banjo

     

String instrument (plucke or frailed)

Trivia about banjo

  • Member of the lute family mentioned in the lyrics of "Oh Susanna"
  • The body of this instrument used in minstrel shows is similar to a tambourine
  • The song "Oh Susanna" says, "I come from Alabama" with this "on my knee"
  • Earl Scruggs could tell you this 5-stringed instrument originated in Africa
  • Its name may come from the African "mbanza", which is a similar instrument
  • This guitar family member's circular body is covered in front with tightly stretched plastic or parchment
  • Earl Scruggs, once a member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, gained fame playing this instrument
  • The name of this folk instrument may come from an African word meaning "string instrument"
  • Slaves from western Africa are credited with bringing this stringed instrument to the New World
  • Plucked instrument brought to U.S. by slaves, now a fixture in bluegrass