White Men with Banjos

When did blackface clowns first appear with banjos? This instrument was needed for the act. But where could one acquire a banjo in the 1830s? Did they make them? How did they learn how to play and what would the playing style have been? A great deal of assistance would be needed by good banjo makers and players.

Joel Walker Sweeney was one such person. He was born in 1810 and learned about the banjo from enslaved Africans. He innovated in the way banjos were made. He also developed his own style of performing. It is believed he was the first to take the banjo on stage.

Sweeney became a model that others followed and the banjo became very popular. There were many celebrated banjo songs and also instrumentals published over the years. Here’s one you can listen to:

• Old Aunt Jemima

This banjo sound was created with MIDI. Like guitar, the banjo is actually one octave below the written notes. The late John Hartford (writer of the song Gentle On My Mind) had a deep, rich tone to his banjo sound.

 

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