To achieve a classic Appalachian sound, a five-string instrument is the best banjo model. We review three top picks you can get online.

As long as you bear in mind the number of strings and the pitch limitations, programming a realistic MIDI strummed sequence is simply a case of getting the string order and pitches correct. To find ...

Few people know that the 5-string banjo that Makem played is acknowledged as "America's only true musical instrument." It is unique, and a piece of Americana like the Midwest diners of yesteryear.

In 1948 when Pete Seeger self-published the mimeographed first edition of his instruction manual, How to Play the 5-Strinz Banjo, the fortunes of the instrument were at a low ebb. Most American of ...