 Mainer grew up listening to traditional mountain music and was largely influenced by his brother @-@ in @-@ law Roscoe Banks . He first learned to play the banjo at square dances , where he would pick up instruments left by performers and practice on them . After moving to Concord , North Carolina and working in a series of jobs at cotton mills , he became a part of his brother J.E. ' s band , known as J. E. Mainer 's Mountaineers . His entry into the band in 1934 marked the beginning of a nearly six @-@ decade career in music . J.E. played the fiddle while Wade performed on the banjo for the string band , and they played at fiddlers ' conventions and other gatherings . 
