TheHotIron - Do you mean as played by one person simultaneously or more than one person, like the Washboard Serenaders you posted a video clip of in your earlier thread (where the drummer is playing some snappy brush stuff)?

Cool1

Yep!,... just like that one flick of the Serenaders,... the washboard is being backed up by the drummer playing brushes,... and vice versa.

So, yes, where there is both a drummer AND a washboard player. Maybe even where there is a drum solo, then a washboard solo, where each play off each other doing accents here and there,.. and so on....more so in the 1920s though....

TheHotIron - I haven’t seen any other band like that yet but I’ll keep my eyes open. I think the fact that the Washboard Serenaders had a more “sophisticated” band and not just an old “novelty” type ensemble that used just a washboard for percussion, leads me to believe that they wouldn’t have been able to call their band what they did if they didn’t have a washboard player. So having a drummer they could have played easily in the style of the day without a washboard but were still probably taking advantage of the popular “Hokum” movement at that time. What I’m trying to get at here is, they may be the only band at that time to use board and drums together to stay true to their name (under which they already had a reputation), but get gigs in more venues.

I to am a fan of this style of washboard playing. Most washboard players today use the "folk" technique of wearing it on their chest. I'm an "Uptown"

(my word for it, "urban" could be used) washboard guy (the seated, sideways, put your leg over the washboard's leg and rag it, style of player). Glad I'm not alone!

Clapping Happy2