Ginny's Coffee Can Banjo

My Dad and I made my instrument called the "Coffee Can Banjo." First my Dad and I went and found a piece of wood for the neck of my banjo and then I sanded the edges of the neck and my Dad cut it. Second I found the coffee can and my Dad cut holes in the side of it where I stuck the neck through the holes. Then I cut the frets out for the neck of my banjo then my Dad took a tool and cut holes down in the neck where the frets went and then I glued those down. Then my Dad helped me spray paint everything white becuase it was hard. Then I painted the top of my can. Then I did a little sanding on the neck again. After that my banjo dried and I was done. 

The sound of my banjo is produced by strumming the strings. If I want to change the dynamics I use the biggest string to get the loudest sound and the second biggest string to get the softest sound. I can change the pitch of the sound by pushing the strings down over the frets and strumming the strings at the same time.

I think the timbre of my banjo sounds brassy. I know little about the history of my banjo but I do know it was brought here in the 17th century on a slave ship from Africa and I know it is used in lots of country music.