Banjolele
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAN : Banjolele
The banjolele (brand name; sometimes banjo ukulele or banjo uke) is a four-stringed musical instrument with a banjo-type body and a neck with sixteen frets (shorter than a banjo, but longer than a ukulele). The instrument combines the small scale and tuning of a ukulele with the playing style and construction of a banjo, hence the name. The instrument is also known as the ukulele-banjo and is the type of instrument played by George Formby - which he (incorrectly) referred to as a ukulele.
The banjolele was most popular in the 1920's and '30's. In P.G. Wodehouse's popular series of novels staring Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves, Jeeves is forced to resign over Wooster's decision to take up the banjolele.
There is another, lesser known instrument that goes by the same names. It is any banjo string tuning (normally a four string tuning) on a small guitar shaped body. It is usually just a retuned ukulele.
The banjolele is tuned GCEA, but when more volume is needed, it is tuned ADF#B. Both of these tunings are known as the 'my dog has fleas' tunings (5th, Tonic, Maj 3rd, Maj 6th).
See Also
Ukulele (for alternative tunings etc.)
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.