Where to find tenor banjo for 6 yr old

Trad Strings
1

I am an uilleann piper with a 6 yr old daughter who wants to play banjo.

Could someone provide guidance? I know my pipes, but not banjos.


Thanks for any assistance you can offer.

2

Hmmm … As an experienced player, I sometimes find the fret spacing on even a short scale TB challenging. A 6-year old …

I’d suggest maybe starting on a mandolin or mandolin-banjo. The fingering and tuning are the same as Irish TB, an octave higher. Much friendlier spacing for small fingers. Use light gauge strings, and make sure the instrument is well set-up. Nothing more discouraging for a child (or anyone) than an instrument that’s unplayable, unnecessarily. And you could string it with single courses if you like.

3

Yeah, what Guru said…
You might also consider a banjo ukulele. They’re lots of fun, and with the nylon strings they’re 'way easier to fret. I have a soprano sized one from this fellow in Holland and love it.
http://www.banjolele.net/

It’s a lot cheaper than most banjoleles on the market but has a handmade charm all it’s own.

4

Is this one of the instruments one might consider for Irish Trad?

http://elderly.com/new_instruments/items/MB850PLUS.htm

5

Depends on who you ask. I posted a clip several months ago of something similar and got mixed results. Some say it’s the “worst of both worlds.” Some liked it, and others thought it to be something that’s best in small doses.

An alternative suggestion is to get a 17 fret tenor banjo and string it up with a set of strings that would normally be used to tune to CGDA. From there, you can either capo at the 7th to get GDAE, or you can tune the banjo to DEAB and capo at the 5th for GDAE. It would still be in the range of a mandolin or banjo-mando, but would also be something she could grow into later.

6

I prefer the idea of a banjo ukulele for such a young child. Aquilla makes a set of strings to give GDAE tuning, so it becomes a small, easily fretted ‘tenor banjo’ of sorts.

7

Way to go. Make sure she’s part of this decision making process or at least is explained the decision making process. Wanting a banjo and getting a madolin may be two different things. She might want a banjo because she likes the color white or circular things. Kids got some strange things going on in their heads. Adults too.

8

Thanks for all the feedback. We haven’t purchased an instrument, yet, but we have a lot of good ideas now.

9

Any news?