Deering Goodtime II Banjo
The traditional four or five string banjo may look like a close cousin of the guitar, and in fact these two instruments do share many of the same qualities. But what if I told you that the banjo is more closely related to the drum kit than the guitar? Let me explain.
A drum as we would think of it today has a few very basic qualities slash criteria that it must meet. Most commonly drums are cylindrical in shape and take advantage of a tension rod tuning system in order to stretch a skin over the hole of that cylinder. In layman’s terms, sound is created by striking the batter head with a stick and the resulting vibrations of the head create noise. Pitch can be adjusted by tightening or loosening the tension rods, which in turn tighten or loosen the drum head.
The most important factor at play when an individual sits down to drum is of course rhythm. Much the same as becoming a great banjo player, a great drummer must be able to create a series of regular or irregular patterns in order to produce the most fitting rhythm for a given situation.
Like a drum, the banjo creates sound with the help of a tension rod tuning system and a thin drum head. Instead of hitting the skin directly with a stick, the musician will pluck the strings, which will transfer the vibration to the bridge –located at the center of the head- and cause the skin to resonate. Like a drum, different tones can be achieved with the banjo by adjusting the tension rods around the circular head.
Becoming a decent banjo player is much like becoming a good drummer. One must drill rudimentary rhythms over and over again until they can be played at a reasonable speed. Unlike the guitar which relies heavily on the player’s ability to fret chords using their fretting hand, the banjo requires more attention be paid to the strumming or plucking hand.
One of the most famous banjo rolls, the Scruggs roll –aptly named after the banjo master himself- is one of the first things many beginning players will attempt to master. This banjo rhythm requires a ton of plucking hand dexterity in order to play it fast. Much like practicing paradiddles on the snare drum, banjo players will “chop out” on specific rolls for hours without even thinking about the fretting aspect of the instrument.
You may notice in the accompanying photos that my practice open back banjo has a bunch of hand towels stuck in the back. Like many other banjo players with roommates I have done this in order to reduce the overall volume of the instrument. The towels are making contact with the back of the head and reducing the vibration from the strings creating a muffled tone.
Davidson Beginner Banjo Stuffed With Muting Hand Towels
As a drummer AND a banjo player myself I would argue any day that these two instruments are close cousins, if not siblings, as members of the instrument family. They not only share many of the same physical features with regards to their construction, but they also require much of the same knowledge on the part of the musician on order to be played well.
If you’re a serious drummer looking to pick up another instrument as a hobby or simply want to expand your instrumental horizons, I would highly suggest you go out and get yourself a beginner’s banjo. You’ll be glad you did.
Back-Stick Beat 