[Dixielandjazz] Guitar Volume

[Scott Anthony]

In the last few years, after playing only banjo for 46 of them, I have 
started playing/learning 6 string archtop jazz guitar (as well as building 
them) using the "Freddie Green" chord technique for rhythm guitar. This 
technique uses only 3 notes on the 6th, 4th, and 3rd strings and definitely 
produces a powerful "pulse" that can be (more felt than) heard in back of a 
band because of the voicing of the chords. This is "how on earth" he managed 
to be heard.

However, this pulse is entirely for rhythm - it has much less pitch content 
than a plectrum or tenor banjo would if it were played in the same setting. 
Freddie Green virtually never played a solo partly because a single string 
or mixed single-string/chord solo would never be audible unamplified in the 
Basie band.

During the 20s and early 30s dance bands used tenor banjos almost always as 
far as I know. Eddie Condon was an exception - during the 20's he played 
plectrum banjo, and then when the guitar "sound" became more popular and 
acceptable, he switched to plectrum (4-string) guitar. The posed pictures of 
20s dance bands may show a guitar sitting there, but I bet you can only hear 
a banjo on the recordings. In addition, the tenor banjo tuning in 5ths 
allowed violin, viola, and cello players to migrate to it with no trouble so 
it opened up a lot of opportunities for more classically oriented players to 
work in popular venues. I would imagine smaller groups could have used 
guitar, but I don't know. As soon as it became possible to amplify the 
guitar, it took over and the banjo almost disappeared in dance band 
settings.

I'm not positive all I understand about this is correct, but old notions die 
hard.

Scott Anthony

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 9:33 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Guitar Volume


> With all the conjecture about the lack of volume with guitars, how on 
> earth
> then, did Freddie Green manage to be heard, UNAMPLIFIED, in Basie's Band?
> Man, he anchored that rhythm section like a metronome and as many times as 
> I
> saw that band, I always heard Green's pulse from wherever I sat.
>
> ---snip
>
> Freddie said he once tried the electric guitar but added. "I've still got
> the thing sitting up in my room. It was about four or five years ago. I
> didn't stay with it long. I couldn't get the sound I wanted, and it was 
> hard
> getting the tone adjusted so it wouldn't sound too loud over the band. I
> didn't get with it, and I don't think Basie had too much eyes for it. 
> Every
> once in a while, he'd say 'Soften down', and so finally I just put it 
> away.
>
> Green went on to talk of his favorites in the increasingly rare art of
> unamplified rhythm guitar. He cites Allan Reuss, the late John Truehart
> (with Chick Webb), Freddie Guy, and Charlie Christian. Freddie also 
> enjoyed
> Christian as a soloist, "He revolutionized the guitar."
>
> ---end snip
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
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