How the bass banjo makes its sound
In the Hornbostel–Sachs system, which classifies instruments by how they produce sound, the bass banjo belongs to the lutes: strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck – the family of the guitar, violin, sitar and oud.
More broadly it is one of the chordophones (string instruments), where sound comes from vibrating strings, amplified by a resonating body.
Players shape its sound through technique and materials; the resonating body filters the raw vibration, boosting some harmonics and damping others.
From Wikipedia
There are multiple instruments referred to as a bass banjo. The first to enter real production was the five-string cello banjo, tuned one octave below a five-string banjo. This was followed by a four-string cello banjo, tuned CGDA in the same range as a cello or mandocello, and modified upright bass versions tuned EADG. More recently, true bass banjos, tuned EADG and played in conventional horizontal fashion, have been introduced.
Other lutes
Frequently asked questions
What does a bass banjo sound like?
As one of the lutes, its sound comes from the way strings run parallel to a soundboard and along a neck.
What type of instrument is the bass banjo?
It is classified as lutes (Hornbostel–Sachs 321.322-5).
Sources & credits
- Wikidata Q810475 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Bass banjo – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Image by S.S. Stewart – Public domain