
However, you can tune the banjo to the G chord to also play Irish music if you want. The 19-fret tenor banjo is more likely played by professionals and in Dixieland Jazz. The music you play all lies in how you tune the banjo.

Jazz music, for example, always uses a C chord. The symmetrical tuning of a 19-fret is similar to a mandolin, but mandolins play in the G chord. Many musicians select the 19-fret for versatility. You can still use a 19-fret in the Irish tenor, but this banjo is typically set from the 4th to 1st chords as C, G, D, A. It has two notes more than the 17-fret and is the “normal” 23-inch scale length, which means the instrument sounds less like a violin and requires more of a fiddle fingering style to play. Unlike a 17-fret tenor banjo that’s more ideal for Irish music, the 19-fret tenor is better for Traditional Dixieland Jazz. Kids and women may also prefer a smaller scale banjo. You may hear the 17-fret in jazz forms like Alexander’s Ragtime Band and pup-playing Irish bands like the Clancy Brothers that inspired today’s Mumford and Sons. Tenor banjos are often used in traditional Irish and Celtic, and early Jazz music from dance hall numbers to Ragtime, Dixieland, and even Tin Pan Alley songs. The quick-paced fiddle-like tunes are easy to play with this instrument, and most Irish banjos are open-back designs. If you want to play Irish music, a 17-fret is the best banjo for you. You can play Celtic or Dixieland music with the 17-fret, but the difference is in the type of strings and how you tune it. Perhaps the reason for their popularity is due to the versatility of the strings.

They’re also more common than any other type of banjo, and you’ll find them widely available for sale. 17-fret tenors have around 20 or 21 inches of scale length, making them the shorter option. The main difference between the 17 and 19-fret tenor banjos is the number of frets as well as the scale length. The tuning is similar to a fiddle or mandolin. 17-Fret Tenor BanjosĪ 17-fret tenor banjo is often considered the Irish tenor, and it’s tuned to G, D, A, E from the 4th to 1st string. In the past, this was the banjo of choice for Irish, Traditional Dixieland Jazz, Bluegrass, and even Classical music. If you want to play the music that makes toes tap and hands clap, the 4-string banjo is for you. However, the sound is around an octave lower and smaller. They use either two tenors for tuning: the same as a mandola and viola or an Irish tenor similar to the mandolin and violin. Expect a 4-string to look and play like a ukulele.

The banjo for the liveliest music, 4-strings are highly versatile.
