Evolution of the Banjo from Africa to Appalachia

One of the most iconic moments of my childhood was watching a little green frog play a banjo on a log in the middle of a swamp. Kermit’s song, Rainbow Connection, was one of my first experiences with the banjo and it is an instrument that I have come to love and appreciate ever since.

Original banjos created using gourds and animal hides

To me, the banjo is a very happy sounding instrument. I personally have associated the banjo with the deep south and more “redneck” areas and so I always thought of it as a very American instrument. However, because of its roots in the south I shouldn’t have been so surprised to find out that the banjo was originally brought to the United States during the slave trade and therefore, has a much deeper African history than it does American. The banjo has African origins as far back as the 1600’s when an animal hide was secured over a hollowed out gourd and attached to a neck containing three to four strings. The gourd and animal hide were similar to a drum, but with the neck and strings attached, the earthy banjo sound was created. It's also important to note that unlike the banjos of today, the original instrument was fretless and remained fretless for many years. Many Africans were not able to bring these instruments with them when they were forcefully brought across the sea, but instead were able to recreate the banjo on the plantations using the same or similar materials. In the video below, Cedric Watson plays the American Folk song, Darlin' Cori (first recorded in 1927, but the exact date of creation is unknown) on his gourd banjo which resembles the banjos first created by the African people.

As you can hear, the gourd banjo has a very authentic, earthy sound. In this particular video, the timbre of the banjo is perfectly paired with Watson's voice. His vocal quality is very clear, yet is accentuated with the slightest bit of rasp. It's a very peaceful and calming listen which is why I enjoy this earliest version of the banjo.

Because of the banjo's origins in Africa and its prominence in the slave trade, many upper class Americans saw the banjo as an inferior or lower class instrument and were therefore strongly against popularizing it. So, unfortunately, the instrument remained unpopular until it was picked up by a white man and used specifically to make fun of the people who taught him how to play it.

The minstrel banjo popularized by Sweeney

This man was Joel Walker Sweeney. Sweeney was born in Virginia in 1810 and is often credited with evolving and popularizing the banjo. In the mid 1800's, Sweeney added a fifth string to the banjo and traveled around the United States and Europe performing minstrel shows. In these performances, Sweeney would blacken his face, play songs that were written by black musicians, and go on to tell jokes and make fun of the African people. He was a top sensation of the 1800's. In the following video, Rhiannon Giddens, a very gifted banjo player from North Carolina, will perform the songs Hard Times and Camptown Hornpipe of the 1855 American Brigg's Banjo Instructor, using the style of banjo that was evolved by Sweeney. Notice that the banjo has five strings and is still a fretless instrument.

In comparing these two videos, we can see how the sound had progressed from the earliest African creation to the minstrel banjo of the mid 1800's. The latter has a richer and fuller sound and does not have quite the same earthiness as the gourd banjo. Additionally, the pitch of the minstrel banjo is higher and there is more range with the addition of the fifth string. Giddens plays using the clawhammer method where each string is played using the back of the middle or index finger and then played again with the thumb. This playing method is very different compared to the modern style of banjo playing that we know today and which I will cover later. By using the clawhammer method, the sound of the banjo is very elegant and very fitting to be played in a place like The Met. This version of the banjo, especially when played by Rhiannon Giddens, is my favorite mostly because of its regality and elegance. 

Scrugg's modernized banjo

In the 20th century, the banjo began to evolve once more, this time by way of Appalachia. Although the banjo was around as early as the late 1700's in the region, it wasn't until the minstrel shows that it became widely accepted and appreciated. The birth of bluegrass music came in 1945 when North Carolina born Earl Scruggs introduced his style of three-finger picking the five string banjo. Scruggs had a few bluegrass hits including his December 1949 single, Foggy Mountain Breakdown which I will include below. 

Compared to the other two tracks we've listened to, this sound is a lot more like the banjo that we hear in modern bluegrass music. The timbre has evolved to the very distinguishable twangy sound and in this song specifically, Scruggs is able to play with a very fast tempo using his three-finger picking method. Also, notice now that the instrument is a lot more modernized including frets. The reason why this style of playing is great is because it is the kind of sound that can get a whole room of tired people up on their feet and dancing. 

As you can see, the banjo has had a rich history, first in Africa and then in the United States. It is a fun and beautiful instrument that has continued to be a staple of 21st century American bluegrass music and even pop music with songs like Beyonce's recently released Texas Hold 'Em. I am excited to see how much more the banjo will continue to evolve and weave its way in and out of mainstream music. Until then, I will keep enjoying the music of banjo's past and I hope that you all do the same! 

Works Cited

“About Earl Scruggs.” Earl Scruggs Center, earlscruggscenter.org/about-us/about-earl-scruggs/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.

“Banjos.” Smithsonian Music, music.si.edu/spotlight/banjos-smithsonian. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.

McNeela, Paraic. “The Banjo Unplugged: Its African Birth and Irish Legacy.” McNeela Music, 6 Jan. 2024, blog.mcneelamusic.com/the-history-of-the-5-string-banjo/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.

Smith, Whitney. “Discovering the Roots of Appalachian Music.” The North Carolina Arboretum, 22 June 2016, www.ncarboretum.org/2016/06/22/discovering-roots-appalachian-music/. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.

Witt, Lawrence. “A Brief History of Minstrel Banjo.” Deering, Deering Banjos, 28 July 2017, blog.deeringbanjos.com/a-brief-history-of-minstrel-banjo. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.

---. “    What Is Clawhammer Banjo?” Deering, Deering Banjos, 15 Mar. 2023, blog.deeringbanjos.com/what-is-clawhammer-banjo#:~:text=Simply%20put%3A%20clawhammer%20describes%20a. Accessed 29 Sept. 2024.