Why is the Tone Ring such a important part of a Banjo?

Question:I want to learn how to play the banjo and don't want to go in blind to a music store and be taken advantage of not knowing anything about banjos. Also a resonator seems to be important too.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I want to learn how to play the banjo and don't want to go in blind to a music store and be taken advantage of not knowing anything about banjos. Also a resonator seems to be important too.

There are several different kinds of tone rings, and as the name implies, each one gives a different kind of sound.

We could get into a discussion of the various kinds, but really the best way to appreciate the differences is to go to a music store that has a good selection of banjos, try them out and LISTEN, and decide which one has the sound you like best.

Keep in mind that the tone ring is just one part of what makes a banjo sound the way it does. The rim (what kind of wood it is), the head (plastic, natural skin, or some artificial skin substitute like Fiberskyn), the tailpiece, and whether the banjo has a resonator or is an openback -- these are all equally important in determining the sound of the instrument, and the tone ring, rim, tailpiece and head can all be changed out if you want to vary the tone of your banjo (many banjo players are forever tinkering with their instrument).

As for resonators vs openback banjos -- that depends on what kind of music you want to play and what sound you're looking for. If you want to play bluegrass, you probably want a banjo with a resonator -- and you'll also need fingerpicks and a thumbpick, BTW-- first off, because most bluegrass banjo players look up to Earl Scruggs (the original banjo player for Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys) as the "Father of bluegrass banjo" -- and the sound of his pre-World War II Gibson 5-string resonator banjo (played with thumbpick and fingerpicks) is considered THE definitive sound of bluegrass banjo. For many, if it doesn't sound like Earl, it doesn't sound like bluegrass. Plus, if you intend to someday play with other people in a band or a jam session, you'll find the bright tone and greater volume of a resonator banjo necessary to make yourself heard amongst the guitars, mandolin, bass, and fiddle.

However, if you want to play old-time music, you'll notice that most old-time players use openback banjos. Openback instruments give a mellower, darker and (usually) quieter tone that sounds really good played clawhammer style, or fingerpicked without picks in old-time 2- or 3-finger picking styles.

But you can play Scruggs-style 3-finger bluegrass on an openback banjo, just as you can play old-time clawhammer style on a resonator banjo -- its all a matter of choosing the instrument that will give you the sound YOU want.

Check out the following discussion board for lots more information about this: www.banjohangout.com