A banjo ukulele, or banjolele, is a four-stringed musical instrument that combines the neck of a ukulele with the body of a miniature banjo. Unlike some stringed instruments, which can have a fretless neck on occasion, the banjolele always has a fretted fingerboard. The banjo ukulele’s unique design combines a small-scale neck with the familiar tone and sound of a banjo. The instrument’s body can be open or closed. Although the musical instrument is primarily made of wood, some metal bodies have been produced, albeit on a very small scale.
When played, the banjo ukulele produces a distinct sound by combining a 16-fret ukulele neck with a small-scale banjo body. Original banjo ukulele strings were made of cat gut, and the head was traditionally made of calf skin. They were commonly equipped with nylon strings and a synthetic head on the body. A wound third string is occasionally used on modern banjo ukuleles, and they are usually tuned in C or D tuning, or “my dog has fleas” tuning. Unlike a banjo, which is strummed with three fingers in a rolling style of picking, the banjolele is strummed with either fingers or a pick, similar to a ukulele.
Many notable songwriters and composers have used the banjo ukulele in a variety of musical genres, ranging from stand-up comedy to classical music to contemporary country and rock-and-roll. From the United Kingdom to the United States, musicians such as George Harrison of the Beatles and Brian May of Queen have played the banjo ukulele. Wendell Hall and Roy Smeck, two American musicians, were also big fans of the small instrument.
Music written for the ukulele can easily be transposed to be played on the banjolele. The twangy, sometimes high-pitched notes of this instrument give some types of music a Dixieland or bluegrass feel. The popularity of the banjo ukulele peaked in the 1920s and 1930s, but it is still a popular instrument in many large string bands and orchestras around the world.
The natural heads of the banjo ukulele are preferred by many players over the synthetic versions. The head is the surface of the large circle area at the base of the instrument’s neck that is covered. Some players claim that natural heads produce a richer, traditional deeper tone when played.