The Difference Between Tenor Banjos and Irish Tenor Banjos

I few weeks ago, I posted an article trying capture the difference between Tenor Banjos and what have come to be called "Irish Tenor" Banjos. The original posting appears at the end of this one for the reader's convenience.

The biggest difference between tenor banjos and Irish Tenor banjos is string length and the gauge of strings use. While, in the not to distant past, Irish Tenor banjo players modified regular tenor banjos, today, two distinct instruments are available.

The tenor banjo has a string length just about 25" and is lightly strung to be tuned C G D A, like a viola. It is historically and inherently a chordal instrument, as is demonstrated in the video below. the Irish Tenor banjo, on the other hand, has a string length of about 19.5" and is heavily strung to be tuned an octave lower than the fiddle G, D, A, E. It is inherently a melody instrument and often plays the same melody as the fiddler, only and octave lower. Irish Tenor Banjo players, like tenor banjo players, need to know their chords and techniques such as vibrato and the "cut" or "chop", although these are not commonly used in Celtic playing.

Now, look at the videos in the original posting. You will also want to see and hear a great (after a minor false start, which should have been edited out) version of "Tuttles Reel" played on a tenor banjo converted to an Irish Tenor.

You will hear the difference with no trouble.

******************************************

Original Posting: Tenor Banjo and Irish Tenor Banjo: Is There a Difference?

This is an excellent question, and it comes up all the time from smart musicians.

The difference between the Tenor Banjo and Irish Tenor Banjo is, on one level, analogous to the difference between a violin and a fiddle. They are played differently.

But Irish Tenor Banjos are also tuned differently than regular tenor banjos, so maybe another analogy:

A tenor banjo is like a classical viola (tuned CGDA) and an Irish tenor banjo is tuned like an octave (often called a baritone) fiddle (GDAE, an octave lower than a violin).

Not captured by the analogies is the fact that Irish tenor banjos are usually set up differently, the most notable difference being a capo on the second fret (or even higher on some vintage instrument with long necks) in order to allow for less string tension and to shorten the scale length for faster melody playing.

The videos that follow illustrate the radical differences in tuning, setup and playing style. Both players are extremely good.

Classic Tenor Banjo, played by Clifford Essex: Tiger Rag (direct link to this video on YouTube)

Irish Tenor Banjo: medley played by Gordon Johnston by using fingerstyle (less common than use of a plectrum, but allows for smoother playing on complex tunes like these) (direct link to this video on YouTube)

I am sure that you could hear the differences in pitch and playing style between classic tenor banjo style and Irish tenor banjo. They might as well be different instrumens entirely. When you acquire a tenor banjo from Adventurous Muse, we make certain that your instrument is set up for the genre of music you intend the instrument for.

All the best!

D.R.

Comments

[MIchael Keyes]

There is no "Irish tenor banjo", per se.

Yes, most Irish traditional banjo players use GDAE tuning (which, by the way is about the same tension as cgda, look up the D'Addario site and see the difference between J63 and J63i string tensions) but the vast majority of players in Ireland use a 19 fret instrument which has a 23" scale. The difference between a jazz tenor banjo tuning and a trad banjo tuning is, as you rightly point out, setup. But there are historical references to the use of GDAE in jazz in the twenties. Early American Irish bands (1935-1950s) used cgda tuned banjos. (See Mick Moloney's site for references.)

A banjo with a 25" scale is a plectrum banjo, an entirely different animal from a tenor banjo. Plectrums are tuned differently, usually like a five string banjo without the fifth string, and are mostly played in chord melody.

By the way , there are plenty of Irish musicians using the cgda tuning (Gerry O'Connor being the foremost) played open or capoed up two to daeb which captures the range of a whistle.

The term "Irish tenor banjo" is a marketing tool used by various manufacturers and retailers to sell short scale 17 fret banjos. It has no historical validity.

Mike Keyes
www.mikekeyes.com
www.banjosessions.com

[Don Rickert]

Mike,

Your points are all quite right. Sometimes we oversimplify things on blogs. My brother, Bob Rickert, who studied for many years under Dr. Maloney, would agree with you vigorously.

I would like to have you post your comments as an article on the blog if you are agreeable or I can re-post them with attribution to you. Let me know.

I appreciate your interest and taking the time to set matters straight.

Thanks,

Don

[Michael Keyes]

Don,

Sure, go ahead and publish it. You might want to add that there are plenty of players who enjoy 17 fret banjos in ITM because they are a little easier to play and have a different sound from the 19 fret banjos that they enjoy.

Mike

[Irish Symbols]

"Irish tenor banjo" is a marketing tool used by various manufacturers and retailers to sell short scale 17 fret banjos. It has no historical validity.

[Don Rickert]

Duh, read the whole thread!

D.R.

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