Should You Buy a 5 or 6 String Banjo?

Steve Martin once famously said that you can’t play a sad song on a banjo, and while that’s a bit disputed, it’s certainly true that you can’t be really sad with a banjo in your hands. It’s a great first or second instrument for anyone, but many musicians, guitar players in particular, wonder whether the five or six string version of the banjo is a better match for their already established playing style.

Here’s a look at the differences between a five and six string banjo, so that you can decide which is a better buy for you.

Musicality – Both the five and six string banjo are tuned to an open G tuning, but the five string banjo has a high fifth G string that is used to add to the “jangle” sound when played, while the six string banjo has a lower G string that’s better for picking out basslines, and a low D string below that. Classic banjo players almost exclusively use the five string banjo, as that high G string is a crucial part of the banjo sound. Using the low G string and extra D string requires some musical forethought, but it’s certainly not extremely difficult; just not the sound that many associate with a banjo.

Adaptability – Many guitarists consider the six string banjo since it can be tuned like a guitar. While this is true, there are a few problems with tuning a banjo like a guitar. First of all, you don’t really get a banjo-feel in a recording. The instrument simply sounds like a banjo being played like a guitar, which, of course, it is. It may inhibit your ability to learn the banjo as a new instrument to tune it like a guitar, though this certainly won’t bother every guitarist–maybe you simply want a banjo sound on a couple of songs, and you can always tune a six string banjo to open G tuning to get more of a banjo feel, though as we’d pointed out above, a six string banjo tuned to an open G has some definite differences when compared to a five string banjo.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you’re looking for in the instrument. If you just want a complementary sound that resembles a banjo for certain songs, buying a six string banjo and tuning it like a guitar isn’t an awful idea, but if you’re looking for a new instrument to learn and you like the banjo, the five string version will get you closer to that old-time bluegrass sound.

Construction and Cost – There are a whole lot more five string banjos on the market than six string banjos, mainly due to the popularity of the former. They tend to be less expensive than the six string banjos as a result, though when you get to the higher quality models, the prices even out more. For starter banjos, try the Dean Backwoods 6-String and any Epiphone banjos for the five string and you should have a good time learning to pick.

Do you have a 5 or 6 string banjo? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.