The bones are considered one of the oldest instruments known to mankind, except for the human voice. In the mid 1800’s, minstrel players in Blackface were bones players before banjo. Twenty-five years ago, I was fortunate enough to learn from the legendary Mr. Richard “Bones” Thomas and Mike Baytop at the original Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Barbershop, in Northeast, DC. Because it’s such a personal instrument, its style of playing varies from flashy, flamboyant to conservatively subtle. I consider my playing as more minimalist. Mr. Bones’ style was, in my mind, quite flashy and Baytop’s more conservative. I think my style reflects my many years of being a bass player, holding down the bottom in a song. My style of playing is more subtle, but solid and in the pocket of a song. I will provide an assortment of different types of bones for you to sample in class, ranging from wood to real bones. These will be for class practice only. It’s important to hear the sound and feel the difference between wood and bone. The size and shape of the bone material will also fit differently in your hands, which ultimately changes the sound and your playing technics.
Please feel free to bring what bones you have to share and discuss with others. We will focus on one and two hand playing techniques. My style of playing has always been akin to Acoustic Blues. Let’s have fun!