In fact to start with a definition would be in order.
They seem mostly to have 1 string but 2 strings are not unknown.
Some seem to be played by "striking/drumming" some by strumming/picking.
The bottle is almost part of it.

In my nievity i thought it might have had something to do with Bo Diddley, the great Rock and Roller. Of course it is not, people have been rigging these up and playing them for a long long time.

So you knowledgeable guys, talk to me (us) about them. Better still beat me to writing an article about them. :)

Views: 648

Replies to This Discussion

The diddley bow is of African-American origin, probably developed from instruments found on the Ghana coast of west Africa. The diddley bow is rarely heard outside the rural south. Other nicknames for this instrument include “jitterbug” or “one-string,” while an ethnomusicologist would formally call it a “monochord zither.”

The Ghana coast instruments are made from raffia plant stem/trunk with a small piece of the bark slit along the length of the stem and supported off the stem with a couple of pieces of wood, slipped under the slit bark and slid towards the ends. This is the string. The instrument is played by two people. One person plays a rhythm on the string with two sticks, while another changes the pitch of the string with a slide of some sort.

How the instrument came to America and was transformed from a two person instrument to a one-person instrument and from using a plant fiber "string" to broom wire is lost to history. It is likely that a monochord zither of some form was always in the background, but was considered unimportant or perhaps was not even recognized as a musical instrument by the people who were writing about these things at the time. Since it is mostly played by children, this would further reduce its apparent importance.

A good book for further reading about this topic is Kubik, Gerhard, Africa and the Blues, University Press of Mississippi, Jackson MS (1999). This book includes discussion of origins of diddley bow from western Africa and its development and evolution in the southern United States. As I mentioned before, much of the 19th century history is lost/conjectural.

David Evans also has a good article on diddley bows in "Afro-American One-Stringed Instruments," Afro-American Folk Arts and Crafts, ed. William Ferris, University Press of Mississippi, Jackson MS (1983), pp 181-196. This is a reprint of Dr. Evans' article in Western Folklore 29 (1970), pp 229-45.

Best regards, Willie
Wille, that is great. You will have seen that I have put an article on the "development" of the the Diddly Bo in "Wot no articles" But this is the sort of information I am very short of. Thanks too for the references.

PS I think you are in my article playing a duet with Pythagoras! :)
Hey David, do you know why we call it the diddley bo?
Was Bo Diddley famous for playing one?
Yep, Bo Diddley definitely stole his name from the instrument, played them like other poor folk, built his own guitar in the shape of a cigar box. Even if it's clouded in mystery, when looking at one, you can clearly tell that it's a simple poor man's guitar. Listen to Lightnin Hopkins lately? He's the one string champ in my opinion. I hate to be Captain Obvious, but when you own nothing, necessity truly is the mother of invention.
Dustin Smith said:
Yep, Bo Diddley definitely stole his name from the instrument ...

The origin of the name is somewhat unclear, as several differing stories and claims exist. Bo Diddley himself has said that the name first belonged to a singer his adoptive mother was familiar with, while harmonicist Billy Boy Arnold once said in an interview that it was originally the name of a local comedian that Leonard Chess borrowed for the song title and artist name for Bo Diddley's first single.

RSS

The Essential Pages

New to Cigar Box Nation? How to Play Cigar Box GuitarsFree Plans & How to Build Cigar Box GuitarsCigar Box Guitar Building Basics

Site Sponsor

Recommended Links & Resources


Discussion Forum

CBG of World War I

Started by Alan Bluesboxguitars Oct 24, 2012. 0 Replies

What is the origin of "Diddley Bo"?

Started by Brian Lemin. Last reply by Naz Nomad Oct 9, 2010. 5 Replies

W.C. Fields with a One-String Cigar Box Violin

Started by Kevin Sprague (Knotlenny). Last reply by Lloyd "MadMan" Madansky Jan 12, 2009. 2 Replies

Latest Activity

BrianQ. commented on Dar Stellabotta's video
4 hours ago
BrianQ. liked Dar Stellabotta's video
4 hours ago
Southern Ray commented on Southern Ray's photo
Thumbnail

Project Punch!

" Thank ya again Keith!"
6 hours ago
Southern Ray commented on Southern Ray's photo
Thumbnail

Punch Project!

" Thank Ya Keith!"
6 hours ago
Doug Thorsvik commented on AGP #'s photo
Thumbnail

AGP #527 - ''Led-Zep 2''

"This build really strung you along Alan! Reminded me of all my fishing line experiments; a lot of…"
8 hours ago
Doug Thorsvik commented on A.D.EKER's video
Thumbnail

Im Troubled (Tribute) Mc K Morganfield by BCB - A.D .Eker 2024.

"Diggin’ the slow blues. I like that last pic Andries! Look at all those cool guitars. Yeah!!!"
8 hours ago
Dar Stellabotta posted a video

A Cigar Box Guitar Six Stringer Built by Louie Lamanna

This video is the unboxing and the demonstration of a beautiful, six stringer built by Louie Lamanna. Join Louie and I June 15 at the second annual Pittsburg...
9 hours ago
Doug Thorsvik commented on Doug Thorsvik's video
Thumbnail

Hail the Resurrection Day: 2-String Violin Chugger Cigar Box Guitar

"Happy Easter to you too Andries! The passion is definitely in full swing. Turns out I’m…"
10 hours ago
A.D.EKER commented on Doug Thorsvik's video
Thumbnail

Hail the Resurrection Day: 2-String Violin Chugger Cigar Box Guitar

"Happy Easter Doug ! the Passion is in full swing !"
10 hours ago
A.D.EKER commented on Ricky D's photo
10 hours ago
A.D.EKER commented on A.D.EKER's video
10 hours ago
Keith Rearick liked Doug Thorsvik's video
14 hours ago

Music

© 2024   Created by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

\uastyle>\ud/** Scrollup **/\ud.scrollup {\ud background: url("https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/963882636?profile=original") no-repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;\ud bottom: 25px;\ud display: inline !important;\ud height: 40px;\ud opacity: 0.3 !important;\ud position: fixed;\ud right: 30px;\ud text-indent: -9999px;\ud width: 40px;\ud z-index: 999;\ud}\ud.scrollup:hover {\ud opacity:0.99!important;\ud}\ud \uascript type="text/javascript">\ud x$(document).ready(function(){\ud x$(window).scroll(function(){\ud if (x$(this).scrollTop() > 100) {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeIn();\ud } else {\ud x$('.scrollup').fadeOut();\ud }\ud });\ud x$('.scrollup').click(function(){\ud x$("html, body").animate({ scrollTop: 0 }, 600);\ud return false;\ud });\ud });\ud \ua!-- End Scroll Up -->