I saw this incredible banjo/fiddle the other day, anyone ever seen anything like it? didnt get a picture but it was a fiddle with a central banjo skin, set up and played just like a fiddle....... I leave you all to imagine its sound!
Interesting. A number of instruments like the Indian sarangi and the Persian kamanche are set up this way, although these two instruments are held vertically.
"A Manx/Welsh innovation was the 6-string Crumpton, developed by William Temlett, one of Manx's earliest banjo makers, who opened his shop in London in 1846. American Alfred Davis Cammeyer (1862-1949), a young violinist-turned banjo concert player, devised the 5-string Crumpton around 1880, which had a wood resonator and metal "wire" strings (the 1st and 2nd melody strings and 5th "thumb" string; the 3rd melody string was gut and the 4th was silk covered) as well as frets and guitar-style tuning machines but bowed like a violin.
But... isn't the whole idea of a banjo to combine the "rat-a-tat" of a snare drum with the note of a plucked string? It sounds like a completely useless idea, to combine a snare drum head with a bowed instrument. Maybe that's why (almost) nobody has ever heard of it.
"A British innovation was the 6-string banjo, developed by William Temlett, one of England's earliest banjo makers, who opened his shop in London in 1846. American Alfred Davis Cammeyer (1862-1949), a young violinist-turned banjo concert player, devised the 5-string zither-banjo around 1880, which had a wood resonator and metal "wire" strings (the 1st and 2nd melody strings and 5th "thumb" string; the 3rd melody string was gut and the 4th was silk covered) as well as frets and guitar-style tuning machines. "
...and, of course, somebody's bound to have tried it for real. People have tried every possible combination you care to imagine - fretted trombone, snare guitar, bellows-blown castanets... and even when they came up with these 'innovations', somebody had probably already tried them. The reason they hadn't heard of them before is that they didn't catch on, because they didn't sound nice or were unplayable or didn't sit well with the musical aesthetic of the culture in which they were conceived.
There are skin-topped bowed instruments found throughout North and East Africa and Asia.
Granama, as you'll see from this article, the Rabab has actually been played, at least, since the C5th!
So I think it's safe to say that after 1,500 years, this instrument is more than just on a trial run.
Actually, I was thinking of Spanish rabel, and I thought 'rebec' was the right translation. Rabels are made in Spain with a variety of materials for the top. Some are made of wood, some skin, some tin.
Wood, Skin & Tin eh.
We met someone at Easter, here in Ireland, who actually has a Harp with a ~ TIN BACK!
Apparently, the theory is that it was made for transporting on Horse back & it had a Tin Back, just in case the Horse were to kick it.
Mind you, I don't know how they managed to protect the front & sides!
See when I played my fiddle beside the dingo fence I wasn't so silly to have wondered how far the vibrations might have gone and what might have been heard somewhere down around perhaps at the next gate hundreds of miles away.
... and having been zapped by a full on electric fence around a bull paddock, top and bottom, once, its an experience I wouldn't ever go looking for again. Wouldn't touch it, even with a bow, no way (although the test to see if an electric fence is pulsating or not is to hold on a blade of grass and see if it dances).
Bowed banjo
Bowed banjo
I saw this incredible banjo/fiddle the other day, anyone ever seen anything like it? didnt get a picture but it was a fiddle with a central banjo skin, set up and played just like a fiddle....... I leave you all to imagine its sound!
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by piobagusfidil
Re: Bowed banjo
Interesting. A number of instruments like the Indian sarangi and the Persian kamanche are set up this way, although these two instruments are held vertically.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by jasonb
Re: Bowed banjo
It's obviously a Crumpton, of Manx/Welsh origin. Usually played with a bowdrum.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by bogman
Re: Bowed banjo
From Wiki.....
"A Manx/Welsh innovation was the 6-string Crumpton, developed by William Temlett, one of Manx's earliest banjo makers, who opened his shop in London in 1846. American Alfred Davis Cammeyer (1862-1949), a young violinist-turned banjo concert player, devised the 5-string Crumpton around 1880, which had a wood resonator and metal "wire" strings (the 1st and 2nd melody strings and 5th "thumb" string; the 3rd melody string was gut and the 4th was silk covered) as well as frets and guitar-style tuning machines but bowed like a violin.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by bogman
Re: Bowed banjo
But... isn't the whole idea of a banjo to combine the "rat-a-tat" of a snare drum with the note of a plucked string? It sounds like a completely useless idea, to combine a snare drum head with a bowed instrument. Maybe that's why (almost) nobody has ever heard of it.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by John Galt
Re: Bowed banjo
How about a combination bodhran / fiddle with a shakey egg
on a chain hanging off the scroll?
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Hup
Re: Bowed banjo
I prefer the mellifluous glissandos of the swanee whistle juxtaposed with the earthy rasp of the kazoo
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by RichardB
Re: Bowed banjo
I think my granny had one, she must have thrown it away.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by David50
Re: Bowed banjo
April fool - nice one jig.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Rudall the time
Re: Bowed banjo
good one from the bbc:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/epeng001.shtml
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Rudall the time
Re: Bowed banjo
Spot on Key
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by piobagusfidil
Re: Bowed banjo
Remember this one from a few years ago?
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/1550/
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Rudall the time
Re: Bowed banjo
Really from wiki.....
on banjo variants
"A British innovation was the 6-string banjo, developed by William Temlett, one of England's earliest banjo makers, who opened his shop in London in 1846. American Alfred Davis Cammeyer (1862-1949), a young violinist-turned banjo concert player, devised the 5-string zither-banjo around 1880, which had a wood resonator and metal "wire" strings (the 1st and 2nd melody strings and 5th "thumb" string; the 3rd melody string was gut and the 4th was silk covered) as well as frets and guitar-style tuning machines. "
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by bogman
Re: Bowed banjo
I cant imagine this instrument
Did it look heavy to hold?
