Mini Banjo Chord Transposer
An interactive chord visualizer for 5-string banjo. Select a root note and chord quality to see the fingering diagram. Toggle between mini banjo (C tuning) and standard banjo (G tuning) to see how chords transpose between the two instruments.
I have a Gold Tone BG-Mini and needed a way to convert standard banjo chord charts. The mini banjo is tuned a perfect fourth higher than standard, so the same chord shape produces a different chord on each instrument.
How It Works
The standard 5-string banjo is tuned to open G: g D G B D. The Gold Tone BG-Mini is a short-scale banjo tuned a perfect fourth higher, giving open C tuning: c G C E G.
This means every chord shape you know from standard banjo produces a chord five semitones (a perfect fourth) higher on the mini. A “G shape” on the mini sounds as C. A “D shape” sounds as G. This tool shows you the correct fingerings for any chord on either instrument.
The voicings are generated algorithmically — given the chord tones and the tuning, the tool searches for the most playable fingering by optimizing for open strings, small fret span, complete chord coverage, and root in the bass. Use the Position selector to explore voicings at different points up the neck.