Playing with a jug...

Subject: Playing with a jug...
From: SeanM
Date: 28 May 99 - 02:56 PM

Hah! Knew I'd get your attention...

Now get your minds out of the gutter. I'm in a small group, and in an upcoming set we're doing a number that would sound great with a jug in it. Anyone know any resources online to learn how to play / what to look for in a good musical jug?

Never thought I'd be asking anything like this...

M

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Mike Billo
Date: 28 May 99 - 04:02 PM

Greetings Sean; Got to http://www.jugband.org/jugstore/jugs.html (sorry, I never learned how to enter the "blue clicky thing")and they'll answer your question.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Fadac
Date: 28 May 99 - 04:03 PM

There is a group called the Christmas Jug Band.

You tune the jug, by adding water. I used to play around with an old one gallon glass apple cyder jug. I don't think you could play a plastic jug.

Good Luck,

fadac

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: reggie miles
Date: 28 May 99 - 04:12 PM

Resonance, my friend and musical cohort Jack Cook says old tin 1-2 gallon fuel oil cans are the ticket. I recently found one at a swap meet for fifty cents. It has the pour spout in the center with a screw top type lid, though this particular one has a rather small opening of about 3/4 inch. I think it may be expandable though to an even inch with a little work. The tin ones are light weight compared to their ceramic counterparts, so they don't become such a chore to lug around and they don't break as easily. Reggie luvdatjug Miles

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Dan from Dixieland
Date: 28 May 99 - 04:22 PM

Get a jug full of Sour Mash and drink about a forth of it before your gig. Every hour or so, drink it down about another half an octave, in order to try different keys. You will think you are playing it just fine. And, hey. That's what matters.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Tony Burns
Date: 28 May 99 - 04:49 PM

Plastic jugs are fine. Get a variety of sizes. I know someone who uses about a 1 litre plastic jug (probably contained bleach or fabric softener originally). He tucks in into the his shirt and plays guitar at the same time.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 28 May 99 - 05:28 PM

Do all the women gawk at his jug? Is that just a male thing?

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From:
Date: 29 May 99 - 08:20 AM

Actually when I used to play the jug I had two ways to do it. One was to play it like a kazoo, by sort-of buzzing into it and the other way was to play it like a flute by blowing air across the mouth. In both cases you tune it with liquid as mentioned.

I always used glass jugs; but I notice in a picture of Gus Cannon that he uses a metal one.

Murray

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: JOField
Date: 29 May 99 - 03:13 PM

Fritz Richmond, the Paganini of the jug, has always used a heavy crockery jug, of which he assures me there are still thousands out there, to be had for very little money at flea markets.

James.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 29 May 99 - 03:26 PM

Well, he lied about the "little money" part. Nowadays, the flea markets have been scoured by the Antique dealers here in Maryland and those ceramic jugs will cost you a few ten dollar bills.

But yes, jugs can be made of many different materials. There are sonic differences, but the overall effect will be, "Hey, they're playing a jug!"

Certainly was a treat to me.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: guy wolff
Date: 29 May 99 - 10:50 PM

Sorry , the nice old jugs to hold were made before 1860 and start at about $300. The ones made before 1830 have the nicest shape for holding and are called ovoids.My faverite jug to play was made by Danielle Goodale in Hartford in 1820 . It has a little scratched flower on the neck, and the greatest sound. Their's a realy nice one of his at The Henrey Ford museum that I'm sure could be borowed for $45.000.00. It has a scraffito sailing ship on the neck.Oh well I guess a plastic jugs OK anyway. Cheers, Guy~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**********

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From:
Date: 29 May 99 - 11:02 PM

I recently was at a party where a guy claimed to play the jug. He had a huge (10 gallon?) plastic jug of the type you put on a water-cooler. I tried to blow into it and couldn't get any sound. When we started playing he took out two drumsticks and banged away at it. I guess he was playing the jug!

As a result of this thread, I experimented with a plastic "pet" soda bottle. They produce a reasonably good sound. The one I tried is a 2 litre job.

Murray

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 11:51 AM

I decided to refresh this old thread because I have become curious about jugs (hold the saucy comments) and I want to know if any current Mudcatters have any experience playing them.

My first question: How do you know when you're doing it right?

