Posted by mojohand on Thursday, July 2, 2009
These recent discussions on Bum Ditty have been pretty hard to take. On one level I feel it is completely ridiculous the way some members here want to disect the frailing stroke and label it this or that. When in the end its all the same anyway. But the heated discussions have opened my eyes to what I see as "Old Time Snobbery". Which is funny because this type of music should really be the most welcoming and UN- snobbish type of music there is. It's folk songs for crying out loud. From the FOLKS...the people. Played in relaxed settings for enjoyment or to tell a stroy. But there is definately an element here that feels if you don't play your banjo in the Round Peak or melodic style, then you are really not playing old time music. If you do the "basic" bum ditty, then that's fine for a beginner, but you should really abandon it if you REALLY want to play the banjo. Hogwash such as, "you can't play with a fiddle if you play that way" is tossed around and believed by a lot of people. I think this discourages a lot of new players. All the posts will start out with nice things to say like, "I feel you should play what you want" and be quickly followed up with a "but if you really want to play Old Time you should..." Or "The bum ditty is ok if you just want to sit around your house and sing to yourself, but if you want to play in a jam or with a fiddler then you can't do that". Complete and utter non-sense. That's the attitude that KEEPS people at home; afraid to go out and try to play with others. It is also beyond my comprehension why these same people continually knock the Costello's for bringing banjo to the masses and keeping the living tradition of music alive. These same people who slam Patrick for being opinionated and abrasive, seem to be pretty darn abrasive and opinionated themselves. So I would hope they look in the mirror before continuing their tirades against him. And for full disclosure, I enjoy his teaching very much. I subscribe to his youtube page and check the Daily Frail daily. I have learned a great deal from him. He teaches a solid foundation that you can take anywhere and apply to whatever type of music you wish to. And yes, that even applies to old time music. And I assure you, you can play along with a fiddle if you choose.
4 comments on “Old Time Snobbery”
flowerofthewest Says:
Thursday, July 2, 2009 @2:55:52 PM
Well, as much as I don't like the 'old time snobbery' it exists here in the UK, too.
I have stopped going to a jam session that taught me the basics of jamming with others because of one person always criticising how I play. It's just not fun any more.
I play the way I play. I am ME. These are MY hands and fingers. As long as I have the chords right and the timing right, what's the big deal?
mojohand Says:
Thursday, July 2, 2009 @7:40:27 PM
I completely agree flower
FiddlerFaddler Says:
Thursday, July 2, 2009 @8:47:58 PM
Maybe because of being in the Midwest I have been spared seeing that sort of thing around here. I think that we are generally more accepting of folks that can get notes out of a drum with strings across it, regardless of how they do it. At the last jam I attended (a twice-a-month mixed jam), a relatively new (to the banjo) player took her fingerpicks off and played a tune clawhammer-style - now that's open-minded and flexible! At that jam and in my barn dance band we have three-pickers and clawhammerists play side-by-side.
PruchaLegend Says:
Thursday, July 2, 2009 @11:23:58 PM
First, I think three finger style and clawhammer played together sounds great! Just ask Alan Munde and Wayne Shrubsall who made a CD together called "Old Friends."
Second, there is only one way to incorrectly play the banjo and that is to not play at all.
Play any way you want to. As stated above, just pay attention to the chords and timing.
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