I like that you linked to the four string tenor banjo- that's been on the list for a while now. It really might as well be a totally different instrument as far as technique goes, no better, no worse. I mainly associate it with putting out chordal accompaniment, although I think it can do a fair amount more.JSett wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 10:18 amI have these people saved for when I decide to buy another....
https://www.bmfolk.co.uk/banjos/4-string-banjos.html
But I've learned over the years here that sustain is not always really productive with instruments, and the tenor banjo is more or less designed to not sustain at all, or at least a common technique seems to be to mute the chords really quickly even before the very limited sustain that the banjo has can ring out.
You know, imagine various music traditions in which the banjo would find itself, it often plays along with the violin, the guitar, and the mandolin. All those instruments have a good amount of sustain, especially the mandolin and violin.
So the banjo takes a role that is both melodic and percussive- which makes sense, it's basically a drum with strings and frets. The tenor banjo is also very chordal.
Of course, the banjo is so resonant it can drone along with itself- this guy does that a bit with the tenor banjo.