Origins and History of the Banjo

Origins and

History of the Banjo

History Part 1

History (“European and American Musical Instrument” by Anthony Baines; A studio Book - The Viking Press - New York; 1966; Library of congress catalog card number 66-25611)

The banjo is a four-, five- or (occasionally) six-stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity as a resonator, called the head. The membrane, or head, is typically made of plastic, although animal skin is still occasionally but rarely used, and the frame is typically circular.

Illustrations: Banjo

341-Banjo c. 1840. Pear-shaped hoop of pine with a closed back which is a small ivory-bushed soundhole.  Tacked vellum.  Figure-of-eight head.  Five strings including the short thumb string, this tuned at small pegbox dovetailed into the right side of the neck. 40” tall and diameter of hoop 13 3/8”

342-Banjo. American, c. 1840. Opened back. Tacked vellum. Wavy neck. Five strings. Length 35” Diameter 10 ¼”

343, 344-Banjo.Open back. Early rod tensioning.  Machine Head. Five strings.

345- Banjo, English, c. 1860-70. Tunbridge ware decoration.  Open back. Eight Tensioning rods. Seven strings, two of the long strings being of wire.  Length 34”  Diameter 12”

346-Banjo, English, c. 1860. Closed back and hollow neck.  Vellum tensioned with wood screws.  Machine head.  Seven strings. Length 35 ¾”  Diameter 11 ¾”

347-Banjo, Dated 1889.  Open back. Rod tensioning. Seven strings.  Length 37” Diameter 12 ¼”

348-Banjolin. American, late nineteenth century.  Mandolin-banjo.  Fretted fingerboard.  Four double courses of metal.  Length 22 ¼”

History Part 2

History-Use of a simple stringed instrument by the African Americans of the New World is alluded to the late seventeenth century (in Jamaica) and i the eighteenth (in the United States, with the name (banshaw or banjar), but there seems to be no clear description of it before the early nineteenth century, during which the instrument spread among the mainstream of America.  It is said to have been introduced to England about the mid-century by Christy Minstrels.  

Christy Minstrels

Early years  (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org)

Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer, in 1843, in Buffalo, New York. They were instrumental in the solidification of the minstrel show into a fixed three-act form.The troupe also invented or popularized "the line", the structured grouping that constituted the first act of the standardized 3-act minstrel show, with the interlocutor in the middle and "Mr. Tambo" and "Mr. Bones" on the ends.

In 1846 they first performed in Polmer's Opera House in New York City. From March 1847, they ran for a seven-year stint at New York City's Mechanics' Hall (until July 1854).

After performing at a benefit performance for Stephen Foster in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 25, 1847, the group specialized in performances of Foster's works. Foster sold his song, Old Folks at Home, to Christy for his exclusive use. The troupe's commercial success was phenomenal: Christy paid Foster $15,000 for the exclusive rights to the song.

Besides Christy himself, the troupe originally included Christy's stepson George Christy, often considered the greatest blackface comic of the era. When by September 1855 George and Edwin Christy had retired from the group, the company continued under the name of 'Christy's Minstrels', until Edwin Christy took out an injunction to prevent them. Christy was emotionally affected by the American Civil War, and committed suicide in 1862

Christy Minstrels in Britain

J. W. Raynor and Earl Pierce formed a new troupe, using many of the former Christy Minstrel members. It opened in London, England, as "Raynor & Pierce's Christy Minstrels" at the St. James's Theatre on 3 August 1857. They then performed at the Surrey Theatre and later the "Polygraphic Hall" on King William Street, where they appeared for ten months. "Nellie Grey" by Michael Balfe, as sung by Raynor, became popular. In 1859, the troupe moved to the St. James's Hall (Liverpool), performing for another four months and then touring the British provinces. It then returned to Polygraphic Hall, disbanding in August 1860. The success of this troupe led to the phrase "Christy Minstrels" coming to mean any blackface minstrel show. Soon, four new companies were formed, each claiming to be the "original" Christy Minstrels, because they each boasted one or two former members of the old troupe. One group played in Dublin at the Chester Theatre in 1864, moving to London at the Standard Theatre in Shoreditch in 1865. The Dublin performances were evidently popular enough that James Joyce mentions them in his short story collection, Dubliners. Three months later, it moved to St. James's Hall, where it began a run of 35 years until 1904. Eventually, the original members of that troupe retired or died, leaving only “Pony” Moore and Frederic Burgess surviving into the 1870s. Therefore, the troupe changed its name to the "Moore & Burgess's Minstrels". Other groups continued to use the title "Christy", but historian Frank Andrews describes their quality as poor. Some of them continued to perform into the twentieth century.

