banjo publications from Chaff to the Winner

[Rob MacKillop]

Have I missed anything?

Banjo Books in order of printing

1848/1851 The Complete Preceptor for the Banjo – Gumbo Chaff [Elias Howe]
1855 Brigg’s Banjo Instructor – Thomas Briggs
1856 Howe’s New American Banjo School – Elias Howe [abridged edition, 1859]
1858 Correct Method for the Banjo – Phil Rice
1860 Buckley’s New Banjo Method/Book – James Buckley
1864 Winner's New Primer for the Banjo
1864/5 The Banjo Without A Master – Frank Converse
1865 Banjo Instructor, Without A Master – Frank Converse
1865 New and Complete Method With or Without A Master – Frank Converse
1868 Buckley Banjo Guide
1871 Modern Method for the Banjo – Dobson Brothers
1872 Winner's New School
1872 The Banjo and How To Play It – Frank Converse
1875 Shay's banjo school. Chicago & Boston: White, Smith, & Co.
1877 Dobson's New School For the Banjo
1879 Geo. C. Dobson's Star Instructor and Simplified Tunes for the Banjo
1880 Complete Instructor for the Banjo --George C. Dobson
1882 Dobson’s Universal Banjo Instructor – Henry C. and Clifton G. Dobson
1883 Winner’s New American School for the Banjo
1884 Neil Grey's New Banjo Method
1886 Converse Analytical – Frank Converse
1887 Geo. C. Dobson's "Victor" Banjo Manual
1887 Winner's Self-Instructor for the banjo
1892? Winner’s Eureka Method for the Banjo
1895 Carl Fischer's New and Revised Edition of Celebrated Tutors, Banjo



I'm a bit confused over Buckley's Banjo Method and Buckley's Banjo Book - one and the same thing? My Tuckahoe Press edition has Method on the cover and Book inside. And is 1892 the date for Winner's Eureka Method?

[Brian Welch]

Since I live about two miles from the American Antiquarian Society, I will try to confirm this. Unfortunately, they are usually closed when I have time to go (like today!).

I did notice on their website that they just acquired a different tutor not on the list above: Shay's banjo school. Chicago & Boston: White, Smith, & Co., 1875.

http://www.americanantiquarian.org/acquisitions101508.htm


Brian

[Rob MacKillop]

Thanks, gentlemen. I've updated the list. Keep 'em coming!

[razyn]

Tim Twiss said:

We should line all the Winner's up sometime, just to check them. It seems like there is yet another.

I have a defective copy (beginning with p.11, ending with p. 76) of one that I believe was originally yet another offering of Sep Winner (because the Mandolin instructor -- one of at least 13 in this series -- is Winner, 1889). It is The Common-Sense Banjo Instructor.

The only library copy I find is at Tulane; it purports to be a Chicago: National Music Co. (1890) imprint. I also Googled up a reference to its being for sale by Hilton, Hughes & Co. of New York, in the Jan-June, 1890 volume of LIFE, p. 416. Banjo arrangements in this are by R.J. Hamilton. The instructional part of this, pp. 19-50, is intact in my copy. It is written for plucking "guitar" style, with the thumb and the first two fingers (only) of the right hand, on a banjo with frets.

Dick

[razyn]

razyn said:

I have a defective copy (beginning with p.11, ending with p. 76) of one that I believe was originally yet another offering of Sep Winner

Oops -- rummaging a bit deeper, I find that I also have Winner's American Banjoist. A New Self-Instructor for the Banjo. This purports (by what looks like a rubber stamp of the cover) to be "Published at Hohmann's Music Depot, Lincoln, Nebraska," and is copyright 1882 by W.F. Shaw. This is also written for guitar style, though it's not quite so rigid about plucking. "When there are no frets, they may be marked with a pencil," etc.

