Music Trade Review
Issue: 1924 Vol. 79 N. 26 - Page 38
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
38
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Steady and Constant Advance in
the Popularity of the American Banjo
Walter Grover, of A. D. Grover & Son, Long Island City, N. Y., Outlines the Factors Which
Have Contributed to the Advance of America's Own Instrument
TTHE year just passed has seen more impor-
tant steps in the development and improve-
ment of the banjo than probably any other year
since that instrument first made its appearance.
This was due primarily to the greatly increased
demand for tenor-banjos of all grades and par-
ticularly for those of the highest class retailing
from $75 to $350. While the word "banjo" has
always been used to designate the five-string,
long-necked instrument, the greatly increased
popularity of the tenor-banjo of shorter scale
and with only four strings and the very general
use of the word "banjo" in relation- to this in-
strument, seems to justify dropping the word
"tenor" when naming this very popular mem-
ber of the banjo family, at least in commercial
circles. The public has come to know the tenor-
banjo and, knowing that member of the family
only, calls it "Mr. Smith," not yet having learned
that its first name is "John."
When the banjo, as we will now call it, made
its first appearance in dance orchestras, it was
played in a peculiar manner; the ban joist play-
VEGA
BANJOS
String and
Band Instruments
The Vega Company
ing one string at a time mostly in tremolo and
playing either the lead of a tenor or second
violin part. It was only the novelty of the
effect produced that made the banjo last a year,
for this "pop-corn music," as some called it,
was hardly pleasing to the ear. When about to
sink for the third time, some one started the
vogue of playing chords in rhythm and the
banjo commenced its long march to victory.
While at first there were very few good chord
players, the number has steadily increased, and
to-day practically every dance orchestra banjoist
is as good a musician as any other member of
the orchestra and has come to be considered
fully as necessary as the piano, drum, cornet
or saxophone and—'Shades of Stradivarius!—
more important than the regal violin.
The chief reason for the great and constantly
increasing popularity of the banjo is, of course,
•the American public. That the public should like
the sound of the banjo is only natural, for the
banjo is our only real American instrument—
the only instrument that originated in this coun-
try. The public's attitude toward the banjo
during the past eight years has been like that
of a mother who had lost her child when a baby
but in later years became vaguely suspicious of
a strange boy who was brought to her attention.
Bearing him under close scrutiny for a pro
longed period, her convictions ;*ew and grew
until at last, with a cry of joy, she gathered him
in her a; ms and claimed him as. her own. To-
day Mother Public craves banjo music and can-
not seem to got enough of it. Accordingly,
orchestra leaders are giving their banjoists more
opportunities to shine alone and really good
banjo solos are becoming quite common.
As the natural outcome, banjoists are now
being paid large salaries, ranging from $75 to
$300 weekly. With these greatly increased earn-
ings the banjoist has looked to the manufacturer
DECEMBER 27,
1924
for better instruments and the manufacturer has
responded nobly. Our banjos, as made to-day,
are real musical instruments of which we may
well be proud. In construction they are sound
and strong, capable of standing up perfectly
under many years of usage, provided they are
given the proper attention.
Tone Chamber
The tone chamber of the instrument is one
feature that manufacturers have studied closely
and several important inventions have been
made on this part. The resonator back, which
reflects the tone and increases the facility of
holding the instrument, has proved to be a real
improvement and has been adopted by practi-
cally every manufacturer of high-grade instru-
ments. Whereas a year ago most banjos were
made with a scale of about nineteen inches,
scales of twenty-one to twenty-three inches are
now the vogue and the tonal qualities of instru-
ments having these longer scales are greatly
unproved. Aside from the construction of the
banjo, attention has been given to the woods
used and mahogany, rosewood, white holly, wal-
nut and curly maple have been combined with
mother-of-pearl and metal parts, in gold and
silver finishes, to produce effects that are'a de-
light to the eye. No richer effects have ever
been attained in the making of any other instru-
ments. The arm of the banjo often presents a
tine example of the art of wood carving and the
writer knows of two manufacturers who employ
as carvers men who were formerly sculptors
New
Features
Tempered Aluminum Floor
Rack and Resonators.
The lightest Xylophones
with Resonators in the world.
The New Deagan Tilting Floor Rack.
155 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass.
ico.
Send for the
Latest 1925 Catalog
Wholesale Distributors and
Manufacturers of Musical
Merchandise of Quality
Write for your copy today!
Musical Instrument Cases
KOVERITE
Write for agency proposition on these
fast-selling Deagan Instruments
Moist Proof and Air Tight
Prolongs Life and Improves
Tone of Any Instrument
J. C. Deagan, Inc.
Ask Your Jobber or
Write Us for Samples.
L1FTON MFG. CO.
Makeri of Musical Instrument
Cases, Folios, Rolls, Brief Case*.
Deagan Building
1786 Berteau Ave.
40 46 West 20th St., N.Y.
ressive
^MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
CORPORATtON^
319 Sixth Ave., New York City
ORPHEUM and
Super-Orpheum
$or
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
SINCE 1883
The Fred Gretsch Mfe Co.
