Tenor Banjo — Lutherie Encyclopedia

Tenor BanjoType: instrumentA four-string banjo with a shorter neck, popular in traditional jazz, Irish music, and Dixieland ensembles.## History The tenor banjo was developed in the early 20th century as banjo players sought an instrument better suited to the melody-driven requirements of jazz and dance band music. With four strings tuned in fifths like a viola (C-G-D-A) and a shorter neck (17 or 19 frets), the tenor banjo allowed players trained on violin or mandolin to transition easily. The instrument became a staple of 1920s jazz and Dixieland bands, providing rhythmic drive and melodic fills. When the guitar displaced the banjo in mainstream jazz during the 1930s, the tenor banjo found a lasting home in Irish traditional music, where it remains a primary melody instrument, typically tuned G-D-A-E (an octave below the mandolin). ## Construction The tenor banjo shares the same pot and head construction as the five-string banjo but has a shorter neck with 17 or 19 frets and only four strings. The 17-fret version has a scale length of approximately 20.5 inches, while the 19-fret version measures approximately 23 inches. Construction includes a wooden or metal rim, a stretched head, and often a tone ring and resonator for projection. Irish tenor banjos are typically 19-fret models, while jazz tenor banjos come in both lengths. The four strings are tuned in fifths, and the instrument is played with a plectrum (flatpick) rather than fingerpicked. ## Tonal Characteristics The tenor banjo produces a bright, cutting tone similar to the five-string banjo but without the drone string character. The four-string se…