Dick

[James Tyler]

Hi Rob,
Here are a few additions to your list of American banjo publications (to 1899 only):
1859 “Abridged Edition of Howe’s New American Banjo School” – Elias Howe (Boston: Russell & Tolman)
1870 “Winner’s Easy System for the Banjo” – Septimus Winner (Philadelphia: ?)
1872 “Dobson’s New System for the Banjo” – George C. Dobson (Boston: ?)
1874 “George C. Dobson’s simplified Method and Thorough School for the Banjo” (Boston: J.F. Perry)
1877 “Dobson’s New System for the Banjo” [2nd ed.] (Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co.)
1877 “Directions to Play the Dime Banjo Music” – [C. E. Baldwin] (Brooklyn: Dime Banjo Music Co.)
1879 “Edmund Clark’s Simplified Method for the Banjo” – Edmund Clark (Boston: E. Clark)
1879 “Simplified Banjo Method” – Frank B. Converse (New York: ?)
1879 “The Rudiments of Banjo Playing” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1880 “The Banjo Players Handbook” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1880 “S. S. Stewart’s First Lessons for Banjo” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1880 “S. S. Stewart’s Second Lessons for Banjo” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1880 “S. S. Stewart’s Advanced Studies for the Banjo” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1880 “The Banjo by Ear” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1881 “The Minstrel Banjoist. Containing the Rudiments … ” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1881 “Stewart’s Thorough School for the Banjo” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1882 “Winner’s American Banjoist: A New, Concise and Practical Method …” – S. Winner (New York: Keyser & Co.)
1882 “Stewart’s Universal Banjo Instructor” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1882 “S. S. Stewart’s Champion Lightning Banjo Instructor” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1882 “The Ideal Method for the Banjo” – Septimus Winner (New York: C. H. Ditson)
1883 “Ten Favorite Banjo Tunes … and Also Exercise …” – H. C. Blackmer (New Orleans: [Blackmer])
1883 “The First Ten Studies for the Banjo” – Fairbanks and Cole (Boston: Fairbanks & Cole)
1883 “Billy Snow’s Banjo and Cornet Instructor” – Billy Snow (New York: New York Popular Publishing Co.)
1883 “The Complete American Banjo School” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1884 “Complete Method for the Banjo” – Albert Bauer (New York: Wm. A. Pond)
1884 “The American Telephone Banjo Instructor” – [Anon.] (New York: American Telephone Banjo Co.)
1884 “Gad Robinson’s Banjo Instructor” – Gad Robinson ( Boston: (Oliver Ditson & Co.)
1884 “The Prize Banjo Instructor” – Jean White ( Boston: Jean White)
1885 “Monarch Banjo Method” – George L. Lansing (New York: T. B. Harms)
1885 “Stewart’s Short-Hand Banjo Method Without Notes” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1886 “The Progessive International Banjo Instructor” – Fairbanks & Cole (Boston: Oliver Ditson)
1886 “White’s Solo Banjoist” – Charles E. Latshaw (Boston: J. White)
1887 “The Complete American Banjo School” [2nd ed.] - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1888 “Dobson’s Universal Banjo Instructor” – H. C. & G. C. Dobson (Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co.)
1889 “The Crown Banjo Method” – Thomas J. Armstrong (Boston: Oliver Ditson)
1889 “Rudimental Lessons for the Banjo” - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1890 “Frank B. Converse’s Analytical Banjo Method” [rev. and enlarged ed.] (New York: H. S. Gordon)
1890 “George C. Dobson’s World’s Banjo Guide” – G. C. Dobson (Boston: White-Smith Music Publ. Co.)
1890 “The Common Sense Banjo Instructor” – R. J. Hamilton (Chicago: National Music Co.)
1891 “Banjo Orchestra Music” – Thomas J. Armstrong (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1892 “New Standard System for Banjo: C or English Notation” – Richard M. Tyrell (New York: Carl Fischer)
1893 “Divided Accompaniment” – Thomas J. Armstrong (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1893 “The Banjo Made Easy” – Frank B. Converse (New York: Gordon)
1893 “The Complete American Banjo School” [expanded ed.] - S. S. Stewart (Philadelphia: S. S. Stewart)
1894 “Tutor for the Banjo” – Otto Langey (Philadelphia: Harry Coleman)
1894 “White’s Excelsior Method for the Banjo” – White [C. A.?] (Boston: White/Smith Music Publ. Co.)
1895 “Jacob’s Banjo Studies for Beginners, Book V” – Walter Jacobs (Boston: Jacobs)
1895 “American Conservatory Banjo Method” – C. L. & C. H. Partee (Kansas City, MO: C. L. Partee Music)
1898 “U. T. D. (Up to Date) Method for the Banjo” – Franklin Eaton (Cincinnati: John Church Co.)
1899 “Howe’s Figure Music for Banjo” – A. O. Howe (Chicago: A. O. & E. C. Howe)

[Rob MacKillop]

WOW!!! Good man, James. You've been busy!

Rob