During a recent ADD-inspired Internet foray, I came across a concept for early music production that compelled me to diverge from duty into a full-fledged investigation of what--once I was able to enter the productive wording--I'd learn is called "the diddley bow," also referred to as "the grandfather of all blues guitars." As is the case with various other forms of Americana and beyond, this rather uncommon artifact has recently seen a resurgence, by a variety of other names. Dedicated music and history lovers, would probably consider it important to know its origin.
The diddley bow emerged from music belonging to the African culture, and perhaps because it was originally developed as a toy for slave children to play, the existence of this instrument went unrecognized or overlooked for too long in America. This being the case, no documentation and photographs have been found prior to the 1930s among American Annals, with recordings not dating back any further than the 1950s.
Among my research findings, this one--written by Steve Leggett, in the All Music Guide acquaints us with history of the diddley bow--its fascinating origins clearly illustrating man's unyielding drive to have music. The story of the diddley bow illustrates how even with access limited to cast-offs and crudely-fashioned components, no degree of impoverishment will thwart the creative passion of a true musician.
Adding to its organic appeal, all of the parts necessary for anyone to make this former toy for children could be easily extracted from the junkyard, with structural possibilities corresponding to the builder's degree of creativity. The inherent simplicity of a diddley bow helped it to become a culturally-shared form of children's entertainment. We mostly have the children who played with them to thank for sustaining its place in music as we know it today. These children became adults whose recounts of growing up produced smiles when interspersed with treasured details included playing on a diddley bow.
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| A man plays a Diddley Bow attached to a house. Courtesy, Afro-American Folk Music from Tate and Panola Counties, Mississippi.) |
WHERE AMERICAN BLUES BEGAN
Music proceeding from Mississippi's Delta region is recognized as a fundamental in blues music. Long Hailed as "The land where the blues began," the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman (better known as Parchman Farm,) known for its appalling treatment of inmates forced their inspiration to create songs in order to survive. The farm area of Parchman was designated as the prison's self-sustaining cotton plantation, with prisoners required to work long, hard hours in sustaining the farm. A portion of all cotton the farm produced was allocated to prisoners for making their own clothing. Food served to inmates was grown by inmates and harvested from the farm’s fields, as well as livestock they were tasked with raising. Prisoners were guards, required to shoot fellow inmates trying to escape. While prison reform would eventually disallow the continuation of such horrific and inhumane treatment of prisoners, the songs remain, proving that even in the most atrocious of conditions, supernatural victory prevails within the suffering heart of the inner-man, enabling those willing to transform agony into art. The style of music that came to be known as The Blues will stand as our quintessential evidence.
Sometimes referred to as a "jitterbug," "unitar," and "one-string," its formal term would be "monochord zither." Numerous off-shoots have followed with obvious inspiration from the Diddley Bow. Among these are found one-string cigar boxes, washtub bases, slide guitars, lowebows, musical bows, and canjos.
Three String Shovel, by Justin Johnson
CONNECTION: BO DIDDLEY-DIDDLEY BOW?
Although a connection is obvious, there's no conclusive information as to how famed doo-wop, R&B and blues musician Ellis Otha Bates earned the permanent stage name of "Bo Diddley." Among his more memorable distinctions were trademark "shimmering" sounds he would produce on his guitar. One popular belief is that the nickname was given to him by peers, as a form of playful insult. About this time, a slang use evolved as a put-down, "Bo Diddly" which means "absolutely nothing." There have been others in the spotlight who took on the moniker of "Bo Diddley," as their stage name.