BANJOS
Direct from Factory to Dealer
WILLIAM L. LANGE
225 East 24th Street
GRETSCH
Trade
Mark
New York
6O Broadway
Brooklyn.N.Y
Chicago
38
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
The Steady and Constant Advance in
the Popularity of the American Banjo
Walter Grover, of A. D. Grover & Son, Long Island City, N. Y., Outlines the Factors Which
Have Contributed to the Advance of America's Own Instrument
TTHE year just passed has seen more impor-
tant steps in the development and improve-
ment of the banjo than probably any other year
since that instrument first made its appearance.
This was due primarily to the greatly increased
demand for tenor-banjos of all grades and par-
ticularly for those of the highest class retailing
from $75 to $350. While the word "banjo" has
always been used to designate the five-string,
long-necked instrument, the greatly increased
popularity of the tenor-banjo of shorter scale
and with only four strings and the very general
use of the word "banjo" in relation- to this in-
strument, seems to justify dropping the word
"tenor" when naming this very popular mem-
ber of the banjo family, at least in commercial
circles. The public has come to know the tenor-
banjo and, knowing that member of the family
only, calls it "Mr. Smith," not yet having learned
that its first name is "John."
When the banjo, as we will now call it, made
its first appearance in dance orchestras, it was
played in a peculiar manner; the ban joist play-
VEGA
BANJOS
String and
Band Instruments
The Vega Company
ing one string at a time mostly in tremolo and
playing either the lead of a tenor or second
violin part. It was only the novelty of the
effect produced that made the banjo last a year,
for this "pop-corn music," as some called it,
was hardly pleasing to the ear. When about to
sink for the third time, some one started the
vogue of playing chords in rhythm and the
banjo commenced its long march to victory.
While at first there were very few good chord
players, the number has steadily increased, and
to-day practically every dance orchestra banjoist
is as good a musician as any other member of
the orchestra and has come to be considered
fully as necessary as the piano, drum, cornet
or saxophone and—'Shades of Stradivarius!—
more important than the regal violin.
The chief reason for the great and constantly
increasing popularity of the banjo is, of course,
•the American public. That the public should like
the sound of the banjo is only natural, for the
banjo is our only real American instrument—
the only instrument that originated in this coun-
try. The public's attitude toward the banjo
during the past eight years has been like that
of a mother who had lost her child when a baby
but in later years became vaguely suspicious of
a strange boy who was brought to her attention.
Bearing him under close scrutiny for a pro
longed period, her convictions ;*ew and grew
until at last, with a cry of joy, she gathered him
in her a; ms and claimed him as. her own. To-
day Mother Public craves banjo music and can-
not seem to got enough of it. Accordingly,
orchestra leaders are giving their banjoists more
opportunities to shine alone and really good
banjo solos are becoming quite common.
As the natural outcome, banjoists are now
being paid large salaries, ranging from $75 to
$300 weekly. With these greatly increased earn-
ings the banjoist has looked to the manufacturer
DECEMBER 27,
1924
for better instruments and the manufacturer has
responded nobly. Our banjos, as made to-day,
are real musical instruments of which we may
well be proud. In construction they are sound
and strong, capable of standing up perfectly
under many years of usage, provided they are
given the proper attention.
Tone Chamber
The tone chamber of the instrument is one
feature that manufacturers have studied closely
and several important inventions have been
made on this part. The resonator back, which
reflects the tone and increases the facility of
holding the instrument, has proved to be a real
improvement and has been adopted by practi-
cally every manufacturer of high-grade instru-
ments. Whereas a year ago most banjos were
made with a scale of about nineteen inches,
scales of twenty-one to twenty-three inches are
now the vogue and the tonal qualities of instru-
ments having these longer scales are greatly
unproved. Aside from the construction of the
banjo, attention has been given to the woods
used and mahogany, rosewood, white holly, wal-
nut and curly maple have been combined with
mother-of-pearl and metal parts, in gold and
silver finishes, to produce effects that are'a de-
light to the eye. No richer effects have ever
been attained in the making of any other instru-
ments. The arm of the banjo often presents a
tine example of the art of wood carving and the
writer knows of two manufacturers who employ
as carvers men who were formerly sculptors
New
Features
Tempered Aluminum Floor
Rack and Resonators.
The lightest Xylophones
with Resonators in the world.
The New Deagan Tilting Floor Rack.
155 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass.
ico.
Send for the
Latest 1925 Catalog
Wholesale Distributors and
Manufacturers of Musical
Merchandise of Quality
Write for your copy today!
Musical Instrument Cases
KOVERITE
Write for agency proposition on these
fast-selling Deagan Instruments
Moist Proof and Air Tight
Prolongs Life and Improves
Tone of Any Instrument
J. C. Deagan, Inc.
Ask Your Jobber or
Write Us for Samples.
L1FTON MFG. CO.
Makeri of Musical Instrument
Cases, Folios, Rolls, Brief Case*.
Deagan Building
1786 Berteau Ave.
40 46 West 20th St., N.Y.
ressive
^MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
CORPORATtON^
319 Sixth Ave., New York City
ORPHEUM and
Super-Orpheum
$or
MUSICAL MERCHANDISE
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKERS
SINCE 1883
The Fred Gretsch Mfe Co.
BANJOS
Direct from Factory to Dealer
WILLIAM L. LANGE
225 East 24th Street
GRETSCH
Trade
Mark
New York
6O Broadway
Brooklyn.N.Y
Chicago
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