The weirdest thing about the banjo so far: for some reason—maybe because of Looney Tunes cartoons in which they're used as an implement of retribution against Coyote or Yosemite Sam—I thought the resonant surface of the banjo was fragile. Nope! In fact, you're supposed to keep a finger or two on it at all times while playing (at least in the Scruggs style.)