Jug band facts for kids
A jug band is a type of musical group that uses a special instrument: a jug! They also play a mix of regular instruments and homemade ones. These homemade instruments are often everyday objects that are changed to make sounds. Think of things like a washtub bass, a washboard, spoons, or even a comb with tissue paper (like a kazoo).
Even though a real jug band needs a jug player, sometimes people use the term for other bands too. These might be skiffle bands or spasm bands, which also use a mix of traditional and homemade instruments.
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What Instruments Do Jug Bands Use?
Jug band instruments are often made up on the spot! In the early days, guitars and mandolins were sometimes made from old guitar necks attached to large gourds. A gourd is a type of fruit with a hard shell, like a pumpkin. They would flatten one side of the gourd and cut a sound-hole before it dried. Banjos were sometimes made from an old guitar neck and a metal pie plate.
How to Play the Jug
The jug itself is usually made of glass or stoneware. To play it, you buzz your lips into the mouth of the jug, staying about an inch away. It's a bit like playing a brass instrument, where you change the sound by tightening or loosening your lips.
Some players also use a "stovepipe," which is a section of tin pipe. They play it in a similar way to the jug, but the pipe is the part that makes the sound. It's a little like playing a didgeridoo, but your lips don't touch the pipe. Some jug and stovepipe players even use their throat to make sounds while buzzing their lips!
The History of Jug Bands
Early jug bands were often made up of African American musicians. Many of these musicians performed in vaudeville shows or "medicine shows" (traveling shows that sold health products).
Jug bands started in the cities of the southern United States. They played a mix of Memphis blues (even before it was called "the blues"), ragtime music, and Appalachian music. Some people say that "The history of jug bands is the story of the birth of the blues." W. C. Handy, a famous musician, said he learned blues style from street musicians who played improvised instruments. The lively and informal music of jug bands also helped shape the sound of rock and roll music later on.
Jug Bands Today
Jug bands are still around and continue to change! Famous musicians like John Sebastian still lead jug bands. Some bands stick to the original style, while others add new kinds of music to their performances. They might play other folk music, popular music, or even classical music songs.
Jug Band Events
There's an Annual Battle of the Jug Bands held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, every year since 1980. More than 20 jug bands compete for a fun trophy called the "Coveted Holliwood Waffle Iron." This competition happens the Sunday after the SuperBowl.
Another event called JugFest takes place every October in Sutter Creek, California. There was also a Jug Band Jubilee in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 2006. Louisville is thought to be where jug band music first started!
Images for kids
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The jug band 5-Cent Coffee performing at the San Francisco Jug Band Festival
