David Martinez, age 12, of McAllen, Tex., for his question:

WHERE DID WE GET THE BANJO?

A banjo is a stringed musical instrument that is played by plucking the strings with the fingers or with a small instrument called a plectrum. Some say that slaves brought the banjo to the United States from West Africa, where they had adopted a guitarlike instrument from the Arabs.

The Sensegambian bania of the Arabs is considered by many to be the parent of the banjo.

A number of other musical authorities say that the banjo's name comes from a mispronunciation of the word "bandore," a stringed instrument similar to a lute. The banjo was also once called a "banger" and "banja."

The banjo has a round body and a long neck. A wooden hoop forms the body. Across the top of this is stretched a skin, called a head or drumhead, to increase the sound. A screw device regulates the tension of the head.

A small bridge rests against the head to support the strings.

The original banjo had five strings and a very long neck. A tenor banjo has a shorter neck and only four strings. A smaller instrument is called a ukulele banjo.