I had to learn the Tenor Banjo recently, to play with a POLKA band. Say bye-bye to the 4ths and 3rd of the guitar. Hello to TB's tuning in 5ths! Keep your Flatpick though

see also my more elaborate Banjo page URL: http://ca.geocities.com/banjovie55/index.html ~# b # b # b # b # b # b # b # b # b # b ~ ~| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ~ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C

C to A Outlay at nut ~ stop each lower string at 7th fret , K\/k =alternate picking A|--------|----++++|--k0++++|A D|--------|--k0++++|K7++++++|D G|--k0++++|K7++++++|--------|G C|K7++++++|----++++|--------|C ~ ' ' `~ The equivalent sound of the TB's open tuning can be found to the right below,on the guitar. Get used to that sound, period. Z= strum all strings so marked

________________ ~`Guitar___________________ ~ Tenor Banjo ~E|Z5(A)Z5++|Z5++|guitar..|E A|Z0++|A B|Z3(D)Z3++|----|Z10++(C)|B D|Z0++|D G|Z0++|----|Z7++|Z7+++(D)|G G|Z0++|G D|----|Z5++|Z5++|--------|D C|Z0++|C A|Z3(C)Z3++|----|Z10+++++|A ~TB at nut......~E|----|----|Z8(C)Z8++++++|E ____________________________________________

~ Since you are a guitarist,you'll want to hear an E chord ,RIGHT? A|Z2++|------k2|A `'`'`'`' A|Z7++|------k7|A [E Major:4th fret R_5_3_R] D|Z2++|----K2++|D ~~~~~~~~ D|Z6++|----K6++|D .......................... G|Z1++|--k1++++|G ........ G|Z4++|--k4++++|G .......................... C|Z4++|K4++++++|C HAPPY? C|Z4++|K4++++++|C K\/k alternate strokes... There, 2 E Major chords. This should orient your sense of the pitch of C Natural ,the lowest pitch in this tuning. ______________________________________________________________________ ~ Now we have that out of our system,look at the 2nd E* chord. ~Its a useful primer to look at how it evolves from a nut position. The usual fret relationships ,numberically ,apply similar to the I,IV,V basics,on the guitar. Finding the closest germane shapes on the neck will save excessive motion to frets 5,and 7 ,above a low voiced "I" Tonic chord. : Here it helps to use the excessive motion with that 2nd "E" for a moment to find the F Major(IV) and G Major(V).(As a rule let the first fret hand finger play lowest stop,near nut 1)2)3)4). Other more flexible stops will be evident when the tuning is comfortable .

C Major Scale supplies Roots of the diatonic Chords here.

>First position C Major chord C_G_E_C<

~ ~` nut PosIIPosIII Pos IV Pos(V) Pos(VII) C Major (I) DMi\/Emi E Major(III)...F...(IV) ...G...(V) A|Z3++(C)|A A|Z5Z7|A A|Z7++|A A|Z8++|A A|Z10+|A D|Z2++(E)|D D|Z3Z5|D D|Z6++|D D|Z7++|D D|Z9++|D G|Z0++(G)|G G|Z2Z4|G G|Z4++|G G|Z5++|G G|Z7++|G C|Z0++(C)|C C|Z2Z4|C C|Z4++|C C|Z5++|C C|Z7++|C ~ [DMi relative________FMa__] ] ~ / [EMi_______relative______________GMa_] \F G C A|Z3++|A A|Z3"Z5|Z3+++|A D|Z2++|D D|Z3"Z5|Z2+++|D G|Z5++|G G|Z2"Z4|Z0+++|G C|Z0++|C C|Z0"Z2|Z0+++|C ~ (I) (IV)(V) (I) _________________________________________________________________

Quick Grid Grips : Roots on C( and A( strings ,here and, left hand fingers #1)2)3)4) stop frets. Thirds are Minor on lower fret stop.....|2|... Thirds are Major on higher fret stop....|3|... Hint: ` string with ` M\m3 . ______________ ________ _________ ________ _________ |----{ CM\m` } {DbM\m} {DM\m } {EbM\m } { EM\m }----| R R R R R Nut'|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ 1Fret|0|0|1|-| |1|1|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1Fret 2fret| | |2|-| | | |2|-| |1|1|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|2fret 3fret| | |`|3| | | |3|-| | | |2|-| |1|1|`|-| |-|-|-|-|3fret 4fret| | | | | | | |`|4| | | |3|-| | | |2|-| |1|1|`|-|4fret 5fret| | | | | | | | | | | | |`|4| | | |3|-| | | |2|-|5fret 6fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |4| | | |3|-|6fret 7fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |4|7fret {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______) {_______) One F Major Chord, can become another...Chordal Third raised to 5th!

>F Major First Position C_A_F_C<

|----{ FM\m } {GbF#M\m} { GM\m } { AbM\m } { AM\m }----| R R R R R Nut'|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ 1FRET|0|1|-|0| |1|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1Fret 2fret| |2|-| | | |2|-| | |1|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|2fret 3fret| |`|3| | | |3|-| | | |2|-| | |1|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|3fret 4fret| | |^| | | |`|4| | | |3|-| | | |2|-| | |1|-|-|1|4fret 5fret| | | | | | | |^| | | |`|4| | | |3|-| | | |2|-| |5fret 6fret| | | | | | | | | | | | |^| | | |`|4| | | |3|R| |6fret 7fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |^| | | |`|4| |7fret {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______} ~

! ! ! ! ! ~ Quick Grid Grips root on D( String |----{ FM\m } {GbF#M\m} { GM\m } { AbM\m } { AM\m }----| R R R R R Nut'|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ 1FRET| |1|-|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|1Fret 2fret| |2|-|-| | |2|-|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|2fret 3fret| |`|3|3| | |3|-|-| | |2|-|-| |1|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|3fret 4fret| | | | | | |`|4|4| | |3|-|-| | |2|-|-| |1|-|-|-|4fret 5fret| | | | | | | | | | | |`|4|4| | |3|-|-| | |2|-|-|5fret 6fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |`|4|4| | |3|-|-|6fret 7fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |`|4|4|7fret {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______} ~ ~ ~ |----{_______} {_______} {_______} {_______} {_______}----| ~Quick Grid Grips,root on C( String M/m3 on ` D( string |----( D M\m ) ( EbM\m ) ( EM\m ) ( FM\m ) (F#GbM\m)---| Nut'|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ ~|C|G|D|A|~ 1Fret|-|-|-| | |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|Fret1 2fret|2|2|-| | |-|-|-| | |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-| |-|-|-|-|2fret 3fret| | |3| | |2|2|-| | |-|-|-| | |-|-|-|1| |-|-|-|-|3fret 4fret| | |4| | | | |3| | |2|2| | | |-|-|-| | |-|-|-|1|4fret 5fret| | |`| | | | |4| | | | |3| | |2|2|-| | |-|-|-| |5fret 6fret| | | | | | | |`| | | | |4| | | | |3| | |2|2|-| |6fret 7fret| | | | | | | | | | | | |`| | | | |4| | | | |3| |7fret 8fret| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |`| | | | |4| |8fret |----(_______) (________) (_______) (_______) (_______)----| Banjovie!