Banjo Madness

My Grandpa was an amazing guitar player. He started playing when he was very young. It was free entertainment during the depression years and it was a fun activity that he could do with friends and family. He and his brothers would get together and play their guitars while his parents and sister would sing. Not that they were the Osmonds or the Jacksons but they were pretty good.

Grandpa in his chair

Since I was little, at every family event there would be live music with my grandpa setting down a great steady rhythm on his guitar. I can even hear it now, especially when aided by the tapes that were sometimes recorded at the really special events. My Grandma and a couple family friends leading on the fiddle, Alice on the piano, Uncle Len (who made his living as a bar musician) playing his 12 string or his steel guitar, Uncle Frank setting down the bass line and Grandpa playing rhythm guitar. This group throughout the years, with some additions and subtractions, was known as the Carousel Band and the Haney Old Time Fiddlers. When I was very lucky I would get to see them play at tea dances and various events. None of them did it for the money. I think they mostly played together just to play. You see, all of them were retired by this time. They had all played together when back in the 60's my grandparents had hosted crazy blowout dances in their basement. But once they all retired I think they maintained the band so that they could hangout and play together all the time. Even in his last few years when he would be in and out of his own head, he always enjoyed playing his guitar.

Picture off one of The Haney Old Time Fiddlers Records

Sometimes if I was very, very lucky Grandpa would get out his Banjo. Not only was he a highly skilled guitar player but he could play anything with strings; guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, steel slide guitar. He even tried his hand at the piano. Oh, and did I mention that he couldn't read music? He always learned things by ear. Anyways, if we were very lucky the Banjo would come out. He could do all the tricks that George Formby made famous. Grandpa's banjo was a beautiful 1927 tenor Whyte Lady Vega. Of course I didn't know any of that at the time. I just knew that he was fantastic. I will always remember when he would play and he would be doing some crazy strum, he would look at me and he would wink.

Grandpa's Whyte Lady Vega Banjo

When my Grandpa died all of his fabulous instruments went into storage at my Grandpa's house. Since picking up the ukulele, I've gotten the idea that maybe I could learn to play the banjo. It always seemed impossible that I would be a good string player. I've got short stubby fingers and because of that I've have always leaned towards woodwind instruments. The strumming and chording always looked like a magic trick when I watched my Grandpa play. I guess I've learned recently while playing the uke that it's less magic and more skill which I don't yet and may never possess. Recently my Grandma gave me The Banjo. It's a pretty loud instrument to learn in an apartment building so I've only been playing it during the day with the resonator off and a towel tucked behind the head to quiet it. I've changed some of the strings around so that it is tuned like one of my ukes (GCEA) which I'm sure my Grandpa would have called sacrilege but on the other hand I'm sure he would be happy that it's being played. Ever time I pick it up I feel a strange connection to him and wish that I had started playing years ago when he was still alive. If I ever become even a fraction of the banjo player he was I will call that a win.

Headstock of the Banjo

Back to practicing!