Historical Origin and Stylistic Developments of the Five-String Banjo

THE CONTENTION THAT THE FIVE-STRING BANJO is an instrument indigenous to America and invented by Joel Sweeney is an assumption that has reappeared persistently and been accepted as truth with little evidence to support the position. Explanation of this situation can be attributed to several factors. The colorful history of the instrument during its relatively short existence is perhaps a main factor, combined with the penchant to report interesting and colorful things in a way that is more fascinating than academic. To date there appears not to be a comprehensive history of the instrument and the facets of its development,2 even though it has existed for approximately one hundred and forty years. Many writers have been content to presume that, because banjo music is so uniquely American, the instrument must be also, and consequently the question of its ultimate origin has not been generally and seriously questioned. Obscurity surrounds the precise dating of the five-string variety of banjo. While most of the banjo playing styles can be traced with reasonable accuracy, the dating and location of the fifth-string addition to the banjo appears lost in the maze of folklore. Part of the difficulty involved in dating is the dearth of five-string banjos of sufficient age for consideration as the first extant instrument. To date I have located only two instruments of sufficient age to justify such consideration. Another factor is the lack of information about the two instruments under considera

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• Dueling Perceptions

  Josh Sopiarz•Popular Music & Society•2016

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