My wife’s grandfather had a trio that played in the 20s & 30s While I think most of the time they played arrangements for piano, sax, and drums, he did have a tenor banjo. My wife and I have it now as well as his violin and a guitar he gave my wife when she was young.
As an American tenor player, I'm saddened that it isn't more popular; literally a century ago, it was THE string instrument here. I'm trying to get postwar jazz onto it.
The fiddle despite it's use in Irish music is not a trad instrument as such. Like the tenor banjo they were both used because of their affordability to ordinary folk.
Nice commentary, but why would you neglect the obvious to include short musical examples of these styles and sounds you refer to in order to give the viewer a more complete idea of the style and sounds being described?? Also, what, if any, is the relationship between the tenor banjo and the equally obscure tenor guitar, which I believe is from roughly the same time period?
The tenor banjo went out out fashion as the guitar became popular, leaving a lot of tenor players wanting a 4-string guitar they could play. It was also easy for fiddlers, mandolin or Irish bouzouki players to transfer over. Some tuned to GDAE and others to DGBE, before moving again to 6-string guitar.
The main reason the tenor banjo is popular in Irish music is the actual volume. In Irish trad sessions you are playing in packed pubs with acoustic sessions. The guitar and tenor guitar do not have the volume to stand out. The guitar is used extensively using open tunings to accompany the tunes along with the Irish bouzouki doing the same job. They both use a drone effect to copy the drones of the Uilleann Pipes.
The title "What happened to the tenor banjo" suggests a historical journey from the gourd banjos brought to the US by African slaves, on to various frettless and fretted varieties of the 5 string banjo, then the early Jazz and music hall tenors up to the people who really popularized the tenor banjo with their playing, like Barney McKenna, the player I was inspired by to start playing the banjo fifty years ago. What do we get? None of it. Just a big steaming pile of diatribe garnished with colourful pictures that make one presume the whole thing was made for 5 year olds. Thunderin' Jaysus, is there anything you Americans can do without botching it.
My wife’s grandfather had a trio that played in the 20s & 30s While I think most of the time they played arrangements for piano, sax, and drums, he did have a tenor banjo. My wife and I have it now as well as his violin and a guitar he gave my wife when she was young.
As an American tenor player, I'm saddened that it isn't more popular; literally a century ago, it was THE string instrument here. I'm trying to get postwar jazz onto it.
Very interesting! Your content should be more popular
WELL said! Excellent presentation!
Oddly enough, Pete Seeger, whose photo was shown, knew but rejected the tenor banjo, in favor of the 5-string.
The fiddle despite it's use in Irish music is not a trad instrument as such. Like the tenor banjo they were both used because of their affordability to ordinary folk.
Nice commentary, but why would you neglect the obvious to include short musical examples of these styles and sounds you refer to in order to give the viewer a more complete idea of the style and sounds being described??
Also, what, if any, is the relationship between the tenor banjo and the equally obscure tenor guitar, which I believe is from roughly the same time period?
There are lots of examples of these musical styles on my channel
The tenor banjo went out out fashion as the guitar became popular, leaving a lot of tenor players wanting a 4-string guitar they could play. It was also easy for fiddlers, mandolin or Irish bouzouki players to transfer over. Some tuned to GDAE and others to DGBE, before moving again to 6-string guitar.
The main reason the tenor banjo is popular in Irish music is the actual volume. In Irish trad sessions you are playing in packed pubs with acoustic sessions. The guitar and tenor guitar do not have the volume to stand out. The guitar is used extensively using open tunings to accompany the tunes along with the Irish bouzouki doing the same job. They both use a drone effect to copy the drones of the Uilleann Pipes.
See your video from a year ago for my comments.
The title "What happened to the tenor banjo" suggests a historical journey from the gourd banjos brought to the US by African slaves, on to various frettless and fretted varieties of the 5 string banjo, then the early Jazz and music hall tenors up to the people who really popularized the tenor banjo with their playing, like Barney McKenna, the player I was inspired by to start playing the banjo fifty years ago.
What do we get? None of it. Just a big steaming pile of diatribe garnished with colourful pictures that make one presume the whole thing was made for 5 year olds. Thunderin' Jaysus, is there anything you Americans can do without botching it.
I have 2 other videos on my channel talking about most everything you just mentioned. This video is part of a series.