Style of performance

Christy's novel three-part shows began with a "walkaround", the company marching onto the stage singing and dancing. A staple of the walkaround was the cakewalk, which white audiences loved despite not realizing that it originated with plantation slaves imitating their masters' walks. The troupe was then seated in a semicircle, with one member on each end playing the tambourine or the bones. The endmen were named Brother Tambo and Brother Bones, and they engaged in an exchange of jokes between the group's songs and dances. It was customary for Tambo to be slim and Bones to be fat. A character called Mr. Interlocutor sat in the middle of the group, acting as the master of ceremonies. As the interlocutor took his place in the middle of the semicircle he uttered the time-honored phrase: "Gentlemen, be seated. We will commence with the overture." During the performance he conducted himself in a dignified manner that contrasted well with the behavior of the rowdy endmen.

Part two (the "olio") was the variety section, a precursor to vaudeville. It included singers, dancers, comedians and other novelty acts, as well as parodies of legitimate theater. A preposterous stump speech served as the highlight of this act, during which a performer spoke in outrageous malapropisms as he lectured. The performer's demeanor was meant to be reminiscent of the hilarious pomposity of Zip Coon; he aspired to great wisdom and intelligence, but his hilarious mangling of language always made him appear foolish and ignorant.

Part three ended the show with a one-act play, typically a vignette of carefree life on the plantation. After Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852 and the play became famous, minstrel shows appropriated the major characters for sketches that changed the abolitionist themes in the original into an argument for the supposedly benign character of slavery.

Banjo Construction

The vellum belly is stretched over the wooden hoop, at first with brass tacks (341, 342). Later the vellum is lapped into a wooden hoop which is drawn down against the main hoop by wooden screws (346), or by threaded tensioning rods (343).  The neck is prolonged to traverse the main hoop beneath the vellum, this extension being termed the perch-pole,  Though the back is typically left open, closed backs of many designs are found, leading eventually to the various metal sound-reflectors of modern banjos.  The normal number of strings is five, one of which, the ‘thumb string’, is pegged to the brass side of the neck and has about two-thirds of the length of the others; it is tuned to a high G (or whatever rhythmic ornamentation may be actually be) and gives this note only, both melodically and in various kind of gay rhythmic ornamentation.  Seven-stringed banjos (345-7) were popular in England during the last third of the nineteenth century; six strings are rarer.  Frets and metal strings were not employed on the banjo until plectrum styles of playing came, in America from 1880s.  The zither banjo of the end of the century is fretted banjo, usually with five full-length metal strings tuned by machines (six machines often being in fact provided).

The vellum belly had been tested with other kinds of instrument, as guitars, even violins (a German example at the New York Metropol. Mus., 2292), but most successfully in the mandolin-banjo for banjolin (348), made in most countries

Technique (Wikipedia, Banjo, https://en.wikipedia.org)

Two techniques closely associated with the five-string banjo are rolls and drones. Rolls are right hand accompanimental fingering pattern[s] that consist of eight (eighth) notes that subdivide each measure.  Drone notes are quick little notes [typically eighth notes], usually played on the 5th (short) string to fill in around the melody notes [typically eighth notes]. These techniques are both idiomatic to the banjo in all styles, and their sound is characteristic of bluegrass.