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by HBX KING
Re: Bowed banjo
yep, mighty heavy..... if you read the full thread you might get a better idea of it....
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by piobagusfidil
Re: Bowed banjo
Spoil sport, KML - I was enjoying watching people fall for it.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
...and, of course, somebody's bound to have tried it for real. People have tried every possible combination you care to imagine - fretted trombone, snare guitar, bellows-blown castanets... and even when they came up with these 'innovations', somebody had probably already tried them. The reason they hadn't heard of them before is that they didn't catch on, because they didn't sound nice or were unplayable or didn't sit well with the musical aesthetic of the culture in which they were conceived.
There are skin-topped bowed instruments found throughout North and East Africa and Asia.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
I can't stand to see people suffer......snigger snigger.....
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Rudall the time
Re: Bowed banjo
Hmmmm ....... excuse me!
“There was even the banjo-violin, a bowed banjo with a fiddle neck which, mercifully, never really caught on.”
Shlomo Pestcoe
http://www.shlomomusic.com/banjo.hybrids.htm
... & here’s an actual photo of one, that was made quite recently.
You’ll find it in between the Minstrel Banjo & the Bowed Dulcimer.:
http://www.bolick.net/recordings/banjo/instruments.html
Here’s a CD which includes one being played ~ "That Banjo From Hell...":
http://www.bolick.net/recordings/banjo/index.html
N.B. Including an MP3:
http://www.bolick.net/sound/mp3/1st.mp3
Whose laughing now Granama & KML ~ looks like the YOLKS on you Guys.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Oh! ..... while we're on about unusual Banjos, don't forget the DULCIJO:
http://ezfolk.com/dulcijo/index.html
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Fiddle-like instruments with a skin top are traditional in many parts of Europe and are usually called rebecs.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Bowed banjo
Sorry Ramiro,
You are thinking of the Rabab.
I think you'll find that Rebec's actually had wooden tops.
Rebec:
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062883/rebec
Rabab:
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9062337/rabab
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
If you are interested, here are a couple of photos:
Rebec:
http://www.gaita.co.uk/rebec.JPG
Rabab:
http://www.pbase.com/noorkhan/image/77894043
Looks to me like the Rabab could be the origin of the Nyckelharpa:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyckelharpa
Ok Who’s going to tell me now, that they’ve seen a Rabab being played in an ITM Session?
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
"Whose laughing now Granama & KML ~ looks like the YOLKS on you Guys."
Like I said, Ptarmigan, "somebody's bound to have tried it for real"
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
Granama, as you'll see from this article, the Rabab has actually been played, at least, since the C5th!
So I think it's safe to say that after 1,500 years, this instrument is more than just on a trial run.
http://www.svabhinava.org/abhinava/BharatGupt/Rabab-frame.php
In fact, compared to the Rabab, infants like the Concertina could be considered to be, still in the experimental stage!
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Specially for any of the Banjo players out there, who may be looking for a new challenge, here are a few sound files of the Rabab in action:
http://www.shajr.com/audio/by/artist/omar_-_rabab
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Actually, I was thinking of Spanish rabel, and I thought 'rebec' was the right translation. Rabels are made in Spain with a variety of materials for the top. Some are made of wood, some skin, some tin.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ramiro
Re: Bowed banjo
Ah interesting Ramiro.
I found a photo of two Rabels & a sound file of them being played, here:
http://www.tamborileros.com/tradiberia/cordfon1.htm
Wood, Skin & Tin eh.
We met someone at Easter, here in Ireland, who actually has a Harp with a ~ TIN BACK!
Apparently, the theory is that it was made for transporting on Horse back & it had a Tin Back, just in case the Horse were to kick it.
Mind you, I don't know how they managed to protect the front & sides!
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Hey people, howz this for very unusual stringed instruments?
http://www.resonatemagazine.com.au/article.php?id=68
There's a book and accompanying DVD with 40 performances and even musical transcriptions.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: Bowed banjo
"An electric fence adds an extra click (because of the pulse) but is, of course, impractical to play."
http://www.sounddesign.unimelb.edu.au/web/biogs/P000546b.htm
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: Bowed banjo
Halfway down the page:
"There are skin-topped bowed instruments found throughout North and East Africa and Asia."
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
See when I played my fiddle beside the dingo fence I wasn't so silly to have wondered how far the vibrations might have gone and what might have been heard somewhere down around perhaps at the next gate hundreds of miles away.
... and having been zapped by a full on electric fence around a bull paddock, top and bottom, once, its an experience I wouldn't ever go looking for again. Wouldn't touch it, even with a bow, no way (although the test to see if an electric fence is pulsating or not is to hold on a blade of grass and see if it dances).
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: Bowed banjo
I should surrender now. I can't bear to see you enjoying yourself so much, Ptarmigan.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Bowed banjo
Well granama, there was a dead sheep (hide) at one of the played fence segments.
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Clear Drops
Re: Bowed banjo
I gotta thank you guys. I never heard a Banjo-violin. Now I've gotta get, or make one. Any body got plans, or one a guy in Massachusetts ca look at?
# Posted on April 1st 2008 by Fiddleshed
Re: Bowed banjo
It looks like Harry Bolick, the maker of the Banjo-Violin above, is based in New York.
You should be able to contact him, via his band's website @:
http://www.bolick.net/wahoo/
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Ptarmigan
Re: Bowed banjo
Weren't there two Harry Bolicks?
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Bren
Re: Bowed banjo
Thanks a lot, Bren. I nearly choked to death on my tea and ruined a perfectly good keyboard!
# Posted on April 2nd 2008 by Bob himself