Call us on 01484 661460
Opening Times
Christmas Opening Hours 2018

Saturday 21st December Open as normal 10:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday 22nd December - Wednesday 26th December : Closed

Thursday 27th December Open as normal 9:30am - 5:00pm

Friday 28th December Open as normail 9:30am - 5:00pm

Saturday 29th December Open as normal 10:00am - 4:00pm

Sunday 30th December - Tuesday 1st Janury 2019 : CLOSED

Wednesday 2nd January Open as normal

Shop Opening Hours
- Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm
- Saturday 10am to 4pm
Internet Sales
- 365 days a year, 24/7

Search
0 items | Total £0.00
Product Added
- Total: £0.00

Advice Topics

We're passionate about music, we're also highly experienced in all technical matters for the musical instruments we provide. In this section we share our knowledge to help you get the best out of your instrument.

Browse our Advice Topics

Buying Guides

We know that choosing the right instrument can be a difficult decision, so much choice and so many contributing factors to the right instrument for you. So here we provide our in depth knowledge to help your decision.

Browse our Buying Guides

Information and Advice

Home » Topics » Ukulele» The Ukulele Banjo - a simplified explanation

In this section

The Ukulele Banjo - a simplified explanation

Playing the Ukulele Banjo is almost just the same as playing the soprano or concert ukulele! it is tuned the same as the standard uke, but in use it is‘strummed’ by the player and mainly used for song accompaniment. Strumming in the ‘Formby’ style is very popular today. Eagle Music will help you to make the right choice.

Many people link the ‘Banjo’ to George Formby, but in fact George was not a ‘banjo player’ he was a great ukulele player. George played the Ukulele banjo to the highest level, and his syncopated ‘split stroke’ right hand rhythmic playing is the goal of many players!

The ukulele banjo is mainly ‘strummed’ playing backing chords for singing, rather than used for playing tunes.

Think of the Ukulele banjo as having a ukulele neck fitted to a banjo body! This gives the player much more volume and punch than a wooden bodied ukulele.

The Ukulele Banjo is tuned exactly the same as a soprano or concert ukulele and the popular tunings are G C E A (Regular ‘C’ tuning) or A D F# B (known as ‘D’ Tuning) ‘C’ tuning which is the recognised standard and most popular tuning for ukulele. The G string is tuned in relation to 1st, 2nd and third strings an octave higher. Another name for this tuning is ‘Re Entrant’. The ‘high’ G fourth string in relation the the lower octave C third string gives the instrument the distinctive ukulele sound when you strum across the strings.

Tuning your ukulele in ‘D’ tuning (A D F# B) was more popular in the early 1900s, you will find some music books and musical scores written in this tuning from that era. This higher tuning can give a lift to some instruments that sound ‘flat in the lower ‘C’ tuning.

If you are going to sing along with your ukulele, you may want to experiment with different tunings to suit your voice, tuning up your ukulele to a different pitch enables you to sing in a different key while still playing the same chord shapes!

As a leading UK specialist, we supply dozens of highly playable ukes to schools, a highly playable colourful starter kit costs around twenty pound, thanks to the high-tech modern far Eastern factories!