for your contribution on this...I will post it in our FAQ
database and include a link to your site. As you probably are aware,
I also experiment with fingerpicking the tenor banjo...Your page is
very informative...in fact, I've never seen another site where tenor
banjo fingerpicking is so thoroughly covered. Please keep me abreast
in the future.

Wishing you the best with your future endeavors, Mickey