A six-string banjo looks like a banjo – round body with a head, floating bridge – but has six strings and a guitar neck. It’s tuned exactly like a guitar: E A D G B E. It sounds bright and crisp like a banjo, but you fret it like a guitar.
Who is it for?
For anyone who already plays guitar and loves the banjo sound. You don’t have to learn new chords: every chord, every song and every picking pattern from the guitar works right away. A capo fits just like on the guitar, too.
How it differs from the five-string banjo
- The short, high 5th string that rings in every roll on a classic banjo is missing. So the six-string banjo sounds less like bluegrass and more like a very bright guitar.
- Chord shapes from the five-string banjo in open G do not fit – everything is tuned differently there.
- The head and floating bridge need the same care as on any banjo: check the bridge position and tighten the head now and then.
- Strings: use light steel strings as recommended for the instrument. Strings that are too heavy put a lot of strain on the bridge and head.
And in this app?
For a six-string banjo, choose the guitar in the app. Tuner, chord diagrams, songs and blues then fit exactly. The banjo page, on the other hand, is for the five-string banjo in open G. Useful tips on changing chords are in Change chords faster.