Most nationalities and cultures have their own unique instruments, and becoming familiar with these instruments helps in understanding traditional music and gaining deeper knowledge of musical instruments. Therefore, in this section of Saed News, we introduce you to the African instrument Banjo.
The banjo is an African string instrument originally consisting of four strings, although later five- and six-string versions were made in America. It has a round body covered with plastic or animal skin. Simple forms of the banjo, inspired by similar African instruments, were popularized by Africans in colonial America. The banjo is commonly heard in country music, jazz, Irish folk, bluegrass, and African-American music.
Modern banjos are derived from instruments used by West African slaves in the Caribbean during the 17th century. This instrument appears in North American records from the 18th century and gradually became commercially available from around 1875. The origin of the name "banjo" is uncertain; it may come from the Yoruba word Bami jo meaning "dance with me," or from the mbanza word in Kimbundu (a language spoken in Angola). Some linguists trace the word to the Portuguese dialect bandore or the English adaptation of the Spanish word bandurria. Others believe the name is derived from an African term for bamboo wood used to make the instrument’s neck.
It is worth noting that Banza is a Portuguese viola (a string instrument) with five doubled courses and two short strings. The mbanza is an African string instrument built after the Portuguese banza and is very similar to the banjo.
Among African instruments, several have a skin head and gourd-shaped body, the most important being the kora. Early African-American banjos did not have Western-style fingerboards and tuning pegs; instead, they had stick necks to which strings were attached with tuning loops. Banjos with fingerboards and tuning pegs have been known in the Caribbean since the 17th century. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, this instrument was known by various names such as bangie, banza, bonjaw, banjer, and banjar.
Similar instruments include the Japanese shamisen, the Iranian tar, and the Moroccan sintir, all played centuries before the banjo in their respective countries. Another related instrument is the akonting, a type of lute used by the Jola people of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea. The ngoni, developed by Sub-Saharan Africans, is also related and locally known as gimbri.
The first banjos influenced by African instruments had a gourd body and a stick neck. They had various numbers of strings, mostly drone strings. The five-string banjo was popularized by Joel Walker Sweeney, an American traveling musician from Virginia.
In the 1830s, Sweeney became the first white performer to play the banjo on stage. His banjo replaced the gourd with a soundbox and had four full-length strings plus a shorter fifth string. This instrument was introduced by Sweeney’s group in Britain and became very popular in music halls. Before the American Civil War, many African slaves played the banjo and taught their owners how to play.
There are various types of banjos. Some banjos played with a pick instead of fingers do not have a chanterelle string.
In the zither banjo, the skin is suspended inside the resonator, which directs sound waves forward. The chanterelle string is tuned at the head, passes under the fingerboard, or exits at the fifth fret.
The exact reason for the banjo’s name is unclear. It may derive from the Yoruba phrase Bami jo meaning "dance with me," or from mbanza in Kimbundu. Some linguists trace it to the Portuguese bandore or the Spanish bandurria, while others link it to an African term for bamboo wood used in the neck construction.
The banjo neck resembles a guitar neck and includes a headstock where the tuning pegs are located. These pegs may extend from the sides or back of the headstock, depending on the banjo type. The neck is usually wooden and features a truss rod adjustment screw that helps set the neck curvature and string height over the fingerboard.
The body consists of several parts: the main frame, tension hoop, hooks and nuts for tension adjustment, and a resonator or tone ring to amplify the sound.
Bluegrass Music: Bluegrass, a popular subgenre of country music invented by Bill Monroe, chose the banjo as its primary instrument. Banjo playing in bluegrass is incredibly fast, and bluegrass musicians are considered some of the most skilled banjo players in history.
Jazz Music: Listening to early jazz recordings from the late 1910s to 1920s reveals the distinctive sound of a string instrument different from the guitar — the banjo. The banjo’s loud volume made it suitable for early recording technology. As recording improved and jazz bands evolved, the banjo’s role diminished, and by the 1940s, it was replaced by the acoustic guitar, which produced warmer tones and blended better with other instruments.
Irish Music: The four-string banjo is popular in Irish folk music, known as Irish traditional music. Its tuning is typically E, A, D, G, one octave below the standard tuning for common Irish instruments like the mandolin and fiddle. Fans of Irish music appreciate the banjo’s melodic sound, where it primarily plays chords and rhythm.
The banjo is closely associated with country, folk, Irish traditional, and bluegrass music. Historically, before becoming common in 19th-century traveling minstrel shows, it played a major role in African-American traditional music. The banjo and fiddle are foundational to old-time American music. It has also been widely used in traditional jazz.
The banjo is a string instrument with four, five, or six strings. It features a thin membrane stretched over a frame or resonator cavity that acts as the instrument’s head.
