Tuning a 5 String Banjo
There are various techniques for tuning a 5-string banjo, so it’s essential to decide which will become your main approach.
Most 5-string players use Open G (G4 D3 G3 B3 D4) as their standard tuning, which produces more complete tunes than conventional tunings.
E-Minor
The most widely used five string banjo tuning is known as “Open G.” This indicates that from fifth string to first string the notes from G to D are D to B to G and so forth.
E-Minor is another widely used key in banjo music, featuring the B chord which resembles an A chord but with two frets moved up.
This open G chord is one of the easiest banjo chords to learn as it doesn’t involve touching any strings on the neck! Simply strum it, and you are already playing an open G chord!
Practice these chords until they feel effortless. Strumming while counting 1-2-3-4 will help ensure an effortless progression between progressions.
A
Banjo players utilize various tunings in order to facilitate playing specific tunes more easily, such as the standard G modal tuning (replacing B with C); this tuning is most frequently found in bluegrass music but may also appear in folk and old-time songs.
No matter the style of banjo you play, knowing how to tune is an indispensable skill that should be acquired either through practice with an accurate tuner or learning by ear.
Use of a clip-on tuner or smartphone app can be very useful, but practice will be required in order to recognize whether your banjo is out of tune by ear. Tuning will greatly enhance your playing experience – not to mention sound much better and be more comfortable!
C
Clip-on chromatic tuners are among the most useful tuning tools for banjos, providing fast and straightforward tuning in noisy environments.
Most 5-string banjo players utilize Open G (G4 D3 G3 B3 D4) as their standard tuning. This means you can strum all five open strings without fingering any and still get a G chord chord.
The fifth string is tuned an octave higher than the first and a full octave lower than the fourth, giving its sound a unique G major character – often found in folk music genres. This technique is known as Open G Modal.
D7
Banjo songs usually consist of just three chords – G, C and D or D7. With these chords alone, any bluegrass tune can be easily played on the banjo!
G chords are among the easiest chords to master due to being “open.” That means no fretting necessary; all it requires is for your right hand to strum or pick down open strings with their right arm strumming or picking down on them.
C chord is slightly more challenging due to requiring one more left-hand finger. Your index finger frets the 2nd string at its first fret while your middle finger plays 4th string at 2nd fret.
G
G 5 string banjo tuning is a standard set of notes used across most genres of music and it is the most frequently employed way to tune your banjo.
Open G tuning is a classic old-time banjo tuning, easily accessible via standard G tuning with barre fingerings. This allows you to play major chords without pressing strings with your fretting hand – ideal for old-time banjo tunes!
Tuning a banjo requires either using an electronic tuner or tuning by ear. We highly suggest learning the latter option as this will improve overall playing ability and help to develop pitch sense.