P~Acticai Hint~ on Mode~N Baqio Plaginy, Advantage

Sub.crlptlon, 2Sc Per Year. Single C i> ple., ~c ... Copyright. J89.i. by Mr. ~'" Mrs. C. L. Purtee. VOL. I. KANSAS CITY, Mo., MAY-J UXE, 1895. NO·5· tar style io occasional passages of the best music to· p~acticaI Hint~ on Mode~n Baqio Plaginy, advantage. .. By CLARENCE L_ PARTEE_ Most writers of banio music and books describe stroke playing and thimble playing as one and the same thing. whereas they are two separate and dis No. 5. STROKE PLAYING AND MODERN t inct~les, and en tirely different from each other. THIMBLE PLAYING_ Some may contend they a re the same, but modern thimble playing as practiced and taught by the Since the introduction of classical music upon the au·thor. and some of the best performers of that style banjo, "stroke playing" has fallen into disuse to a for yea rs, is e.isentiall y diff::rent. Explanations of great extent, but in our op i ni09~sho\lld Dot be alto both m!rho:h f o ll o w :- Stro~e playing is the original gether abandoned, because fJ the characteristic method of playing the banjo. and is executed with effects that may be obtained by its lBe. At a much the right hand, wit h th e fingers partly closed , the ' earl ier period than the advent o{ players of th e fir s't finger in ad\'ance of th e others so it caD be u!Oed modern classic school. when wp.ltzes, marches, tostrike the strings, the thumb always restin g against operatic melodies, etc , were first \\'ritten and arrang and supporting the first fin ger. except \\'h' ~n it (the ed for the instrument, many performers had ceased thumb) is used to strike a st ring or in prep.l:-i ng to to practice stroke playing entirely, realizing that the strike one. The hand and fln gers must be kept from method could not be used effectively to render high touching the " head" and perfectly free. the a rm rest class music, and that an era of ad\'ancemeot in the in g on the " rim" as usual. The strings should be • a rt of banj,) playing was at hand. A few players struck with the nail of the first finger and ball of the however continued to practice thOe original style as thumb. the finger a nd thumb being used alternately well as modern "thimble playing", and the new on a ll the strings generally, except the fifth. which "guitar style." . This has doubtless been o[ great is always struck with the thl;mb. and the first which benefit to them in broadening their knowledge. and is nearly always struck with th e first finger. The the experience gained, as a proper ul,lderstanding of hand should swing freely from the wrist, wi th an up all the styles and their various movemecrs gives a and down motion. so that when th e first finger is performer an immense advantage over one whose used it will strike the strings directly on top. Do not knowledge is limited to ODe method only. attempt to get the finger between the strings to strike Many persons who play the banjo. as well as nu them sideways. This habit is the cause of beginners merous musicians and players of other instruments. breaking so many strings. \Vhen the strings are are apt to consider stroke playing as simply "noise." struck .on top a better tone is obtained, and ..:there is owing to the hair-raising performances of the few no danger o[ breaking a string unless unusual force would-be banjoists they may have he.ard perform is applied. The strOke' ~t}'le has always been prin with the thimble. This is only another'of the ~p\l cipally used to play jigs. reels. and such tunes as the - lar 'errors in regl.rd to the banjo, and banjo music. "Arkansas Tra\'eler" etc., but by using the "drum Stroke playing when p roperl y executed, is pleasing rolt" in connection with it-the sallJe as in thimble and effective, and "!ay be usej at times with the gui- playing. marches, quicksteps and many other select- ., 2 _ THE CADENZA. ions can be successfU'ify"performed. Even waltz or thimble playing li ke other methods and move music can be executed in this maDner. The drum ments must be thoroughly practiced to attain pro roU 'u'5uall y precedes a chord, a nd is written in the ficiency. but the results will repay those ,who study form of "grace notes," all the strings generally being conscientiouslJ1' struck separa tely in rapia succession, striking the Stroke playing has been much abused, but the full c ho~d afterwa rds. It is executed by slidi ng the fault was doubtless.of the player in most cases, and finger (or the thimble when one is worn) o\"er tbe not of the method. The saying that, " what is wort:, strings from the bass, or third "S tring to , the first. doing at all, is worth doing wcll. " applies especially picking the fifth string open (which is invariably the to stroke or tbimble playing, because they are not last nole of the roll). with Ihe thumb, and striking the effecti ve unless the performer is expert. chord or ~ote which follo"s, immediately after. A The guitar style of playing is unquesti ona bly waved line is placed under or over the n Oles to i n di~ superior for rendering a majority of the music suit· ... cate tbe slide or roli. In alternating with the finger able for the banjo, bu t it is well to know something and thumb it oft en becomes necessary to strike two of stroke playing, and those wh ~ acquire a tborough notes in succession 'with the thumb or firs t finger, knowledge of tbe methods, and can execute either sometimes more. It depends upon the piece to be thimble or stroke styles as they should be done. need played The rules given abo\'e are the on ly positive have no reason to feel ashamed of their accomplish ones; exceptions are few, and those will readily sug· ment, for although classical music is bein g performed g~t t h;~'s e'l ~~ " I.~ '" t h~ le;rner after a reasonable more and more upon the banjo, and il higher ideal is a mount-of practice. Modern thimble pla)'iog differs bei ng continually sought after by players, in techni from the stroke style essentially, because all the que and expression , the lighter music, and charac· strings a re struck with the thimble (which is worn teristic banjo effects wi ll always be accepta.b le, when upon the fi rst finger) except the fifth which is struck given in a refined and dignified m)nne r. wi th the thumb; Bet:ause the drum roll is used much f The next chapter of the series will beon " Pertinent more frequently and effectively, and also because the Points and General Informa tion." · amount of practice necessary to enable one to strike all the notes in a tapid piece wi th the th imble, except , ''those on the fifth string, permits a better touch and THE MANDOLIN . f tone to be acquired. The position of the hand and Apropos of the Mandolin's history. it is one of . the manner of striking the stri ngs etc, is the same as romantic love a nd poetry. I t has for centuries been in stroke playing the rules already given th~ refore a fa vorite among the L:uin races of Europe. There are sufficient. Thimble playing may be executed is sentimentality in its very structure, and that is without a tbimble as well as wi th one, but if a thim· why it has always li ved among the mellow dimes of ~ ble is used do not hammer tbe strings. Learn bow the Mediterra nean, tha t fountain of the muses. "' to. give the proper expression to the music you play, And now tha t the, Am ericans a re beginning to make from the softest tone to the loudest required. but pretensions toward sentimentality, we take the little avoid ex treme loud playing. and use good judgmen t ins trument up. There is nothing definitely known in th e degree of force appli ed. An expert thimble of .its age, but there is a tradition that it was upon a ' player gets a soft, even. clean tone that can scarcely mandolin that Nero played, when Rome was burn· be told from "picking". F or slroke playing a bridge ing, instead of the histori cal " fiddle." of the usual width is best, but to get the 'best eff ects -N. Y. R;t(or.tt:r. when using the thimble, a special bridge not more tha n I Ji inches wide should be used. It is a fact that ma ny persons have become dis· P opular Son gs OriglDate in Grand Opera. gusted with the banjo in the past solely on account The melody of the song "Somebody's Coming of hearing some of tbe incompetent stroke players When the Dewdrops Fall," so much sung a few referred to. whose an xious efforts to see how much years ago, and still a favorite in such homes as 1\1ag· " tone" they could obtain from a small banjo, often gie Murphy's, was taken almost bodily from Chop· resulted in producing a horrible din. aptly compared in's funeral march.

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