Classic-Banjo
Practical Hints On Modern Banjo Playing
I was reading through this book on the archive and found it quite interesting! I was curious if modern techniques for the banjo in 1897 were still useful today. My conclusion: yes, they are. There is some great information in here but something that caught my attention was the chapter on stroke and thimble playing. Partee states that in thimble playing "all of the strings are struck with the thimble (which is worn upon the first finger) except the fifth, which is struck with the thumb". I had never realized this when thinking about trying to render a thimble piece and am now thinking about rapid note execution practice with the thimble.
Another thing that caught my attention what the section on care of the banjo. It mentions using Putz Pomade in order to clean the metal parts of the banjo. But this book came out in 1897. How likely is it that this product still exists? A quick search showed me that it was indeed still in production. However, it is now advertised and sold as a print roller cleaner. I decided to take the plunge (it costs way more than Dapper Dan) and buy a jar. It's basically a lifetime supply unless you are a metal cleaning hound. Following the instructions (both from the manual and jar) I attempted to clean a brass tailpiece and tension hoop. Using vinyl gloves and a 2-cloth system, I was able to bring life back into the pieces. I did work on these at separate times, so I know the before and after may be hard to see. I started the tailpiece before doing a "before" picture, so the bottom is shinier that the tarnished top.
All this to say that it is quite fulfilling to be able to bring this information forward if others haven't seen or didn't already know.
On a side note, I was sent a jar of "Putz Pomad" but the lack of a vowel had no detrimental effect to the product.
Joel Hooks
Do not use Putz or any polish on your banjo, it will cut right through the nickel plating. It is abrasive and will take nickel off.
on Saturday
Joel Hooks
Regarding Partee and stroke style. The definitive work covering stroke style is Converse’s Analytical Banjo Method. This is it. The exercises, combinations, hammer and overhand movements he spells out will cover any movement one will ever encounter. The pieces are fantastic examples, many are dressed up arrangements of pieces published earlier.
The longer pieces such as Narraganset Jig, Far South Reel Medley, and The Lion and John Wilde follow the theme and variation pattern but are perfectly arranged to lay on the fingerboard and under the thimble and thumb. Use Converse’s right hand fingering.
Partee (Stewart did this too) seems to be leaning more towards using the thimble like a plectrum with only down strokes.
BTW, there are two versions of Partee’s book, the original and one edited for the British market. I’ve not scanned and put up the American version yet, they are the same except one speaks A notation.
Converse teaches the real deal. Work through the Converse method, page by page, do all the movement exercises, and you will have mastered stroke style.
on Saturday
Byron Thomas
Yeah, you are very correct about the nickel and a very important note. It doesn't do much in that department. However, if you find yourself in need of cleaning tarnished pure metal (like brass), the polish comes to a mirror finish. Both parts that I used it to clean happened to not be plated.
"Partee (Stewart did this too) seems to be leaning more towards using the thimble like a plectrum with only down strokes."
This was the part really that caught my attention. I didn't realize that Stewart also was leaning this way. Partee's take on thimble is the first time that I've run across this technique of the thimble striking "every string except the fifth with thumb only playing the fifth", not to say that it's the first or only time that anyone has written this down. For me this would change the idea using thimble especially if this is to render the effects of piece differently.
As far as learning Stroke style, I've been on that quest for years now. I started out in 2018 with the Joe Weidlich book "The Early Minstrel Banjo: Technique and Repertoire". I've also used the tab translations of the Converse Banjo, Without a Master 1865 and the Briggs banjo. Somewhere in there I also ran across Tim Twiss on the internet which made learning some of the pieces easier as my ear wasn't as good back then. I am by no means a master yet lol. I've been looking at the Converse Analytical for years, but my biggest issue has been the transposition. Without having my banjo tuned in "A" it's hard for me to visualize the fingerboard and what I am doing. At this point my plan is to tune one of my banjo's to "A" and work through some simple pieces. I feel like learning "A" notation is a real asset in this field with so much of the material be written this way.
Joel Hooks said:
yesterday