rkdjones - Posted - 07/17/2026:  23:33:24

I just started messing around with 2-finger thumb. lead. I mostly play clawhammer. I wonder how 2-finger players tune their banjos. Is it different than the common open G(A), double C(D) that Scruggs and Clawhammer players use?

reubenstump - Posted - 07/18/2026:  02:47:55

I use open G, double C, f#DEAD aka "dead", and others. So, normal tunings.

GS - Posted - 07/18/2026:  03:48:15

I guess this is more theory, but I'll post here in the hope of a reply, and since the post is about tunings. I do "play" two finger thumb lead, have a banjo tuned gdgbd and another tuned fdgcd.

I'm thinking of tuning the first banjo down a whole step to fcfac, nothing to do with singing, just more out of curiosity. Please bear in mind, these re-tunings are a new thing to me. Would my fretting finger placement be on the same fret, if I tuned down the whole step? Are there any other issues I may encounter in doing this?I

GS

janolov - Posted - 07/18/2026:  06:45:02

I use the common tuning such as G tuning, open D, (f#DF#AD or aDF#AD), sawmill (gDGCD) of F (fDGCD). For C tunes I usually avoid double C - I prefer gCGCC, for D tunes I prefer open D or gCGCC capo 2, or just standard tuning with the fifth raised to A.

Thumb lead often have two drones; first and fifth string, and most tunes sound best with the tonic octave and fifth of the scale as drones. But there are exceptions.

Edited by - janolov on 07/18/2026 06:56:45

rkdjones - Posted - 07/18/2026:  09:14:38

Thanks. It makes sense about the 2 drone strings as notes in the tonic triad. Is the "dead" tuning used mostly for the key of D?

reubenstump - Posted - 07/18/2026:  10:17:01

I use dead for Lost Gander. Not sure that's how Virgil Simpson tuned his banjo for it, but I like the lower, more mellow sound. Then again, I play openback, and he used a resonator.



I think that dead is what Nora used in this version, but again, I'm not sure.



m.youtube.com/watch?v=lPedTkLzwWM

It's a more haunting version of open D, f#DF#AD.

I found these.

banjohangout.org/archive/260344

zeppmusic.com/banjo/aktuning.htm

Edited by - reubenstump on 07/18/2026 10:27:03

mrphysics55 - Posted - 07/18/2026:  10:30:10

GS Quote ...

"I'm thinking of tuning the first banjo down a whole step to fcfac, nothing to do with singing, just more out of curiosity. Please bear in mind, these re-tunings are a new thing to me. Would my fretting finger placement be on the same fret, if I tuned down the whole step?"

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Yes indeed. You got it figured out!

Edited by - mrphysics55 on 07/18/2026 10:31:00