Historically, the banjo was played in the "Clawhammer" style by the Africans who brought their version of the banjo with them.[citation needed] Several other styles of play were developed from this. Clawhammer consists of downward striking of one or more of the four main strings with the index, middle or both finger(s)while the drone or fifth string is played with a 'lifting' (as opposed to downward pluck) motion of the thumb. The notes typically sounded by the thumb in this fashion are, usually, on the off beat. Melodies can be quite intricate adding techniques such as double thumbing and drop thumb. In old time Appalachian Mountain music, there is also a style called two finger up-pick, and a three finger version that Earl Scruggs developed into the famous "Scruggs" style picking, nationally aired in 1945 on the Grand Ole Opry.[citation needed]

While five-string banjos are traditionally played with either fingerpicks or the fingers themselves, tenor banjos and plectrum banjos are played with a pick, either to strum full chords or, most commonly in Irish Traditional Music, play single note melodies.

The modern banjo comes in a variety of forms, including four- and five-string versions. A six-string version, tuned and played similarly to a guitar, has gained popularity. In almost all of its forms, banjo playing is characterized by a fast arpeggiated plucking, though there are many different playing styles.

The body, or pot, of a modern banjo typically consists of a circular rim (generally made of wood, though metal was also common on older banjos) and a tensioned head, similar to a drum head. Traditionally the head was made from animal skin, but today is often made of various synthetic materials. Most modern banjos also have a metal "tone ring" assembly that helps further clarify and project the sound, however many older banjos do not include a tone ring.

The banjo is usually tuned with friction tuning pegs or planetary gear tuners, rather than the worm gear machine head used on guitars. Frets have become standard since the late 19th century, though fretless banjos are still manufactured and played by those wishing to execute glissando, play quarter tones, or otherwise achieve the sound and feeling of early playing styles.

Modern banjos are typically strung with metal strings. Usually the fourth string is wound with either steel or bronze-phosphor alloy. Some players may string their banjos with nylon or gut strings to achieve a more mellow, old-time tone.

Open-back and resonator

Some banjos have a separate resonator plate on the back of the pot to project the sound forward and give the instrument more volume. This type of banjo is usually used in bluegrass music, though resonator banjos are played by players of all styles, and are also used in old-time, sometimes as a substitute for electric amplification when playing in large venues.

Open-back banjos generally have a mellower tone and weigh less than resonator banjos. They usually have a different setup than a resonator banjo, often with a higher string action.

Five-string banjo

The modern five-string banjo is a variation on Sweeney's original design. The fifth string is usually the same gauge as the first, but starts from the fifth fret, three quarters the length of the other strings. This lets the string be tuned to a higher open pitch than possible for the full-length strings. Because of the short fifth string, the five-string banjo uses a reentrant tuning—the string pitches don't proceed lowest to highest across the fingerboard. Instead, the fourth string is lowest, then third, second, first, and the fifth string is highest.

The short fifth string presents special problems for a capo. For small changes (going up or down one or two semitones, for example) it is possible simply to re-tune the fifth string. Otherwise, various devices called fifth string capos effectively shorten the vibrating part of the string. Many banjo players use model railroad spikes or titanium spikes (usually installed at the seventh fret and sometimes at others), that they hook the string under to press it down on the fret.

Five-string banjo players use many tunings. Probably the most common, particularly in bluegrass, is the Open-G tuning G4 D3 G3 B3 D4. In earlier times, the tuning G4 C3 G3 B3 D4 was commonly used instead, and this is still the preferred tuning for some types of folk music and for classic banjo. Other tunings found in old-time music include double C (G4 C3 G3 C4 D4), "sawmill" (G4 D3 G3 C4 D4) also called "mountain modal" and open D (F#4D3 F#3 A3 D4). These tunings are often taken up a tone, either by tuning up or using a capo. For example, "old-time D" tuning (A4 D3 A3 D4 E4) – commonly reached by tuning up from double C – is often played to accompany fiddle tunes in the key of D and Open-A (A4 E3 A3 C#4 E4) is usually used for playing tunes in the key of A. There are dozens of other banjo tunings, used mostly in old-time music. These tunings are used to make it easier to play specific, usually, fiddle tunes, or groups of fiddle tunes.

