Banjo

The banjo has a body similar to a tambourine with four or five strings. The strings cross above a pressure bridge and are attached to a tailpiece. These vibrate and also cause the stretched animal hide or plastic membrane to vibrate.

Some believe that the name banjo came from the Portuguese word bandore or a Spanish word bandurria. A few say that it may have been derived from a Senegambian word that refers to a bamboo stick that was originally used for the banjo's neck structure.

History

The creation of the banjo can be traced back centuries. The origin of the very first versions of the banjo is indefinite. It was common to see strings stretched across drums made of animal hide in the Mideast, Far East and Africa.