The banjo is a stringed-plucked musical instrument that is a relative of the traditional guitar. It has a different number of strings - from 4 to 9, and the wide part of the banjo is usually covered with leather to achieve a greater acoustic effect and the so-called boominess.
Instructions
Step 1
The first mention of this musical instrument dates back to 1784, when Thomas Jefferson, a well-known figure in the US War of Independence, one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and the President of the country from 1801 to 1809, writes in his diary about a banjo that was brought into the country from Western Africa.
Step 2
Already in the middle of the 19th century, this seemingly rather simple instrument became widespread in North America, where the fashion for it was picked up by numerous jazz bands using banjo to add more rhythm to the music.
Step 3
Unlike related instruments, the European mandolin and the African lute, the sound of the banjo is more ringing and much harsher, since the membrane of the musical instrument gives it more strength and frequency. That is why, among the jazz ensembles of New Orleans, the banjo has always been heard and stood out, giving rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment. Then banjos were mainly four-stringed: with the same set as the violin - g-re-la-mi or like the viola - do-g-re-la.
Step 4
The fifth string is more common in African culture, where the so-called tenor banjo is used. It is fixed to the tuning box directly on the neck. This variation of the musical instrument in combination with the "claws" allows the banjo to be used to implement the most intricate percussion techniques. Usually in ensembles that have a 5-string banjo, she performs with violin, flat-type mandolin and folk guitar.
Step 5
This musical instrument is also widely used in styles such as country and bluegrass, which in the United States are a kind of alternative to Russian chanson, only without a touch of criminal romance. It's just the music of workers and ordinary people who gathered to have fun on the day off, drink beer and dance. Outstanding banjists in this country are the musicians Wade Meiner and Earl Scruggs, who introduced many innovative techniques and were considered real virtuosos of playing the banjo.