The size of the five string banjo is largely standardized—but smaller and larger sizes exist, including the long-neck or Seeger neck variation designed by Pete Seeger. Petite variations on the five-string banjo have been available since the 1890s. S.S. Stewart introduced the banjeaurine, tuned one fourth above a standard five-string. Piccolo banjos are smaller, and tuned one octave above a standard banjo. Between these sizes and standard lies the A-scale banjo, which is two frets shorter and usually tuned one full step above standard tunings. Many makers have produced banjos of other scale lengths, and with various innovations.

Spin-off banjos  (Folk Music, http://www.musicfolk.com/docs/Features/Feature_Banjo.htm)

Another spin-off of the plectrum banjo was developed in the early 20th Century. This was known as the Tenor Banjo. The need for this instrument arose from the plectrum players who desired an instrument that catered more to the styles played at the time in Ireland and England, as well as to some entertainers in America. As a result, the length of the neck was shortened and the tuning was altered to something akin to the fiddle.

Fortunately for us, all three of these banjos (the 5-string, Plectrum, and Tenor) have not died out. Today they are used in many different musical genres and in many different countries.

Here's the breakdown of the basic differences between the three types of banjos:

The Plectrum Banjo: It has a full-scale neck with 22 frets. Most often it also has a resonator (that wooden bowl on the back) and a tone ring (a metal ring placed under the head that affects the volume and tone). It has four strings and is played with a pick. The strings from high to low are tuned: D G B C.

The Tenor Banjo: It usually has the same construction as the Plectrum (resonator, tone ring, four strings, etc.), but the neck is shorter and has between 17 and 19 frets. From high to low, the strings are tuned: Either A D G C or E A D G (often by Irish musicians).

The 5-String Banjo: The 5-string actually can be broken down into two major types: the Open-Back and the Resonator.

Open-backs are generally more simply constructed. These banjos are less expensive because they require fewer materials and are easier to make. They are popular among Clawhammer players and Old-Time musicians. Clawhammer players who seek a more "plunky" tone often put skin or synthetic-skin heads on these banjos and can even use nylon strings. Usually open-backs don't have a tone ring, either. Old-Time musicians use a number of tunings, but these seem to be the most popular: The standard g D G B D, the modal g D G C D, or the "Double-C" g C G C D.

Resonator Banjos are much more complicated. They too have 22 frets and five strings, but that's where the real similarities end. As the name suggests, they have resonators, the wooden back that projects the sound forward. They always have metal strings. Most have a tone ring, but all have a flange (that's the metal around the body that extends to the edge of the resonator). This feature can be highly decorative, but is primarily used to attach the resonator to the banjo. The heads are synthetic and are stretched much more tightly than on an open-back. This is preferred by Bluegrass musicians for the volume and "pop" that it gives when using finger picks. The standard tuning is: g D G B D.

First World War Watershed (Thumbnail History of the Banjo, By Bill Reese, http://bluegrassbanjo.org/banhist.html)

The First World War, like the Civil War, was a watershed in the popularity of the banjo. America entered a time of isolation and turned to "American made" music for pleasure. Jazz entered the picture and the banjo became an integral part of the early jazz bands. At first it was the plectrum banjo, a five string, without the fifth string, that led the way. This gave way to the shorter neck Tenor banjo, thought to be a corruption the word "Tango" because it rose to popularity through the Tango dance craze that swept America.

The stock market collapse of 1929 and the world wide depression that followed wiped out the banjo. To quote Robert Webb, "Demand for its bright happy sound disappeared almost overnight. Professional orchestras made a quick transition to the "arch-top" guitar, developed in the 1920s by Gibson and others which provided a mellow and integral rhythm more in keeping with the subdued nature of the times."  

Videos

Flatt and Scruggs - Reuben

How to Play the Banjo : Strumming a Banjo

Banjo Picking for Beginners

---------------------------------------PLEASE NOTE----------------------------------------
This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the
song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you like my posts?  Please share my blog with your friends

to keep me motivated and making posts.

Love and Peace and keep Rocking!

Checkout the Right Column for more TABS & Posts