Plectrum

[Austin]

It seems to me that the same concert banjoists that played classic style also played plectrum. I know I'm going to focus on classic style first, but Plectrum seems fascinating. What are some resources on it? Repertoire?

[Byron Thomas]

For a question such as this, Joel and others have already done a lot of the heavy lifting (well scanning). Peruse the archive and you never know what you'll find. 

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, M...

[Joel Hooks]

Hey Austin, to properly play plectrum banjo you will need a styrofoam hat, red and white striped vest, sleeve garters and pizza.

Just kidding (mostly).

Most plectrum players today came from, or were heavily influenced by, the nostalgic "Shakey's Pizza" fad.  "Shakey's Pizza" was a restaurant that was "old timey" and featured sing alongs of 1890s-1900s music played on 1920s-1930s plectrum and tenor banjos.  It was before my time, and as hokey as it was, I have no doubt that if I were born earlier I would have been all in ln this thing as it sounds like it was a lot of good fun.  

Shakey's popularity instigated a mountain of copycat/knockoff pizza parlors or themed bars doing the same sort of thing.

As far as I can tell, the general focus was based around Eddie Peabody's "chord melody" playing, which was done using chord charts or by "ear".

The organization "All Frets" (formally Fretted Instrument Guild) is more or less focused one the Shakey's Pizza version of the plectrum and tenor banjo despite attempts to include other fretted instruments.  All Frets stated as the Guild of Mandolinists, Banjoists and Guitarists but split off when there was a push to include accordions. 

The Guild split into two, FIGA and American Guild of Music (both still extant).

All Frets is based out of the 4 String Banjo Hall of Fame (American Banjo Museum).  You should join if you are interested in the plectrum banjo. 

 

[Austin]

Douglas actually mentioned the all frets society. I think I would want to be a member of the ABF though not that there's anything excluding me from becoming both. I would love to play all the styles of banjo and sort of combine them in different ways, but I'm far from that goal. 

Joel Hooks said:

Hey Austin, to properly play plectrum banjo you will need a styrofoam hat, red and white striped vest, sleeve garters and pizza.

Just kidding (mostly).

Most plectrum players today came from, or were heavily influenced by, the nostalgic "Shakey's Pizza" fad.  "Shakey's Pizza" was a restaurant that was "old timey" and featured sing alongs of 1890s-1900s music played on 1920s-1930s plectrum and tenor banjos.  It was before my time, and as hokey as it was, I have no doubt that if I were born earlier I would have been all in ln this thing as it sounds like it was a lot of good fun.  

Shakey's popularity instigated a mountain of copycat/knockoff pizza parlors or themed bars doing the same sort of thing.

As far as I can tell, the general focus was based around Eddie Peabody's "chord melody" playing, which was done using chord charts or by "ear".

The organization "All Frets" (formally Fretted Instrument Guild) is more or less focused one the Shakey's Pizza version of the plectrum and tenor banjo despite attempts to include other fretted instruments.  All Frets stated as the Guild of Mandolinists, Banjoists and Guitarists but split off when there was a push to include accordions. 

The Guild split into two, FIGA and American Guild of Music (both still extant).

All Frets is based out of the 4 String Banjo Hall of Fame (American Banjo Museum).  You should join if you are interested in the plectrum banjo. 

 

[Ethan Schwartz]

Austin, these videos may be of interest to you:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-cheT5Ang1sASDfl9ddIw0pE8JW...

[Russ Chandler]

Joel is of course right about the "Shakey's Pizza" plectrum style. We didn't have the pizza parlour tradition so much in the UK, or at east we didn't call it that but we had bands like Shep's Banjo Boys who were hugely popular. 

Our Richard can tell you all about that.

But I wanted to make the point that there is another tradition of plectrum playing that emerges out of the classic style rather than the Peabody style centered around people like Emile Grimshaw that's well worth checking out. If you look in the BMG Magazine archive you'll see lots of discussion about it.

[Richard William Ineson]

Thank you Russ. I've done a fair bit of plectrumising in my time, mainly busking but I also played in one or two traditional jazz bands in the 60s. I liked to hear Roy James who played with Acker Bilk and I also liked Lonnie Donegal who played with Chris Barber. Both of these banjo players produced a nice crisp ringing sound unlike the majority of the 'Trad band' banjoists 'dugga dugga' noise which reminded me of what playing a lavatory seat, strung with heavy duty rubber bands, might sound like. Roy James also had a lot of interesting harmonic ideas and could take a solo when required. I don't do much of this kind of stuff any more but I can still rattle through a few old favourites such as 'Baby Face' and 'When You're Smiling' using my fingers. I wouldn't mind playing in a jazz band again, but at 78 years old,I would have to be ferried about and thoroughly pampered, but my 1928 Vega Pro' is waiting patiently for the call.

[Joel Hooks]

Yes, early on in the development of pick playing, at least in the US, was basically classic banjo played with a pick.  Perhaps more chords than single notes.  There are some early tutors that reflect this.

Most of this work was put out by established fingerstyle banjoists and I do not know how generally accepted this method was.  It is pretty clear that pick played banjo was largely a chord chart or ear based instrument, at least that is what it became. 

Some of the music published in the US for pick playing (esp that of A. J. Weidt) used a short hand method of writing and would include a legend at the bottom of the page showing "jazz strokes" that were to be used in place of the short hand written sections. 

Examples of this shorthand may be found in Vols 9 and 10 of the Jacobs Banjo Collection. 

I'm still looking for a few plectrum methods, Shaw's, Warren Dean's, and Weidt's.  There is also Tom Carey's hybrid method that is for pick as well as fingerpicks (which is the first method printed to use Hawaiian guitar picks on the banjo).  I'd really like to see a copy of that one.  

[Jody Stecher]

"Plectrumising" : an excellent word.  Even better than "banjolity".

Richard William Ineson said:

Thank you Russ. I've done a fair bit of plectrumising in my time, 

[Richard William Ineson]

Thank you, I might have invented it, but I may be wrong.

Jody Stecher said:

"Plectrumising" : an excellent word.  Even better than "banjolity".

Richard William Ineson said:

Thank you Russ. I've done a fair bit of plectrumising in my time,