Celebrate the Banjo

I get so wrapped up in advocating for my favorite type of banjo—the plectrum—that I almost forget there are many other types out there. Or at least I worry that others may think that about me. Of course I have a favorite; it happens to be the one that I think I play reasonably well, and that best holds my interest! It is logically the one that I spend all my time and thought on and advocate the most for. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t like or don’t care about the others.

So, as we go into yet another New Year (where is the time going?), let me start off on the right foot: we should all be celebrating all the different banjo types. They are all part of our overall history, and all serve to strengthen our stance in the music world. No one of them is more “important” or “better” than the others. To the average person out there, “a banjo is a banjo”; truth be told, it doesn’t matter at all what type of music comes out of it. They just know it’s a banjo.

Now, when it comes to them preferring and/or wanting a particular type of music, that’s when it gets difficult. I have disappointed many folks over the years when I tell them I don’t play Bluegrass or Country. But in retrospect, I realize that if I would just play and sing Rocky Top for them (and stop apologizing for not playing Bluegrass style banjo), they probably wouldn’t notice the difference. This is when my plectrum snobbery gets in the way. So, I hereby resolve to learn more songs that I could play for them to make them happy to hear a “banjo.”

I am a fan of wine: as I’ve learned more about the different types (and have even identified “favorites”), I have finally gotten to where I will ask “what wine do you recommend” when at a nice restaurant. It is liberating to let go of prejudices and just live! I enjoy it when a music listener says “what’s your favorite type of music to play? Play that!”

I decided long ago to concentrate on the plectrum. I play the tenor also, but I am not jam-session “fluent” on it. Admittedly, I have a strong desire to look like I know what I’m doing! I am an intellectual snob, and don’t like looking a fool. So, I also resolve to let down my guard and play more tenor in public, even if I do make an occasional mistake (“oh no!”) or just find myself at a loss for what chord shape to play. I shall make it fluent! I shall strive to make music on both of them.

I bought a Deering Goodtime 5-string banjo several years ago and really did try to learn. After a couple years of struggling though, I finally gave up; my heart (and my musical mind) just wasn’t in it. I have a jazz/country/western musician friend who plays great mandolin and guitar, both with finger picks, no matter the style of music he happens to be playing. He told me that he was never able to get the hang of flat-picking, so he just moved on. We each have our strengths and weaknesses! I guess the moral there is that we should each strive to do our best with the gifts we were given—and not be afraid to make music with them.

I also own a plectrum guitar and realize that I should be playing more “jazz guitar.” The same thing applies there: most folks won’t notice that my guitar is “missing two strings.” All they’ll know is that Modern Jazz is coming out of it (or even Classic Rock; who cares? Music is music). So, my biggest resolution is to just be a musician.

In my last blog, Reser Reboot, I commented that I would be happy to “blur the lines” between tenor and plectrum (regarding which one Reser should be most noted for). The differences between them only matter to us insufferable snobs within our tiny little four-string world!

In conclusion: As a player, the plectrum is everything to me (I simply don’t have the time or interest to learn the others). As a teacher, I believe we should pick one or the other and concentrate on it to maximize our skills. As a “banjo” advocate, I realize that we should not place any one of them above any other. I resolve to keep that forefront in my mind, and to be better informed and less divisive in my writing.

Happy New Year! Let’s make it a great banjo year.