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: 53
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 11:57 AM

mr darling in the andy griffith show played the jug on dooley and several other songs that they did on that show , i thought it sounded kinda nice. BOB

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 12:27 PM

My wife used to have the habit of playing a pint pot (yes one that they serve beer in. She would spread her hand over the top and basically blow raspberries through her fingers, always got a good laugh anyhow. Interesting sound, similar to a soprano jug, or maybe that's because she sings soprano. JohnB

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Tig
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 04:11 PM

Magician plays a mean jug. He's got both ceramic ones and a paraffin one I found him at a car boot for 50p. I can get a tune out of one if pushed.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 Nov 01 - 07:13 PM


The only guy I've known (quite some time back) who played regular jug just used the one he carried his water in on the threshing crew.

Take any glass gallon jug - they're real cheap - and wrap a bunch of burlap around it. Use a big needle and stitch around more or less at random (use fairly heavy thread) until it all stays together.

Spill a little water on the burlap, and it keeps your supply cool all day, if you keep it in the shade. (Add water as needed.)

The nice thing is - with enough rag on it you can throw it up against a rock (or drop it off the top of the combine) and it won't break.

With appropriately "rough" wrap, it looks real "primativ" too.

John

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 01:55 AM

You can change the tone by practising your embrouchoure... tighten your upper lip or slacken it off to get different sounds. Try it, you'll look a tit but hey, isn't that the idea??

LTS

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 01:56 AM

I did once see a 'pet' bottle pan pipe array... about 8 taped together and filled with different levels of water, the bloke had to run up and down behind them because he couldn't lift them all!!

LTS

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: GUEST,Les B
Date: 02 Nov 01 - 12:45 PM

I've just been listening to some CD's of old timey music from the late 20's. There are several cuts that have jug players, and I must say they were quite good. More of a definable melody than I expected, and very resonant.

Unfortunately, there are no pictures, so I don't know if they were metal or ceramic. Made me want to go get one and try it , though !

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 03:58 AM

I have a real ceramic corn likke - - er ah vinegar jug. How does one play it? Any books about jug band music? Does Fritz Richmond have a how to book out?

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Sttaw Legend
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 04:06 AM

Is this another thread on Janet Jackson ?

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 01:31 PM

Is this the ideal jug?

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 01:48 PM

Big Pink Lad,

It may not be ideal, but it looks just fine and has that rustic look as well.

And Legend. I thought it was a Janet Jackson thread, too.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: GUEST,Van
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 02:25 PM

I play jug but I've never heard of using water to tune it. It's mostly how you shape your lips. Or maybe getting the rest of the band to play in a key to suit your jug. Water would cause problems when you move it around. It would spill. I have a few. The best is a big stoneware beast - probably a gallon - the others are much smaller - bought from a pottery in Crieff - designed to hold whisky but surplus to requirements or faulty or whatever. I got a few odd looks when I tried them out. I imagine people thought that they were for flower arranging or some such nonsense rather than playing.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 03:19 PM

If I remember correctly John Sebastians website has some links to some of Fritz's articles on jugs. Good luck.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 03:26 PM

Yes - from www.johnsebastian.com go to the J-Band link and look for Fritz's articles.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: open mike
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 03:37 PM

between gigs you could use a corn cob as a stopper if you have "any"
lliquid in it.(or a cork) though i understand ther3e has been some
disease bothering the cork oak trees in Portugal and they are becoming rare.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 06:22 AM

I currently use a cutaway ceramic jug, but am on the lookout for a larger Parrafin jug in metal for that'dobro' sound.
I also find playing jug for a whole set hard work and alternate with tea chest bass.Keep an eye out for the Ugly mug jug band in Yorkshire.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: GUEST,Van
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 04:04 PM

I didn't mean moving it about between gigs but when you are playing it. It's part of what you do having it a different angles and so forth. The jug man's equivalent of rock guitar posing. 30 years of jug playing started with the Instant jug band in south Scotland.

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 04:30 PM

I tried playing one, but wasn't very sucessful....and thereby earned the title of Juggernaut...

ok,ok...I'm leaving..

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 08:51 PM

I got my face slapped the last time I tried to play with jugs....

Subject: RE: Playing with a jug...
From: Walking Eagle
Date: 14 Feb 04 - 09:17 PM

I'll try the Sebastian link to Fritz Richmond.

To the rest of you sex besotted men folk, come around here and we'll see! *bBG*.

W.E.