Last night I went to a picking session not far from our house. This weekly session has been put on for the last several months by a couple who moved here recently, and they are doing a fine public service for local musicians by giving us a chance to get together and pick.
I usually have a fine time at the session. Although few of the pickers are pros, they are usually competent musicians and nice folks who know what to do in a jam. But there are exceptions to this behavior.
A couple of weeks ago a new banjo player showed up, and he did not have good “Banjo Manners”. As we played tunes and songs, he played LOUDLY all the time— right through all the other people’s playing, and all during the singing.
The session’s hostess, who is an excellent musician and has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard, began singing early in the evening, but with that banjo player picking loudly all through her song and practically right in her ear (she’s short and he’s tall), she sang just that one song and then never sang again all night. And I didn’t blame her. And I didn’t stay very long myself, but left so as to get away from that guy’s poor Banjo Manners.
Folks, when you’re in a session, don’t let that banjo player be YOU. In a session, don’t just listen to yourself. Always be listening to the other instruments and singers. if you can’t hear them very well, somebody’s playing too loud, and if you’re holding the banjo it may be YOU! Let everybody else be heard as well as yourself! Use good “Banjo Manners” and make everybody happy.
Tags: banjo manners, red