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5 String 'Morris' Banjo - Tuning Help Please

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  • 11-03-2009 12:02am
    #1
    tonky
    Registered Users Posts: 897 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,
    I mess around with trad Irish music & folk with a few local lads. Play Guitar & Boudhran. Took up Mandolin a few months ago. I received a gift of a fixer upper 5 string/22 fret banjo and want to play it a bit for the craic. Any advice an string gauges/type/setup. ATM, I've fitted Martin guitar strings and tuned to GDAE, the small 5th string is an E using .010" solid. The other strings are M39B, M30B, M23B and M10 tuned GDAE an octave (AFAIK) below my mandolin - sounds ok, but the fingering is a pain. Anyone got any suggestions,
    I play stuff like "Isle of Innisfree" and "Tim Finnegan's Wake" on the mandolin.
    Should I just flog the 5 string and get a short 4 string tenor banjo. I can use a capo and generally play by ear.
    Thanks for any help Guys.


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    #2
    studiorat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭studiorat


    5-string is usually tuned to an open G ( G D G B D) but there are millions of others. What you have could be closest described as Chicago tuning though real Chicago tuning goes like the top of a guitar. What scale is the neck? 22 frets I think may be short for a 5 string so for Irish trad, the tuning you are using could be right for that instrument.

    GHS make a 5-string set of strings that go 9 11 13 20 9 so your string gauge seems on the money.

    Here's a list of "millions" of tunings and some famous songs in which they feature. http://zeppmusic.com/banjo/


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