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It's Too LOUD!

How to play the tenor banjo more quietly.

by Ed Bernet

Recently, my brother was happily playing chords on his plectrum banjo during a show with his banjo band. Like the great team player he is, he was concentrating on watching the music, getting every chord and all the timing just right. All of a sudden, his teammate in front of him stood up and turned around…in front of the audience and the other band members… and proceeded to cuss him out for playing too loudly. While the profanity and the "gentleman's" actions were embarrassing to everyone and unforgivable under the circumstances…his complaint should have been handled in a more thoughtful and discreet manner…we can all profi t from the experience. We can learn to play the banjo more softly…and we can practice using less volume when the situation calls for it.

The banjo is a combination of a musical instrument and a percussion instrument. That probably was the intention of its' earliest originators. You play the melody or chords and you help keep time with its' percussive sound. It was used for both those purposes in the early big bands, before the development of the electric guitar. It could be heard above the other instruments when an acoustic guitar could not.

A banjo is generally thought of as a "rather loud" instrument. Even the name probably came from "banger"… indicating that the instrument was to be "banged". Some individual banjos are inherently louder than others, having to do with tightness of the head, size and depth of the banjo, the metal ring over which the head is stretched, the back of the banjo, the wood, etc. However, any banjo can be played softly, with dexterity, feeling and lower volume when the music and situation demand. It really can be a beautiful musical sound. That has been proven many times over by our best-known banjo artists across the country. Not only can they play loud and fast but they can play softly and beautifully as well.

There is really no trick to learning to play softly. It takes only the understanding of the fact that sometimes it is desirable to do so.

The one thing that's really necessary, though, is to learn to hold the pick between the thumb and index fi nger in such a way…turned slightly at an angle to the strings, not fl at against the strings…so that the roundness of the corner of the pick seems to "roll" over the string rather than "picking" it. The softer you hold the pick, with less fi nger pressure on it, the softer the sound. With a little practice, you'll arrive at that thin line between holding it just right and holding it so softly that you can't keep from dropping it.

It works best for me to slightly angle the pick "up" rather than "down", using the tips of my last two fi ngers as a stabilizer, resting on the banjo head just beneath the strings. I know of some players who are more comfortable angling the pick "down".

When you've spent some time practicing holding the pick softly, at a slight angle to the strings, practice a tremolo, a "quick-repeat" picking, or "rolling" over a single string. Practice at a very low level, gradually increasing and decreasing the volume and intensity as you progress. It's good practice to tremolo over the strings on a "single string" playing of a tune, trying to make it so soft that you can barely hear it. With practice, you can play at a level that is almost out of hearing range. When you've done that, then you can control your volume properly and be able to play with so much more variety in intensity and emotion…usually with good response from your audience. Playing that way with soft guitar accompaniment or with other banjos also playing softly can be very beautiful.

Also practice chording while holding the pick in the same general way, letting it just "brush" or "roll" over the strings rather than plunking them. Practice chording as softly as you can and still hold the pick in you fi ngers. You'll fi nd that you can play with the same good, full feel of the banjo without the use of a mute. There's a place for the "muted" sound, but it does change the "feel" of the sound as well as the volume of the sound. Practice these simple ideas, then you can use the volume you want, when you want it, rather than play at a loud volume all the time. You'll enjoy being able to play more "beautifully" than before…and you'll lessen the risk of having some lout jump on you for playing too loudly.

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A former SMU and Pittsburgh Steeler footballer, who has been the leader of Dallas' famous entertainment group, The Levee Singers, since 1961, sings and plays tenor banjo. As a solo performer, he provides his unique blend of talents at conventions, society parties, banquets, company meetings and all kinds of other special events. His natural quick wit and low-key, "well-seasoned-non-rural-Texas" personality serve as catalysts for much good humor during an appearance. He's able to "think well on his feet" and is a master at being sure the "show goes smoothly" while never appearing to take himself too seriously.

His music is a blend of a wide variety of different styles of "good old favorites" and he encourages his audience, when the situation calls for it, to join in. For familiar, good-time songs and upbeat, happy instrumental banjo music…Ed Bernet is the right choice.