Although I've built a handful of canjos and CBGs, I'm now working on a 2-string canjo and wondering if there is a rule of thumb for tunings, theory-wise. In other words, if I tune the high-pitched string to C, would the low/drone string be G?
I'm lucky to live near a music shop that sells loose strings and want to pick up a handful. Any advice greatly appreciated.
Greg
Replies
Greg,
Apologies if I wandered off your original question.
I just realized you said "canjo." Are you gonna' use diatonic frets (as recommended by Gitty's American Canjo Company) or chromatic frets as in a CBG?
No worries. I appreciate all feedback! I'm using the diatonic fretting. But I think I found my answer. Gitty sells a 2-stringer strung as such:
>>> They are strung with an unwound plain steel string of .012" or .013" gauge tuned to either high C or D, and a phosphor bronze wound string tuned to middle G. You can either fret just the unwound string, and use the wound string as a drone, or fret both of them for two-string chords.
Never built a 2 string--partly 'cause I didn't know the answer to this question. (Partly 'cause I'm lazy!)
Matthew, I assume you're playing lead on the top string and leaving the bottom to drone on the keynote or else playing lead on the bottom string and letting the high string sound like a banjo's unfretted short string.
Wayfinder, I assume you're fretting both strings and strumming. Do you have frets so you can finger 2/3 of a chord or are you using a slide and just hearing the root and fifth--which, after all, is all you really need for power chords?
On a 3-string, I play what I call "2-string lead" on the 2 higher-pitched strings tuned a 4th apart: D-G, or a-d, or b-e. Typically I only use the bass string when I'm filling in a harmony or creating a rhythmic fill. Somehow, I'd assumed I would tune a 2-string to notes a 4th apart like the two high-pitched strings and use it to play lead without harmonies. (Which is why I keep building 3-strings--I like having another note down there.)
Of course, there's also the urge to build a huge 2-string bass guitar with a 34" scale and heavy wrapped E' ' and A' strings for an acoustic bass. The argument, now, is whether or not to fret it since bass players are ambivalent about frets anyway.
or you could take a look at the claw hammer videos up on this site and try a banjo tuning and play some mountain songs. That would be A a or G g the top an octave above the bottom. It works pretty well. I use it often on 2 strings