stevedenver - Posted - 07/23/2025:  12:18:46

I tuned a banjo down to D and was wondering if there ought to be any change to the head tuning/tension.

the head is slightly thicker than normal, designed for lower tuning.

Its currently in G#, about 89 on the drum dial, sounds fine, actually very good, to me.

Was wondering if anyone had different suggestions.

Edited by - stevedenver on 07/23/2025 12:19:47

pinenut - Posted - 07/23/2025:  12:38:32

quote:

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Originally posted by stevedenver

 sounds fine, actually very good, to me.

 

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Resist the urge to tweak when the tones are aligned. 

Good luck resisting; I rarely succeed.

Edited by - pinenut on 07/23/2025 12:41:52

banjonz - Posted - 07/23/2025:  15:43:12

I agree with Kam. No need to alter the head tension. It should be fine in any tuning.

randybartlett - Posted - 07/23/2025:  20:01:56

Tuning in D (or any other key other than G) alters the string tension. With careful measurement, there would be a small change to the down-force from the bridge onto the head, and that would change head tension slightly.



BUT that amount of change is tiny compared to the head tension at 89. Inconsequential in my humble opinion.



Once, I was wondering how much effect string break angle across the bridge affected the "head note". So I checked the head note using Dr. P's whispering gallery spectrum analysis (resolution = 1 hz). Before tackling the break angle question, I thought I should check with and without a bridge (essentially no strings -vs- strings tuned up).



Well, the head note changed very little with and without the bridge. I don't remember without looking at my notes, but it was something like 207 vs 208 hz. Only 1 or 2 hertz!



At that point, I knew that the string break angle would have an insignificant effect on the head note so I didn't worry about it further.



Before people get tense, don't misunderstand me. I didn't say that string break angle doesn't affect playing tone. I actually think it does. I said it doesn't affect the tapped head note much. But, I think the way a tailpiece vibrates and transmits sound is affected by how the tailpiece is adjusted.



My 2 cents

Edited by - randybartlett on 07/23/2025 20:02:30

NNYJoe - Posted - 07/24/2025:  02:28:35

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have had similar thoughts. Problem is, they are usually used as an excuse for my poor playing.

“I re-tuned & the head tension changed & that’s why my playing sucks.”

“I put on new strings. It takes a while before they acclimate to the ambience.”

“The dog ate my tabs.”

Excuses? I got a million of ‘em!

steve davis - Posted - 07/24/2025:  06:46:33

As far as head tension goes it has been searched for since (and probably before) Uncle Dave Macon lit up 3 banjos with lightbulbs and the head that didn't break was the banjo he'd use for that night's performance...I think it was Uncle Dave...
Asking what other people have found out can save a lot of time in tightening and loosening a head.
I think the head tension,G# for instance,is simply a stable platform for the bridge and produces a good,balanced tone up and down the neck.
That good sounding tension had to be one note or another...it just happened to fall on G# when tapped.

By knowing that note the results are automatically reached without the need to hunt for them.
The open tunings of G,C or D only care about a stable,responsive head which (just by chance) taps at G#.

I also think of a picked note being like a stone tossed into a pool of water.
The picked note travels through the bridge and onto the head.
A head looser than G# will send a smaller number of larger sound "waves" over to the rim while a head tighter than G# will send a larger number of smaller "waves" to the rim.

I've rewritten this a couple of times and it still feels a bit unfinished.

Alex Z - Posted - 07/24/2025:  07:18:30

"I tuned a banjo down to D and was wondering if there ought to be any change to the head tuning/tension."

By "ought to", I'm taking that to mean "will it sound better."

No one knows.    Have to try it on your banjo.

I tension the head so it sounds best in the tuning I play most -- G tuning.  When changing to a different tuning occasionally, I don't change the head tension.  First, it takes a significant amount of time to change the head tension, make sure it is equalized, and then optimized for the tuning.  Second, I'm not hearing any difference in the individual notes themselves in the different tuning -- the banjo as a whole sounds a bit different because different open strings are resonating when playing.  So I'm not going back and forth with head tension depending on the tuning.

If someone is tuning from G tuning down to E tuning, for example, and playing mostly in the E tuning, then it would be worthwhile to optimize the banjo tone for the E tuning.

Hope this helps.

stevedenver - Posted - 07/24/2025:  13:11:50

Thank you all for all of the comments and thoughts.

Im happy as can be with the banjo's sound, and even, my playing.

I agree especially with alexz…its a pita to change head tension and get the sweet spot. As far as optimization, dunno. Guess im too lazy to spend a day or so finding out, no less trying to be objective.

i just was contemplating if head tuning relates to the overall instrument's key, kinda like some guitars having stronger notes that resonate sympathetically with the body/neck. I get the ripple analogy. Yet the more i 'think', lol, i come up with, 'does the banjo sounds'weaker' in any given key', my answer being 'no', so, im thinking, its more mechanics than resonance frequencies. Makes my head hurt....lol.

I am normally a reasonably fearless explorer /experimenter with my instruments, but i find getting a banjo to sound great is an art and skill ive not mastered with much consistency. Right now, this particular banjo sounds great, like Hartford!

So……..if it aint broke…….



Move along…nothing to see here….lol.

Edited by - stevedenver on 07/24/2025 13:26:31

steve davis - Posted - 07/25/2025:  05:20:57

When an instrument sounds great it's good to know why so it can be easily repeated when the head is changed.

cottontop - Posted - 07/25/2025:  05:33:38

Like my late Daddy always said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Joe

steve davis - Posted - 07/25/2025:  10:01:29

I like the old saying "If it ain't broke,understand why."