Chords for How to tune a Banjo

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_ _ _ Howdy!
Before we start playing the banjo, we need to tune the banjo, which would seem
fairly obvious.
_ Generally banjos are tuned to an open G tuning, which is what we will
be doing today.
We'll also be discussing string numbers, which we'll apply to later lessons
in tablature.
Once we get the banjo in tune, we'll be looking at different points on the
neck where we can compare strings using something called relative pitch, which will make sure
that your banjo is right where it's supposed to be.
So go ahead and grab your banjo, and
let's get in tune. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ Okay, let's get our banjo in tune.
Strings have numbers, and you'll see this applies
to tablature later on.
Think in terms of counting up.
The string closest to the floor is the
first string. _
[Bm] Go to the second, _ the third, [G] _ fourth, _ and fifth.
_ _ _ _ That's an open G right
there.
You're just starting.
Hey, you already know one chord.
Okay, let's get in tune here. _ _
Our first string _ is tuned to a D. _
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Our second string is tuned to a B.
_ [B] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] Our third string is
tuned to a G. _ _ _ _ _
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_ Our fourth [Bm] string is tuned to a D, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ and our fifth [G] string is tuned to a
G. _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ Open G. _ _ _ _
Okay now we're going to talk about those string comparisons.
Let's remember that our strings
are numbered.
One, two, three, four, _ five.
Think of counting up.
Okay, the comparisons
we're talking about.
If we take and push down on the fifth fret, which is right here, _ [Bm] _ first
fret, second fret, third fret, [G] fourth fret, fifth fret.
We depress on that, and we pluck
that, and we pluck the string directly underneath it.
So we're going to be plucking fourth to
third string.
You're going to see that the tones match. _ _
_ You hear how they match? _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ Next
little test, fourth fret.
_ We're going to press down on the third string and [F] compare that
to the second string, [B] open. _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[G] _ We're going to move to the second string.
We're going to
depress on the third fret and compare that to the open first string. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _
_ Our final comparison
is to depress the first string on the fifth fret and compare that to the fifth string,
open. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
If all of those tones match nicely like that, we know that the banjo is in tune.
That's
also called a relative tuning.
If you're in a situation where you don't have a tuner,
but you want the banjo to be in tune to itself, if you can get those strings to match that
way your banjo is going to sound much better than if it's out of tune.
Some other points
of comparison are to take the second string, depress it at the eighth fret for this tone,
_ and if you listen, that's going to match up with the fifth string. _
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_ If we take the third
string and depress it on the twelfth fret and compare that to the fifth string, they'll
match. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ If we go all the way up to the seventeenth fret, depress that and compare with the fifth
string, they will match. _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ If you move around your banjo that way and all of those test
points are matching, you know you're going to be about as close to perfect tune as you
can get.
So that's tuning your banjo to an open G. _ _
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