Hello. Today I bought my first banjo, because I had got awfully good deal on it. It's a 4string tenor banjo. The tuning of it is D G B D. It sounds pretty high for me, and I'm looking for a tuning good for old time folk songs like "Oh Susannah". The sound I have in mind is similar to the sound of Banjo played in a movie "sabata". I can't post links, but if you type "Sabata banjo" on YouTube, you'll see what I mean. I'm a complete begginner and the guy who sold me banjo said that he can give me some lessons. Thanks in advance
Check with the local Law Enforcement folks, before installing a firearm inside your banjo.
With or without the bang-bang installed, you can tune it across at the 7th fret, and depending on string gauge, higher or lower than standard, to find what matches your voice.
If you already play guitar, you can tune it like a baritone uke, which are the same notes as the thinnest 4 strings on a guitar.
And there again, tune it a little higher or lower, to fit.
Whatever strings you now have, put on a capo and move it up the neck until you find a pitch that suits your voice, and then post back here as to what note the 4th string was capoed at, and one of the string gauge experts can tell you which strings to get, to have that note an octave lower, on the 4th string NO capo.
You say you have a tenor banjo, but the tuning you describe is not standard for that instrument.
If your banjo has 19 frets, you have a tenor. The standard tenor tuning is CGDA. If your banjo has 22 frets (as I suspect), then you have a plectrum banjo. The standard tuning for plectrum is CGBD.
