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 Home > Learning Center > Banjo

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The banjo is a distinctly American instrument, although its origins can be traced to Africa. Much like jazz music, the banjo was developed by African slaves that had been brought to this country by Europeans during the colonial period. The instrument, as we know it today, was based on several different string instruments common to parts of the African continent. The earliest banjos were made from a hollowed gourd, and were thus called “gourd banjos”.

A banjo is constructed from many different components. The main structural piece is called the “rim”. While they can be made from a variety of woods, most of the best instruments have a rim that is made from 3-ply maple. Around the rim sits the tone ring, which is essentially the heart of the instrument. The tone ring can be made from wood, although cast bronze is most often used on the best banjos. The combination of the rim and the tone ring is often referred to as the “pot”.

The head (traditionally made from calf skin, but Mylar is usually used today) is stretched over the tone ring much like a drum head. The tone ring / head configuration can have a dramatic impact on the overall sound of the instrument, with variations in this combination causing variations in sound. The resonator is located on the back of the rim, opposite the head. The resonator acts as a sort of amplifier, essentially taking the sound waves created by the pot assembly and bouncing them outward.

Connecting all these components is the flange. The banjo flange is used to do several things. First, it is used to pull the tone ring down firmly on the rim, creating the pot. Secondly, it is what the resonator attaches too. And finally, it is used as an anchor point for the hoop, which is used to pull the head down tightly over the pot.

The neck of the banjo is connected to the pot/resonator assembly through the use of coordinator rods. These rods go through the center of the pot assembly, with one end connecting to the neck and the other end to the opposite side of the ring. In less expensive models, a single wooden dowel is often used instead of the coordinator rods. Strings are attached to the instrument through the use of the tailpiece and the tuners. The tailpiece is attached at the bottom of the pot assembly, and the strings are first run through this piece. At the top of the neck, the strings are wound around the tuners, which are used to tighten and/or loosen each string until it is in tune when plucked.

When all of these components work in harmony, they have the result of producing the distinctive sound that is unique to the banjo. Whether it’s a five-string bluegrass model, a four-string tenor version, or any other variation of the instrument, the basic parts and construction techniques are basically the same. However, small variations in many of these components can be used to “tweak” the sound to personal preferences.

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