fivestrings

Fivestrings is a term used to describe a class of stringed instruments that employ five strings. The category is most commonly associated with the banjo and with certain players' versions of guitars and basses, but it encompasses a broader range of designs that place five strings under the fingerboard.

Design and construction: Five-string instruments vary in scale length, body style, and materials. A typical five-string banjo uses a drone string and a resonator, producing a bright, jangly tone, while five-string basses and some five-string guitars adopt a standard instrument layout with four longer strings plus a single extra string that broadens the harmonic range. Some designs feature symmetrically spaced strings, others use staggered tunings to facilitate specific styles.

Playing and tunings: Tuning schemes for five-string instruments are diverse. Common approaches include open tunings for folk, standard or extended tunings for bass-like ranges, and experimental tunings for contemporary genres. Techniques include fingerpicking, flatpicking, strumming, and tapping.

Usage and repertoire: Five-string instruments appear in folk, bluegrass, world music, and contemporary experimental settings. The five-string banjo is one of the best-known examples and has a long tradition in American music. Other five-string instruments are used in modern fusion and studio work.

History and status: The five-string format has existed in multiple cultures and contexts and continues to be adapted for new sounds and playing techniques. As a term, fivestrings emphasizes the shared five-string construction rather than a single fixed tuning or use.