Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!

Subject: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: GUEST,Bill in Alabama
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 02:14 PM

One of my students has located an early Weyman Tenor Banjo and wants to know how it's tuned: What, please, is the most common tuning? This is not a plectrum.

Thanks

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: mooman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 02:17 PM

Dear Bill in Alabama,

For Irish-style tenor banjo: GDAE (lowest to highest) For Jazz style tenor banjo: CGDA (lowest to highest)

Best regards

mooman

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: mooman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 02:20 PM

P.S. The string gauges will be different according to which tuning you use, also whether the tenor banjo is "short scale" or "normal scale".

If you let me know the scale length and tuning desired, I can suggest string gauges to suit.

Best regards,

mooman

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Spartacus
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 03:10 PM

mooman. I havent seen too many gauges of tenor banjo strings available. Where can you find them?

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 03:23 PM

A number of us buy singles and make our own sets. I use 40w, 28w, 18w, 13 on a 17 fret tenor tuned to GDAE.

Jon

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: mooman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 06:13 PM

I now buy made up sets from

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: mooman
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 06:17 PM

...sorry about that! Dunno what happened! Haven't got my HTML head on tonight!

...Andy Perkins at www.andybanjo.com

He does a variety of made-up sets at a very reasonable price. I use these now as loose strings of suitable gauges are hard to find in Belgium.

Best regards,

mooman

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Feb 02 - 07:07 PM

Bill, just tell him to stick another string on.

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 09:51 PM

Thanks for the suggestions; I copied off the responses, and I'll give them to my student when he comes by my office again. I apologize for being so long in acknowledging your help.

Bill

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Fortunato
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 12:29 PM

Bill in Alabama, I thought you'd quit the 'cat, I haven't seen you post for awhile. We had a bunch of North Alabama folks up our way last week, the Red Mountain White Trash, are familiar with those folks? regards, Fortunato

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Bill in Alabama
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 03:37 PM

Fortunato--

Yep, they're friends. As a matter of fact, one of them was married to a relative of mine for awhile. Great musicians. Their cd "Fire in the Dumpster" is will liked around here. Where is 'up our way?'

Bill

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: death by whisky
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 03:49 PM

i USE 40,30,20,10, TUNED G,D,A,E.

Subject: RE: Tenor Banjo Tuning? Help!
From: Rollo
Date: 23 Feb 02 - 03:34 PM

I found out I could save a lot of money by using electric guitar strings, same gauges, same types available but a lot cheaper. Yet I can insert strings with a sling OR with a ball to my banjo.