Banjo ukulele
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Classification | String instrument (plucked) |
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Related instruments | |
Ukulele, banjo |
The banjo ukulele, also known as the banjolele or banjo uke, is a four-stringed musical instrument with a small banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. The earliest known banjoleles were built by John A. Bolander[1] and by Alvin D. Keech,[2] both in 1917.
The instrument achieved its greatest popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, and combines the small scale, tuning, and playing style of a ukulele with the construction and distinctive tone of a banjo, hence the name. Its development was pushed by the need for vaudeville performers to have an instrument that could be played with the ease of the ukulele, but with more volume.
Construction and tuning
In terms of overall construction, banjo ukuleles parallel banjos, though on a smaller scale. They are always fretted. Most are built of wood with metal accoutrements, although the mid-century "Dixie" brand featured banjo ukuleles made from solid metal.[3]
The banjo ukulele neck typically has sixteen frets, and is the same scale length as a soprano or, less commonly, concert or tenor-sized ukulele. Banjo ukuleles may be open-backed, or may incorporate a resonator.
Banjo ukulele heads were traditionally made of
Like standard ukuleles, banjo ukuleles were originally outfitted with
The banjolele is commonly tuned G–C–E–A ("C Tuning") or A–D–F♯–B ("D Tuning"), with a re-entrant 4th string. The A–D–F♯–B tuning often produces a more strident tone, and is used for this reason. Both of these tunings are known as "my dog has fleas" tunings (fifth, tonic, major third, major sixth).
Popular culture
The banjo ukulele was the instrument played by British comedian
Other artists to make eminent use of the banjolele were Wendell Hall and Roy Smeck in the United States, and Billy "Uke" Scott in Great Britain.
In
In Season 2 of Orange Is the New Black, prison guard O'Neill excitedly tells Caputo about his purchase of a banjo ukulele. He later plays it for a group of nuns.
British comedian Peter Sellers was a banjo ukulele player and recorded "New York Girls" with Steeleye Span[5]
George Harrison favored the instrument in his later years, using it in several recordings. For example, he played it on his song "Any Road".[6]
Recent users of the banjo ukulele have included Jeff Claus of
In the 1959 hotrod-monster movie The Giant Gila Monster, protagonist Chase Winstead (Don Sullivan) plays the banjolele and sings, first to his little sister who has a disability, and later in front of a bunch of kids at a sock hop shortly before a monster attacks the hall.
Notable manufacturers
Historical manufacturers
- Gibson Guitar Corporation
- John Grey & Sons
- Kay/Stromberg-Voisinet
- Ludwig
- Slingerland Drum Company
Current manufacturers
- Deering Banjo Company
- Harley Benton
- Luna Guitars
- The Magic Fluke Company
- Oscar Schmidt Inc.
- Recording King
See also
- Banjo Mandolin
- Cümbüş, a similar Turkish instrument
References
- ^ "Bolander". Banjo Ukelele. Archived from the original on January 23, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-3544-6.
- ^ Banjulele. New York: Oxford University Press. 2017. pp. 2–3.
- ISBN 978-1-4584-1654-4.
- ^ Atkin, John. "Steeleye Span - New York Girls". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "George Harrison - Any Road". Jpgr.com.
- ^ "Frank Skinner - Osama Bin Laden song". YouTube. 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Frank Skinner on George Formby - Why Don't Women Like Me". YouTube. 19 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Frank Skinner Plays the Banjolele - QI - Series 9 - Ep 3 - BBC Two". YouTube. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.