Banjo

Banjo

A four-string banjo
Classification	string
Inventor(s)	Surinamese Creole peoples
Developed	Late 1700s-present

The banjo is a string instrument, that was first played by African slaves in the United States a few hundred years ago. The idea came from other African instruments.^[1] The name banjo may have come from a Kimbundu word: mbanza, but it could have also come from a Senegambian word for the bamboo stick used for the banjo's neck.

The modern banjo comes in a variety of forms, including four- and five-string versions. A six-string version, tuned and played similarly to a guitar, has gained popularity. In almost all of its forms, banjo playing is characterized by a fast arpeggiated plucking, though many different playing styles exist.

1. ↑ Bluegrass Music: The Roots Archived 2006-08-22 at the Wayback Machine." IBMA. Retrieved on 2006-08-25