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OutOfReachDrumr - Posted - 06/27/2009: 20:59:20
How often should tune my banjo, or atleast check it? And the strings too. How often should those be changed out or what should I look for to notice that they are wearing out?
-JJ
D.W. - Posted - 06/27/2009: 21:06:54
How often to tune? Really it's as often as it needs it. Which might be a lot, or not a lot, depending on the situation. There is no hard and fast rule about that.
Changing strings- that's another one with no hard and fast rule. Some people change them a lot. Me I've had the same set of strings for the past ten years. Granted for a few of those years my banjo wasn't getting much play time.
As far as what constitutes "standard" G tuning here's a link that might help you with that. http://www.get-tuned.com/banjo_tuner.php
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"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
- Fran, "Strictly Ballroom" (1992)
dfwest - Posted - 06/27/2009: 21:08:23
You can TUNE a banjo? Why am I always the last to find these things out?
Seriously, tune it every time you pick it up until you get a feel for what is right. After you get a feel of what "right" is, check with an electronic tuner it every time it doesn't sound right, or if the temperature or humidity have changed, or if you're changing to another tuning, or when your friends say, "hey, why don't you tune that darn thing?"!
Regards,
David West
Fort Collins, Colorado
dfwest - Posted - 06/27/2009: 21:10:22
You can TUNE a banjo? Why am I always the last to find these things out?
Seriously, tune it every time you pick it up until you get a feel for what is right. After you get a feel of what "right" is, check it with an electronic tuner it every time it doesn't sound right, or if the temperature or humidity have changed, or if you're changing to another tuning, or when your friends say, "hey, why don't you tune that darn thing?"!
As for strings, I only change mine when one breaks. There are other schools of thought.
Regards,
David West
Fort Collins, Colorado
stormoveroklahoma - Posted - 06/27/2009: 21:29:47
new strings
stretching the strings
wearing the strings
changing head tension from temperature and humidity
all add up to checking the tuning constantly
constantly monitoring with your ears for when one string may be a little out of tune and bring it back it. With me the lighter smaller strings like the first and second seem to go out more than the others.
just the fact that banjo's balance a tensioned head with tensioned tuned strings relying on the head for support, I surprised sometimes they are as stable as they are.
it seems that the more people play... the fussier they get with keeping their jo in good tune.
how often do you feel you need to change strings?
cheers
storm
bigfeller - Posted - 06/27/2009: 22:30:19
You mean a banjo will go out of tune? I've never heard of such a thing.  
Kidding aside, I think most of us will check the tuning when we first pick it up to play. As you progress, your ear will tell you when it needs to be tuned. As far as string changing, as stated above, there is no set timetable to change strings, again your ear will tell you when you need new ones. I don't change the plain steel strings until one breaks or until they have stretched too much to keep their tuning, I may go a couple years without changing them or even longer. I change the wound 4th string much more often, I like the brighter sound of a fresh 4th string, so I'll change it about every couple months or so, or when it sounds dead to me.
airborne - Posted - 06/27/2009: 22:45:31
our fiddle player is alway's out of tune so why sould i tune my banjo, it sound's better if were both out of tune.
MYLO - Posted - 06/28/2009: 01:27:48
I tune mine once a week (whether it needs it or not).
" I want it to sound,,,, like a DANG BANJER!!"
sctrms - Posted - 06/28/2009: 04:59:02
You tweak it as good as you can make it everytime you put it in your hands..At least I do.
And as far as changing strings, if you have played the same set you have on there for a good while for two or three months or more - regularly, every day - then go ahead and change them for the sake of change to hear the difference -- and then when you do change them, you will wonder why you didn't do it sooner. After that first change you will know when its time again.
Scooter Muse
http://www.myspace.com/scootermuse
http://www.henrisnotions.com
OutOfReachDrumr - Posted - 06/28/2009: 09:55:01
Bill - I've not recieved it yet. It should be here by this wednesday and the @#^$ thing better be in tune! But I'm trying to find out some of these details prior it it's arrival. I've a got a background in drums, and they don't need a lot of tuning. The heads usually hold pretty good for quite a while. However, being around multiple musical instruments for many many years I've got an okay ear already for things out of tune. I'll check it daily for a while till i can a better feel for it.
-JJ
me!!! - Posted - 06/28/2009: 13:48:22
thank you guys i was going to ask the same thing.
MrNatch3L - Posted - 06/29/2009: 01:29:00
Hey Drumr- I think ol' Bill is funnin' ya a little bit. You can pretty much figure that even if the dealer tunes it before shipping, by the time it get's to you it's going to need tuning.
You being a drummer, I wondered if your question re: tuning was about tuning of the strings or tuning of the head? Strings, others have commented on- tune 'em when you hear them out of tune! Tuning the banjo head is another matter and there are a lot of opinions out there.
For a banjo with strings tuned to Bluegrass standard G, a lot of people say the head should be tuned to G-sharp or A. You kind of need to experiment with your banjo to see how it sounds best. You probably have a leg up on a lot of banjo players when it comes to head tuning. It's difficult for a lot of people to hear the note when you tap a head. You probably also know pretty well how new heads act and when to adjust them. You can probably teach us a few tricks.
Welcome and happy pickin'!
goldtopia - Posted - 06/29/2009: 02:04:48
Yes, I was joking. Quite a bit of leg pulling and Tom foollery goes on, on BHO. There are some who never joke and seem to live very serious lives.
Bill.O
www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk
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