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09 Oct 09 - 07:49 AM (#2741893) Subject: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: Dave Roberts Forgive me if this has been covered before, but searches on teh internet have proved inconclusive. What I'm enquiring about is this: Apart from the obvious differences in shape and materials used in construction, what are the differences between a ukulele and a banjolele? Are they tuned differently, and are playing technigues markedly different? I'm asking because I've recently learned to bang out a few tunes on a ukulele (Mahri's Wedding, Jamaica Farewell and so on)and have got as far as 'Leaning On A Lamp Post' which, I feel, would sound great Formby-style on a banjolele. |
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09 Oct 09 - 07:59 AM (#2741897) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: MGM·Lion I have in my time owned both; tuned them similarly & the main difference was one of tone, as you would expect. |
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09 Oct 09 - 10:15 AM (#2741999) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: bill\sables You get much more volume from the Uke Banjo |
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09 Oct 09 - 10:22 AM (#2742003) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: Dave Hanson Banjo ukes burn longer. Dave H |
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09 Oct 09 - 11:22 AM (#2742048) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: GUEST,Ray You should really be asking what the difference is between a ukulele and a banjo-ukulele. The difference is essentially the same as between a guitar and a banjo. They both have 4 nylon strings and are tuned in the same way. One is made of wood and the other has a plastic or vellum head. As for the Banjolele - that is the trade name of banjo-ukuleles made by the firm of "Alvin D Keech". Apart from them burning longer, be very careful about leaving them in the back of the car unattended. A friend of mine did this and, on returning, found that someone had broken into the car and left him another one. Ray |
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09 Oct 09 - 12:32 PM (#2742125) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: SteveMansfield Banjoleles make a much more satisfying sound, especially when you use them to hit someone who just askedyou to play 'When I'm cleaning windows'. But seriously folks, I had a banjolele for years and loved it, great for chords in acoustic dances and for songs, must get another one someday. And that also gives me the opportunity to draw your attention to this excellent George Formby pastiche on YouToob ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb-pLBQ2D7k Steve |
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09 Oct 09 - 05:16 PM (#2742367) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: Dave Roberts Many thanks to all. |
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09 Oct 09 - 06:47 PM (#2742442) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: GUEST,guitarslim50 Wait a minute! What about the tiple? Awesome instrument--kinda like an "industrial strength uke". Tuned like a uke. Steel strings. Top and bottom strings are double (mandolin, 12-string). Middle strings are triple--fundamental in the middle, 2 octave strings on either side. |
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09 Oct 09 - 11:36 PM (#2742587) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: iancarterb My second manufactured instrument, which obviously excludes the basement cigar-box banjo, was a banjo-uke. It had one great deficiency, which was that the head sagged prodigiously in damp weather. This was Long Island in fall and winter, early 1950s. My brother built a bracket for a lighter-fluid powered handwarmer that press-fit snugly into the head, which made it possible to play outside, inside, warm weather and cold, humid and dry. Since the whole thing, including the neck (except the formerly soggy head, of course) was steel, it could also have been used to hammer spikes. It was fun to play and very loud when warm:) |
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29 Nov 13 - 02:43 PM (#3580001) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: GUEST,David As for the Banjolele - that is the trade name of banjo-ukuleles made by the firm of "Alvin D Keech". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That isn't quite correct any maker can use the name "banjolele" the trade name for those made by Keech's is BANJULELE.(start of BANJo and end of ukULELE) not the word Banjo with lele added. |
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30 Nov 13 - 11:34 AM (#3580215) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: GUEST,leeneia I first encountered the banjolele in a novel by P.G. Wodehouse in which Bertie Wooster has taken it up, much to the irritation of his neighbors. I didn't think there was such an instrument. But I was wrong. Here's a YouTube video which contrasts the banjolele with a small guitar. (To me, the banjolele just seems like a small banjo, and there's not much lele to it.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVLz2E133y0 |
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30 Nov 13 - 01:12 PM (#3580234) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: Will Fly The difference between a banjo and a banjolele is the tuning. Most ukes/banjoleles (not all, but most) use similar intervals to the intervals of the top 4 strings of a guitar - though in different keys. The 4th string is usually re-entrant, as for example, g-C-E-a A tenor banjo is normally tuned in 5ths - either in viola tuning (CGDA) or in octave mandolin tuning - though, once again, there are variations - and a 5-string G banjo is usually tuned to a chord such as G. |
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30 Nov 13 - 08:19 PM (#3580293) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: McGrath of Harlow It's not the tuning that makes the difference between a banjo and a banjolele, it's the size of the instrument, and the type of strings used. Banjoleles have a much shorter length of string, and typically use gut (or these days nylon) strings. The actual tunings can vary according to taste in both cases, though Will is of course correct about the most customary ones. (I've started a thread just now about an odd ukulele tuning I rather like.) I think the term banjo-ukulele is preferable to banjolele really, because the sound as the way they are generally played is much more akin to ukuleles than to banjos. |
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02 Dec 14 - 12:55 PM (#3681837) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: PHJim I mostly agree with your last statement McGrath, (although I will probably continue to use them interchangeably) but clawhammer ukulele is becoming a very popular style of both ukulele and banjo-ukulele playing, which makes them very similar to banjos. Being a clawhammer banjo player, this was the first thing I tried on my uke. Ukulele and 5 string banjo are the two most common (only?) re-entrant tuning stringed instruments. Is a Nashville tuned guitar considered re-entrant? |
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02 Dec 14 - 01:51 PM (#3681861) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: G-Force Not the only ones. The theorbo has reentrant tuning. |
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02 Dec 14 - 01:51 PM (#3681862) Subject: RE: Tech: Ukulele and banjolele differences From: GUEST,Tootler My banjo ukulele is nylon strung, has a concert ukulele scale neck and is tuned in the common ukulele tuning of gCEA reentrant but it sounds more like a banjo than a ukulele. |