Give Me the : Lesson Plan

Created by: Dan McDowell, Educational Consultant Shaun Clarke, Project Manager Marc Fields, Producer/Director

IV. 4-String Swing Cynthia Sayer: 4-String Swing - http://www.pbs.org/arts/work/06_4_string_swing_cynthia_sayer/

While the 5-string banjo now enjoys more popularity among today’s banjo players, there was a time when the 4-string banjo was more popular.

In the early 1920s, the 4-string banjo provided the crucial pulse for most bands. In the jazz setting, the 4-string banjo was used rhythmically. But the heyday of the 4-string banjo was short-lived, as many jazz bands started to replace with amplified in the 1930s.

There are two different types of 4-string banjos: the tenor and the plectrum. The tenor banjo was introduced as an improvement on previous banjos because it was louder (which was important in big vaudeville theaters and the new dance bands and orchestras), with a shorter neck. Lacking the fifth string -- the shorter thumb or drone string -- the tenor banjo had the same tuning as both a and a violin, making it easier for musicians familiar with those instruments to pick up. This gave the tenor banjo the flexibility to play in many different musical keys, an advantage in orchestras.

The plectrum banjo has a similar construction to the 5-string, minus the fifth string, and is usually tuned the same. The plectrum banjo, as indicated by the name, is normally played with a pick. Plectrum players liked to use more chords in their playing, and the fifth string interfered with their ability to play chords.

While the 4-string banjo is used today for , Jazz and Tin Pan Alley pop music, the 5-string banjo has thrived in bluegrass, old time, alt-country and progressive banjo music.

Examples of 4-string banjo players: Harry Reser - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSk07z5Akfs Roy Smeck - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y3f9CWCTes&feature=related Perry Bechtel - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QejGnzYB-Ag Elmer Snowden - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sukTcm3ea7E Eddy Davis - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7InU6IBdET0 Eddie Peabody - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMRPtRq44g Buddy Wachter - http://vimeo.com/18633986

In this video: Cynthia Sayer reinvents the 4-string plectrum banjo as an instrument for hot jazz. Going beyond the stereotypes of flashy vaudeville-style performing (and male-dominated musicianship), the New Jersey-born Sayer plays hot, swinging jazz on the plectrum banjo. She’s also played with Woody Allen’s band.

1

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think the banjo got phased out of the mainstream jazz movement? 2. How did the minstrel shows establish a style of playing the banjo? How was it reinforced during the Vaudeville years (see Eddie Peabody video)? 3. Cynthia Sayers believes the banjo is a “legitimate, hot jazz instrument.” Based upon her performance, do you agree or disagree? Why? 4. What are the basic differences between the four and five string banjos?

Lesson

Overview: In the early 1920’s, many jazz bands included banjos in addition to an assortment of traditional instruments. While it was mostly replaced by the electric in the 1930’s, the banjo provided a rhythmic foundation for many early jazz groups. In this lesson, students will compare early jazz pieces.

Task:

 Analyze and compare the early forms of jazz.

Process:

1. As a class, ask students to describe jazz music. What are some words that describe it? Explain to the class that there are many types of jazz music that have evolved over the years. For this lesson, they will be looking at three of the earlier types. 2. After this initial discussion, have students research the following questions using the first two resource links: a. What are some musical characteristics of jazz? b. How is jazz historically important to the ? c. What instruments are generally a part of jazz music? 3. Next, give students the linked note sheet. 4. Using the Styles of Jazz Music link, students should summarize each type of jazz in the next column. 5. Next, play the Jazz Style Examples and have students write down descriptive words for each style. Also have them identify key instruments they hear. 6. At the end of the lesson, discuss the following questions: . What are similarities and differences between the different styles? a. How important were the different instruments, including the piano, banjo, and brass instruments? b. Why do you think the banjo was phased out of jazz? c. How do you think events in the United States affected the development of jazz at the different stages?

2

Resources:

 PBS Kids - History of Jazz  The Definition of Jazz  Styles of Jazz Music  Jazz Style Examples: o o Hot Jazz o Swing

Evaluation: Students can be evaluated based upon the following criteria:

 Participation in class discussions  Completion of the questions and chart

Standards: UCLA History Standards United States Era 7

 Standard 3C: The student understands how new cultural movements reflected and changed American society.

Common Core History/Social Studies Standards

 RH.11-12.7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.  RH.11-12.9. Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.  RH.11-12.10. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

3