How to Tune a Banjo with a Piano

Tuning your banjo using a Piano or Keyboard is a simple task. It is pretty easy and good for beginners because your only playing open strings on the banjo, so you can have a free hand to turn the pegs while the piano and the banjo are resonating. It's also better because you can tune each individual string, instead of getting one reference string and tuning the rest of the strings to it.

Open Strings - Down below I will talk about playing Open Strings. To play an Open String means to play a string without fretting anything. So that's why it's called Open.

tuning a banjo using the piano

The picture above shows you each string on the banjo, it's same note on the Piano or Keyboard. Just follow the picture for each individual string and tune the string until it matches the keyboard or piano. Just play each string open, you don't have to fret anything. Make sure you use the 'Middle C' on the picture as a reference point so you don't tune your banjo an octave too low, or too high.

Congratulations on tuning your banjo!
Get-Tuned's Tuner App
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Comments (8)
Pages | 1

Why have you not corrected this picture. It was not until I went to the piano that I realized it was wrong. Then I read the comments.

by John on

After breaking two strings I discovered that this piano diagram is one octave too high relative to middle C. Please correct your diagram.

by Donald R McGuire on

Thank you.

by Owen on

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by victoriakeating on

parlour estimated guitar

Mandolin and ukulele are both smaller non-bowed means or consider travel or parlour estimated guitar. What about a banjo-uke? On the off chance that your principle issue is movability, there are other non-stringed choices that may work for you. A little accordion or More Visit: https://www.dissertationhub.co.uk concertina may make an interpretation of effortlessly to your console aptitudes.

by victoriakeating on

Actually, there are more tunings than just the five-string's you mention.

Five types of banjo in existence, actually, each with their own tuning.

1) piccolo banjo (4- or 5-string: don't know what the tunings are)
2a)tenor banjo (jazz 4-string, in CGDA)
2b) tenor banjo short-neck (folk 4-string, various tunings)
3) plectrum banjo, 4-string long-neck (various tunings based on standard guitar's)
4) cello banjo, 4 string (rare, but gaining popularity again: usually 1 octave below tenor banjo)
5) bass banjo (rare, but some DIY projects on YouTube: tuning possibly 2 octaves below tenor banjo's).

FYI: there are some hybrids, too: crosses between banjo and guitar, banjo and mandolin, and banjo and ukulele.

And you might like to visit the Banjo Hangout website, for more details on banjo tunings. Hope this helps.

by Peter d' on

Thanks the pic. I had mine tuned an octave to low. :-)

by mike on

Nice and easy, thanks.

by Ted on
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