4-String & Tenor Banjos

In practice, a 4-string banjo is a tenor banjo: all 4 strings run the full length of the neck, it has no short fifth string, and it is tuned in fifths. It is played with a pick, mainly for traditional Irish music, Dixieland and jazz. Here you will find 4-string banjos from SX, Pasadena and Ortega, including models with 19 frets and shorter models with 17 frets. The range also includes the Ortega OUBJ100-SBK banjolele, which combines a banjo body with nylon strings and ukulele tuning.

How do you tune a tenor banjo?

The most common tenor banjo tuning is C G D A, used for Dixieland and jazz. In Irish music, the tuning is G D A E, the same as a violin or mandolin but an octave lower. Violinists and mandolinists can therefore use familiar finger positions on a 4-string banjo and play jigs and reels with the same fingerings. The Ortega OUBJ100-SBK banjolele is tuned G C E A, like a ukulele.

17 or 19 frets?

A standard tenor banjo has 19 frets; the SX BJ504, BJ554 and BJ564 have a scale length of 576 mm. Models with 17 frets have a shorter scale length of 502 mm, frets that are closer together and lower string tension. This makes the banjo easier to hold and reduces the finger stretch needed for each position, which is why many Irish music players choose it for G D A E tuning. You can identify the shorter models by the letter S in their model names: SX BJ504S, BJ554S and BJ564S.

What should you look for in 4-string and tenor banjos?

• Head – The SX BJ504, BJ554 and BJ564 have an 11-inch Remo Fiberskyn head, while the SX BJ404 and Pasadena 01BJ004 have a Remo head.
• Body – The Pasadena BJ-103 and 01BJ004 have mahogany bodies, while SX models use okoume.
• Gigbag – The SX BJ504, BJ554 and BJ564 come with a gigbag; if your model does not include one, choose one from the Gigbags for Banjo category.
• Strings – You will find replacement sets for your tenor banjo in the Strings for Banjo category.

If you want to play bluegrass using the three-finger technique, take a look at 5-String Banjos.