banjo

based on the style of music that they want to play, you can play
any kind of five-string banjo music on either type of banjo. Player
preferences over time have determined these stylistic associations, but
these are by no means hard-and-fast rules. It’s much more important to
jump in and start making music on whatever five-string banjo you have
on hand. When you go to make your next purchase, you can consider
whether you need an open-back or a resonator banjo based on the music
you’re playing and the kinds of sounds you most want to hear.

Recognizing a Great Bluegrass Banjo

Whether you’re in the market for your first banjo or you want to understand
more about how the parts of your instrument work, it’s good to know your
way around a bluegrass banjo. In this section, I fill you in on what all the
parts do and which parts are crucial to banjo sound. You also come to know
what goes into making a great banjo at various price levels, from an entry-
level instrument to a professional one.
Today, there are better and more affordable choices in banjos than ever
before. As you understand how a banjo works, you’ll make a more informed
choice when it’s time to make your next purchase.
It’s time to get to know what all that wood, metal, and plastic are designed to
do. In the following sections, I explain everything that goes into a banjo, with
special attention devoted to the differences between entry-level banjos and
more expensive ones. If you have a banjo already in the house, grab it and
locate these parts as you proceed through this section, comparing your
instrument with what you see in Figure 2-3.