ETUDE
June 1941
volume LIX
number 6
page 421-422

The Mandolin and Banjo

By George C. Krick

IN A RECENT COMMUNICATION one of our readers asks the following question: “Can I make a living by playing the mandolin professionally or do you advise making a study of the banjo also?”

To give an intelligent answer to this inquiry let us first decide what is meant by making a living. We have known many young men who are satisfied and able to get along on an income of thirty or forty dollars a week and again others who would not be satisfied with anything less than five thousand dollars a year. It all depends on the person, his needs and desires. To begin the study of any instrument with the sole idea of making money out of it, and because one feels it is an easy way to make a living, is wrong and in most instances leads to disappointment and failure later on. After one has devoted several years to the study of an instrument that in all respects has the greatest appeal to one’s musical nature, and then has thorough}y enjoyed playing it without thought of any financial reward, not until then should he think of the possibility of using it professionally.

Now let us see what opportunities may present themselves to a mandolinist. First, through concert and radio appearances; second, through orchestra playing and, third, through teaching.

It goes without saying that the greatest ambition of almost every instrumentalist is to become a concert and radio artist, but to reach this goal it is necessary to travel a hard and long road; and history has shown that only a select few reach the top. If you have a superabundance of talent, an outstanding personality; if you possess a certain amount of showmanship and have a technic that far surpasses that of most other players you undoubtedly will be able to get paying engagements as a mandolinist. But you must also be able to “sell yourself” to the public, as it would prove quite difficult to persuade any of the prominent concert managers to agree to arrange a regular series of public recitals for a mandolin virtuoso. The radio would probably offer better and quicker opportunities for a capable mandolinist, as the program managers of radio stations are continually on the lookout for artists able to offer something unusual and of exceptional merit. We also believe that a small plectrum orchestra of from eight to twelve players directed by an outstanding mandolinist offering novel and artistic musical entertainment would find a fertile field in radio and on the stage, a field that in our opinion has not been sufficiently exploited.

The dance orchestra has never proved a proper setting for the mandolin and we doubt very much that even an exceptional player would find opportunities to get ahead in that direction.

The Mandolin Teacher

As a teacher a mandolinist is able to establish himself in a profession that gives a lot of satisfaction and ample financial reward to the one who makes a success of it. To do so one must have the ability to “teach” others, get along with people, know how to handle children and adults and above all believe in himself and his profession. It is necessary to make a comprehensive study also of the banjo and different types of guitar in order to become a recognized teacher of all the fretted instruments. While occupied with the various teaching problems one should continually strive to maintain and improve one’s own technic and present the mandolin in recital at every opportunity in order to popularize it with the musical public.

The Banjo

Often called “the real American instrument,” the banjo has had its greatest and most numerous admirers among the English speaking nations – United States, Great Britain, South Africa and Australia. Shortly after the World War in the early twenties the tenor banjo was introduced into the dance orchestra and during these years was perhaps the most popular instrument of all. A professional banjoist of those days could almost dictate his own terms, as the demand for capable players was greater than the supply. Today the plectrum guitar has taken the place of the banjo in the dance orchestras, and only occasionally do we hear the snappy exhilarating tone of the banjo in connection with these professional orchestras. Consequently the chances for anyone to earn a living as an orchestra banjoist are quite limited. On the other hand the banjo appeals particularly to amateur players as exemplified by the many banjo bands flourishing in all parts of the country; and it, no doubt, will always be a part of our musical life. So again, as in the case of the mandolin, the surest road to success for an accomplished banjoist is the teaching profession, and the same rules and requirements apply to a banjoist as already outlined for a mandolinist. In both instances a thorough knowledge of all the fretted instruments is the foundation upon which a successful career may be established.

In the Solo Field

There have been some banjoists, especially those exponents of the five string banjo who have had most successful careers as soloists. Alfred Farland has traveled far and wide delighting audiences with his classic renditions on the banjo. Farland was not only a veritable virtuoso, but also a keen business man, who acted most successfully as his own press agent and concert manager for many years. Frederic Bacon another five-string banjo expert is known to every lover of the instrument and has appeared on all the vaudeville circuits of former days and has made also many concert tours. In our opinion the remarkable success of these artists was in a large measure due to the fact that they used the standard five string banjo which is the most effective of all the instruments of this family for solo use.

C. G. S., TOLEDO

Andres Segovia is now residing in Montevideo, Uruguay. J. Martinez Oyanguren has boarded a steamer for South America where he will spend three months giving recitals in the leading cities of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and other cities, returning to New York in July. Vicente Gomez will appear in a new version of “Blood and Sand” starring Tyrone Power, a motion picture now in production in one of the Hollywood Studios. He is to play four of his own compositions.