Tenor Banjo Chord Chart
Standard tenor tuning C–G–D–A · 21 chords · tap one to see the shape and hear it
How to play
- The tenor banjo has four strings tuned C–G–D–A, low to high — in fifths, like a viola, and a fifth below a mandolin. The four vertical lines are those strings with C on the left.
- Because the strings are a fifth apart the shapes are wider than guitar shapes, and there are very few easy open chords — most grips are closed, which means you can slide them up the neck and they simply rename themselves.
- You will also meet Irish tenor banjo tuned G–D–A–E, an octave below a mandolin, so fiddle and mandolin tunes transfer straight across. This chart uses the standard C–G–D–A tuning of jazz and trad-jazz playing.
- Tip — the tenor banjo is played with a plectrum and a hard, rhythmic strum. Keep the chords short and percussive rather than letting them ring on.
- Tap a chord name to load its shape on the fretboard and hear it strummed. The diagram reads like a mandolin held upright: the thick bar at top is the nut, the four double lines are the courses (G D A E, low on the left).
- Coloured dots show where to press; the letter in each dot is the note it sounds. A circle o above the nut means play that course open.
- Strum rolls the four courses; Tremolo is the fast back-and-forth pick that gives the mandolin its signature shimmer. Vol sets volume.
- Mandolin is tuned in fifths, identical to a violin, so these shapes also work for tenor banjo. Keyboard — Tab to any chord or control, Enter/Space to activate.
This tenor banjo chord chart allow you to try out standard jazz tuning on your screen. Just click the buttons on the screen or use your computer keyboard (for a smoother workflow) to interact with it.
It has a selection of twenty-one common chords available in C, G, D, and A tuning; which is the standard set up for the tenor banjo. A synthesized sound let you hear how each one sounds, along with a visual fretboard diagram. The rows of buttons along the top let you choose a chord from the list. The Tab key moves the focus among controls, including the chord button. This lets you cycle through progressions using your keyboard instead of reaching for the mouse. Just press Space or Enter on the button you want to choose.
How to Use the Tenor Banjo Chord Chart
You can hear that chord by using the play buttons below the diagram and selecting it will also update the diagram to reflect which notes are in the shape, and where to place each finger. Colour-coded dots on the fret board identify where strings should be pressed down. The internal letter in the dot identifies which notes is created by placing the fingers there. X means the string must be muted. An open circle above the string mean it will be played open. Vertical lines depict the four courses of the banjo tuned from left to right: C, G, D… A. As you change chord the diagram follows, maintaining a clear visual reference.
The play buttons beneath the diagram is split into two different ways of hearing the chosen chord. A strum gives a repeating single rhythmic stroke on all four strings, similar to those often found in the accompanying figures for trad jazz. Tremolo causes the pick to move rapidly backwards and forwards, giving a shimmering effect that sounds more like a mandolin. This allows you to contrast the feel of playing the same chord shape in contrasting music.
The bottom right-hand side of the widget contains a slider that adjust the master volume for the synthesised banjo sound. Set this to a level where you can still hear the tremolo pattern and the detail in how each string decays. It should also be loud enough to be comfortabley audible. With headphones, you may wish to turn this down a little if you’re going to have lengthy periods of practice playing.
These are the rules for how to play. Clicking the How to play button in the header expands a panel that serves as a quick reference for tuning the banjo and understanding the symbols on the diagram. It also details why shape of the tenor banjo is not like a guitar (it’s tuned to the 5th), and so is broader. If it’s your first time playing or you’ve forgotten which string is which note, refer to the help panel here.
If you’re viewing the site on a smaller screen such as a phone or tablet, try turning it into fullscreen mode which makes it much simpler to see the chord chart. Simply click the fullscreen button and it will stretch the interface to fully use your screen space, allowing the fretboard diagram some extra breath. Fullscreen also works well when printing out the page so you have something to refer back to offline, or maybe follow along while learning the chord. To get back to regular view, just press the Escape key or click the fullscreen button again.
You should transition smoothly between similar chord shapes. Most of the time, a minor chord is simply one slight variation than its major counterpart. Activate the Strum button to hear a rhythmic roll that mimics trad jazz accompaniment. Toggle the Tremolo button to hear the held sound common to so much Celtic and folk music. The visual feedback locks your muscle memory into place for every new position. This tool helps you move from theory to application.
It allows you to hear how the chords combine but also exactly which notes is in each one. For example, play through a basic progression such as C, G, A7 and listen out for the voice leading from one chord to another. There is just enough variation here to provide useful material yet it remains easily manageable on the chart.
Now pick a chord shape that you’d like to explore from the chord library. Listen to how it sounds and take some time to get used to where each finger is placed in the diagram. This mix of sound and sight lets you learn the instrument at your own pace.