History
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Banjos History Family How to play Pictures Bibliography		The banjo is thought to have originated from the African lute. When slaves were brought from Africa to America for the slave trade the banjo came aswell. In the early 1800's Banjos were bigger than what they are now and tuned e'-a-e-g#-b instead of g'-c-g-b-d like the modern banjo. In 1860 James Buckley invented raised frets. These were very popular by 1880. Aslo in 1880 smaller banjos were made. From about then to the 1900's differnet pitched ones were made such as the piccalo or base. In the early 1900's the bajo was used in Jazz bands but now it's used more for flok songs. The classic banjo has tightly stretched skin for the head (front circle part) and the strings are made out of 'gut' strings, but now the head is often made out of plastic and the strings are nylon. The banjo is now most common in America.
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