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.
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 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.
WELL said! Excellent presentation!
Very interesting! Your content should be more popular
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.
Oddly enough, Pete Seeger, whose photo was shown, knew but rejected the tenor banjo, in favor of the 5-string.
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.
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
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.