“It's horrible for someone to listen to someone learning any instrument - when I was first learning the banjo, I used to have to go out and sit in the car, and even in the summertime I'd have to roll up the windows. Because you just couldn't practice a banjo or a fiddle with other people around. Unless they're being paid.” PeopleFirstsUsedPracticeCarWindowPaidInstrumentsHorribleSummertimeFiddleBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“I did a lot of things when I first started out. In order to be in show business, I juggled, I did magic tricks, cards tricks and I played the banjo.” FirstsShowsOrderMagicTricksCardsShow BusinessBanjosMagic TricksCard Tricks Author:Steve Martin
“I happened to take a photo, and there was my wife, my dog and my banjo, all in the same shot - and I thought, "Oh, that's like a family portrait right there."” WifeHappenedDogShotsMy WifePortraitsMy DogBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“In a strange way, I don't have a job, so I have a lot of time on my hands. When I do work, it might be very concentrated, and it might be months where you're not really doing anything except maybe playing the banjo or writing something. You know, there's a lot of time in the day if you're not working 9 to 5.” IfsKnowsWayWritingHandsMightJobsStrangeMonthsWorking ItBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“When I first started doing my stand-up act, I played the banjo, did comedy, magic tricks, juggled, read poetry. I stuck it all in. I didn't know you were supposed to just stand up and tell jokes. Essentially, that's what my act became: those five elements - except I dropped the poetry.” KnowsFirstsFiveComedyMagicElementsJokesStuckTricksBanjosMagic TricksFive Elements Author:Steve Martin
“The thing about the banjo is when you first hear it, it strikes many people as what's that? There's something very compelling about it to certain people.” PeopleFirstsCertainStrikesCompellingBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“I took literally everything I knew how to do on stage with me, which was juggling, magic and banjo and my little comedy routines.” LittlesComedyMagicStageJugglingBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“In my banjo show with the Steep Canyon Rangers, I do do comedy during that show. It'd be absurd just to stand there mute and play 25 banjo songs.” PlayShowsSongComedyAbsurdMuteRangersSteepCanyonsBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“The banjo is truly an American instrument, and it captures something about our past.” PastInstrumentsCaptureOur PastBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“When I first started doing my comedy act, I just desperately needed material. So I took literally everything I knew how to do on stage with me, which was juggling, magic and banjo and my little comedy routines. I always felt the audience sorta tolerated the serious musical parts while I was doing my comedy.” FirstsLittlesFeltAudienceComedyMagicStageSeriousMaterialsNeededMusicalJugglingBanjos Author:Steve Martin
“I would get records by Earl Scruggs... I would tune my banjo down and I'd pick out the songs note by note. Learned how to play that way. I persevered. There was a book written by Pete Seeger, who showed you some basic strumming and some basic picking... And I kind of worked out my own style of playing.” WayKindBookPlaySongMy OwnRecordsWrittenStylePicksDown AndNotesTunesBanjosMy Own StyleStrumming Author:Steve Martin
“The banjo is such a happy instrument--you can't play a sad song on the banjo - it always comes out so cheerful.” PlayHumorFunnySongInstrumentsCheerfulBanjosSad Song Author:Steve Martin
