Other popular styles in bluegrass include Keith Style after the banjoist, Bill Keith and Reno or 3-String Style after Don Reno. Technique-wise, the most popular style in bluegrass is referred to as Scruggs Style after Earl Scruggs, the leading exponent of the instrument. You can also damp or mute the open back with a cushion, foam or other packing material if you need to reduce volume. The resonators are also a lot louder as the same suggests, so if you’re in a house with paper-thin walls, the open back model might be a better fit.

If you suffer from back issues, the resonator models are considerably heavier than their open back counterparts, so you may want to take that into consideration when acquiring an instrument. There aren’t any hard and fast rules on this and cross-over does occur, but to generalize, if your interest lies in either of these areas and you want an authentic sound, those are your main options. The open-back model which is more suited to folk and old-time traditional music, and the resonator models, which tend to be used within bluegrass. The basic 5-string design comes in two distinct configurations:

You can tune the fifth drone string by fretting on the fifth fret of the first string. The string gauge for both the first and fifth strings is generally the same. What separates it from all the other models is the addition of the fifth drone string which is situated to the left of the fifth fret. It’s also by far the most popular model, used in every genre of music from bluegrass to indie folk because of its versatility. Banjo-Bouzouki Banjo (Bluegrass or 5-String)Īlso Known As: 5-String banjo, bluegrass banjo or ‘G’ BanjoĪlternative Tunings: Standard C (G4 C3 G3 B3 D4), Double C (G4 C3 G3 C4 D4), Sawmill (G4 D3 G3 C4 D4)Īrguably, the 5-string is the instrument people would most associate with a typical image of a banjo.Tenor Banjo (Jazz Banjo / Irish Tenor Banjo).Banjo Ukulele (Banjolele or Ukulele-Banjo).

Vintage banjo identification