The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-24
BANJOS IN FIFTH AVENUE
Fashion Smiles upon Them and Dainty Fin.
gers stray Across their Strings.


gers stray Across their Strings.
"The nrstocratc instrument of the pres
cnt day is unuuestionaby the banjo" said
teacher of the art Of playing on that instru-
mcnt, and that is why | have come up here
among the aristocracy Time was when Woos-
ter street was good enough for tho banjo.
Now Fifth avenue ycarns for il. That Is why
you find us installed on Fifth avenue. There
has been an evolution in tasto but the banjo
has also eyoiuted. Compare the banjo of olden
times. with its coarse. short twankety-twank.
and the grand. resonant. mellow tone-sus-
tanning banjo OF to-day. That development is
primarily what has won tho favor OF the best
class Of society. 1t may be said to be now O
handy harp. n portable piano. yet more easy TO
learn than either and. i make bold to say.
more satisfying soul enthusing and filing ut
the price"
80 You would be surprised II you knew what
number of social lights are good amateur ban
joists. and what u furore there is ut present
among ladies for learning to play tho banjo.
Lord Dunraven is an excellcnt performer.
Leonard Jerome's daughter now tho wife Of
Lord Randolph Churchill. plays the banjo very
well. and among other amateur banjoists whose
names ut this moment occur to me are Peter
Coopers nicces. c. G.. Gunthcr. Jr.. Miss f. s.
Reid. niece of Whitelaw Reid: Miss NJ. b. Pat
ter5on. granddaughter of ex-Presdent John
son (, Miss Schaus. daughter of William Schaus,
the art dealer: Miss Sawyer. daughter Of the
well-known merchant; George Law. Jr.. Mrs.
Mott, a near relative of Gordon l.. Mott of Mott
Haven't Fred Vanderbilt one of tho Havemey-
crs. don't remember his initials Just now; Ar
thur Claflin son OF IL. ID. Cluiiin one of the best
amateurs in Brooklyn; Miss Kngsland Dir.
Brandreths son and daughter Miss Carleton
du n tor ~ In pui,liahnr. ~ IN rth hau
Of the President; Lieut.. H. G. Slocum U. S. A. {;
Mr.. Charles Hartman. Mr.. p. Noel. Mr.. Met
calf. Judge Hiitons youngest son. Miss w. A.
Bigelow Miss Jennings. and Miss Matthews.
all Of Fifth avenue; Mr.. Geo. $. Mallory. II
grandson Of x-President Tyler: the two Misses
May sisters OF Fred May, and-but it's no use
making an elite directory l have mentioned
enough to give you an idea OF what kind of
people learn. appreciate. and play the banjo.
and may incidentally mention that we have
now among our pupils nine young ladies' NOV
ing in good society. ana who give every promise
oil becoming such performers Us Il teacher may
feel justly proud Of to say nothing Of several
cally. 1t is not every one who begins to learn
that continues. The first lesson is apt to make
the rosy tips of pretty fingers exceedingly
Lender, and oven 10 raise blisters on them.
Then, II the owner of the pretty fingers has
simply taken up the banjo from caprice. or be-
cause some other society girl OF her nc
quaintancc has done SO. she drops it in pain
and disgust. but II she perseveres she will find
that after those first blisters 20 away no more
will come. and her fingers will not develop big
Joints and II sprawl. as they are Liable to from
piano practice, or get unsiehtly callouses upon
them, such as come sometimes from PLAYING
the harp and always from lingering the either.
And, by the way we now have what We had
not at all when l first began teaching, that is
regular music written for the banjo, adapted
TO its compass. bringing out all the np effects
Gi whfh II y sapage ana suited 20 tine y G
most elaborate AMI difficult arrangements OF
the violin and piano solos of Pa.anini. Ole Bull.
WilhemJ. Gottschalk. and other composers for
those instruments. When / began to teach
and found the necessity for music. to fasten in
my pupils heads the airs taught-teaching at
first by rote as others dd-Iad5pted a very sim
pie and think. Rather ingenious system OF no.
ta;ion. The five lines took rs representing the
count OF the spaces-l wrote two kinds OF
notes. a whole one for an open-s,ring tone, IA
| half for n fingered string. specifying by II
number the irets to be- passed IN slide and
writing chords by connected notes. 1t was
good guide to lingering. but after while my
brother and | studied music. learned to write
! it. and So fe! into line with the rest of the
musical word. Now there many hundreds
OF pieces, OF banjo sheet music Very often we
are called upon To make private arrangements
| OF operate pieces or selections for ladies'. who
not lSs
When ] began teaching in Wooster street.
ns {e S ns2 the Si N Tor ~ s.
! those days, for from IS 10 $40 Such was the
demand for lessons that l made from $3.50 70
| Bowery. our price went up little and again
when we found ourselves warranted in going
! to Broadway. Steadily advancing toward
Fifth avenue you observe. Now got 80 for
"a lessons OF an hour each. or $50 for the same
number of half-hour lessons, and the prices Of
banJos have risen to i25 for n good instrument
ana as much ~ 500 Tor really line one. Only
few days ago, an ?!d lady on fiith avenue ay.
much music in the banjo. but my daughter has
got the banjo fever and su.pp99Sc She viii have
| 10 have her way about T., She did have her
that there is II great deal OF music IN the banjo
But only mentioned that for her phrase about
The eaTpJo t@yrr IT i ,d very wdesprread
supply the present demand for thc' Instruments
especially Tor thos. oi middle grade. which go
mainly 10 the West and South. In the East
higher priced instruments are wanted"
" Do many theatrical and operate people
take kindly to the banJo others. mean. than
Lotta. Tor instance. and Katie Putnam
Very many, ThalP}erE was q aYs good player;
son. and Emma Abbott. have heard. although
| am not SO sure about her and the Wallace
sister, ana post NOR 51 hat 10 NOT a. THIS
port to the list. Anumber Of years ago, before
the Chicago fire. he and j. W; Wallace were
playing an enGaGsrment To- very bad business at
was pack ing McVickcr's Theatre two squares
away, The two traGedinns took Joint benefit
small shot .niu the aud torium without hitting
anybody. But the frW who were present ", nt
thtouGn me FORM % ft,ns tuc .rnrttiLir,s
speech. N which he said MALI locosciy. that ~
aud Wallack had resolved 10 change their line
Of business to suit tho popular tastc and were
going To learn some SONGS and dances. and to
play on the banjo. | cannot say that he WAS SO
far serious that he then learned tho banjo, but
| do know that he was u good player on the in
strumcnt long before lie died.
The Ensli.A Historical Comtnisslon.
From the Londoa T,n1