The Banjo; novelty or something more?

version

version

Well-known member
How seriously do you take it as an instrument? It's often used for comedic effect and it can sound ridiculous, but then you've also got people like Sandy Bull who are brilliant.

 
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version

version

Well-known member
I dunno what it is about it, but it can be quite difficult to get away from the humour of it. I love this, but it's also just cartoonishly hectic.

 
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version

version

Well-known member
I'm trying to think of other instruments which seem to be inherently funny, guess the bassoon would be one.
 
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Bellwoods

Active member
version said:
I'm trying to think of other instruments which seem to be inherently funny, guess the bassoon would be one.
Click to expand...

Unlike the bassoon, tuba, giant drums, etc., I don't think the banjo is about physical comedy at all. Strikes me as more about class/race/"hillbilly" stuff. Borderer-trashing, etc.

And, as noted above, there's transcendent stuff like this (at 37:30)...

 
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mvuent

Void Dweller
maybe part of the reason it's hard to get over the goofiness of banjos etc. is that (I'm assuming, but maybe just protecting my own lack of knowledge) you're not very familiar with the idioms that it's used in? ime it's more common for people to criticize music for being corny or sounding like cartoon music, etc. when we don't understand its idiom very well--cause you recognize the idiom-signifying features but not the expressive twists and nuances. like how rap is often seen as a ridiculous, unintentionally funny genre by people who don't listen to it; they only pick up on the tropes they recognize from snl parodies of it.
 
version

version

Well-known member
Yeah, that's probably on point. My only exposure to the banjo for a long time was stuff played for laughs. It wasn't until much later that I found stuff like Sandy Bull.
 
pattycakes_

pattycakes_

Can turn naughty
Just a possibility but what if its the twang of the notes that partly does it. Eg when you're programming synths and add a little bit of modulation to the pitch to give a sense of drift. Boards of Canada are the most obvious example of this, it gives it a warm fuzzy feeling. Just like the analog drift you used to get on old VHS tapes. But take it too far and you suddenly find yourself in the side show tent at the circus. Each note plucked on a banjo has a little twang to it. Also like the US Southern drawl, can sound smooth and silky, but take it too far and it gets comical. I'm gonna say that this plays a role in what you're getting at here.
 
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mvuent

Void Dweller
good point, pitch bends are inherently funny. unless they're really draw out bc then it's unsettling and siren-like.
 
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version

version

Well-known member
10:55, Zeppelin bootlegs and Jimmy Page being the king of the "way too far bend".

 
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