Virtual Banjo — Play Online
Click strings or use keyboard shortcuts to pluck the banjo. Choose 4 or 5 string tuning, navigate frets, and play classic bluegrass roll patterns — all in your browser with no download.
💻 Keyboard: 1 2 3 4 5 = open strings | Q W E R / A S D F = frets 1–4 | ◀ ▶ = navigate neck
Screen Recording
Record your performance and download as WebM.
Ready to record screen.
🎵 Banjo Roll Patterns
🎵 Banjo Tuning Reference
| String | 5-String (Open G) | 4-String (Tenor) | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th (drone) | G4 | — | Short drone string, thumb only |
| 1st (thinnest) | D4 | A4 | Bright melody notes |
| 2nd | B3 | D4 | Mid melodic |
| 3rd | G3 | G3 | Inner harmony |
| 4th (thickest) | D3 | C3 | Bass, low foundation |
About the Banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a distinctive circular drum-like body that amplifies the strings acoustically. It originated in West Africa and was brought to America through the slave trade, where it evolved into the instrument central to American folk, bluegrass, and country music.
The modern 5-string banjo in open G tuning (G D G B D) is the instrument of bluegrass — popularised by Earl Scruggs, whose three-finger picking style on songs like Foggy Mountain Breakdown defined the sound of the genre. The characteristic sound comes from the skin head (historically animal skin, now synthetic) which gives the banjo its bright, sharp attack.
This virtual banjo uses Karplus-Strong string synthesis — computing the plucked string waveform offline in JavaScript from a feedback loop algorithm, then playing the result as an audio buffer. This produces the bright, percussive attack and natural decay of a real plucked string without any audio samples.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a 5-string banjo tuned?
Open G tuning: G4–D3–G3–B3–D4. The 5th string (G4) is a short drone string that runs from the 5th fret, always played open. The other four strings run the full length of the neck.
What is a banjo roll?
A repeating three-finger picking pattern (thumb, index, middle) that creates the fast, flowing sound of bluegrass banjo. The forward roll picks strings 3–2–5–1–2–5–1–2. The alternating thumb roll alternates the thumb between the 3rd and 5th strings.
What is the difference between 4 and 5 string banjo?
The 5-string has a short drone string (the 5th) and is used in bluegrass and old-time. The 4-string tenor banjo has no drone, is tuned C G D A, and is used in Irish traditional music and Dixieland jazz.
Can I use keyboard shortcuts?
Yes. Keys 1–5 pluck open strings. Q W E R and A S D F pluck frets 1–4 across pairs of strings. Use ◀ ▶ to navigate the neck position.