The History Of The Banjo

Alright, I'd like to tell you abit about the history and the origins of the Banjo. The Banjo is most commonly associated with Bluegrass and Country music, however its roots lie in Africa, and the Banjo is an instrument of the lute family. One of the instruments that is definately a predecessor of the Banjo is the Banjar, which is a West African instrument which had 1 to 3 strings traditionally made out of gut and had an open Gourd body with animal skins stretched across it.

In the 1830s a guy called Joel Walker Sweeney was the first person to introduce this fifth sting to the Banjo. This fifth string is higher pitched and starts about, I'd say, 1/5th down the neck. Joel Walker Sweeney was the first Banjo hero (if you'd like to call it that) and he toured all over the US and also came to Great Britain.

In the American Civil War the Banjo became more popular as soldiers brought it and travelled with it and showed eachother songs and different ways of playing. It was Earl Scruggs who revived the Banjo culture in the US in the 1940s with introducing his way of playing using a plastic thumb pick and two metal finger picks which is the way most Banjo players play now, and that was pretty much the start of Bluegrass music. So the Banjo is very much still alive, and it's roots lie in Africa, and it's come along way to look like this. .