[Dixielandjazz] Pete Seeger Banjo Style vs. OKOM Banjo Style

[Mike Woitowicz]

Thanks to Hans Koert for the interesting old videos of Pete Seeger playing 
the banjo. It's been a long time since I've seen him sing and play.

Seeger played a 5-string banjo, in a style known as "drop thumb" and used 
his fingers to pick out the rhythmic melody. This style was used in folk 
music, of the type that he sang, as well as others of the period. This style 
is not, to my knowledge used in OKOM, but is used mainly to accompany 
singers, as well as play folk tunes. These banjos also sometime had longer 
necks which allowed for a low tuning to better fit the vocal range of the 
folk singers who used them.

Others who played 5-string banjo used finger picks in a style made famous by 
the bluegrass artist, Earl Scruggs. Although he did not invent this idea, he 
became so proficient at it and made it so famous, the style was called 
"Scruggs style" pickin.' Usually, this style is also not generally used in 
OKOM (Now that I've said this, someone will probably point out a band with a 
5-string banjo playing Scruggs style).

The four string banjo is almost always used in OKOM as a chordal and rhythm 
instrument. It is a derivative of the 5-string and was found to be more 
effective when played with a flat pick and in either a strumming, single 
string mode or a combination known as "chord melody". There are several 
different tunings of 4 string banjos which provide a different chordal 
"punch" as a result of the pitch of the strings (boring technical details 
skipped). However, most people (and band leaders) don't know or can't tell 
the difference or don't really give a hoot.

Interestingly, there's an OKOM banjoist in my area who plays a long neck 
four string banjo which I believe is tuned to a low folk singer range pitch. 
The low pitch makes the chords sound so muddy that it's difficult to 
distinguish between chord changes. It's a Chunka, Chunka rhythm with very 
little chord differentiation. I personally find it unpleasant, but I happen 
to like the bright sound of a tenor banjo.

Listen to the music on my Banjo Barons page for some tunes played with 2 
four-string banjos (different tunings) and on my Dixie Barons page with my 
tenor banjo providing chords, rhythm and melody solos to traditional 
Dixieland tunes. The sounds are quite different from the Seeger folk music.

Mike Woitowicz
The Banjo Barons Ragtime Band
The Dixie Barons Dixieland Band
www.banjomusic.biz