When uncle Joe Plays A Rag On His Old Banjo (1912)'....Theodore Morse.

Whilst in a banjo related frame of mind, I thought I'd have a go at one of my favourite Arthur Collins songs.

This was recorded 1912 with banjo accompaniment by Vess Ossman.

http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/2681/

This the recording from the Library of Congress.

I've done an arrangement in G which is the easier to play and for those who feel brave enough to play along with Arthur and Vess, one in Bb. The midi is in G.

Both scores and the midi are in the library....Steve.

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Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on July 2, 2015 at 17:43

Neatly done, Steve. The piano sheet is routinely available on ebay...and I've often wondered about it. Didn't know about the Collins/Ossman recording...which is pretty cool.

Ossman seems to be playing some canned 'licks' over the chord progression, shouldn't be too tough to work out his banjo part note-for-note.

Permalink Reply by Steve Harrison on July 2, 2015 at 20:19

Hi Marc, with two hearing aids and only 50% hearing in my right ear, I have difficulty picking up stuff by ear but I'm sure someone better equipped could add something to my arrangement. It's taken straight off the piano score with one or to bits of banjofication. The up the neck Bb version is a bit  more tricky to play but vamping along with the record  would make for an interesting banjo challenge.....Steve.


Trapdoor2 said:

Neatly done, Steve. The piano sheet is routinely available on ebay...and I've often wondered about it. Didn't know about the Collins/Ossman recording...which is pretty cool.

Ossman seems to be playing some canned 'licks' over the chord progression, shouldn't be too tough to work out his banjo part note-for-note.

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on July 3, 2015 at 2:22

I've printed out your score...I think I can use the chord progressions to work out Ossman's licks (or at least what I think I hear Ossman doing).

Interesting to me that he is really just doing what every other BG banjoist does 99.44% of the time, providing backup and then a short solo...which is just a slightly modified version of the backup vamp (another unexpected surprise for me...today you would expect a highly individualistic solo having little to do with the backup vamp).

Permalink Reply by Steve Harrison on July 3, 2015 at 4:43

Hi Marc, It just shows that there's nothing new in the banjo world. I wonder if the likes of Earl Scruggs would have listened to some of the early recordings? Ossman's Old Folks At Home with variations sounds like pure Blue grass in parts. The earliest recording was done in 1899. Best of luck with Uncle Joe, I'd like to see your results......Steve.


Trapdoor2 said:

I've printed out your score...I think I can use the chord progressions to work out Ossman's licks (or at least what I think I hear Ossman doing).

Interesting to me that he is really just doing what every other BG banjoist does 99.44% of the time, providing backup and then a short solo...which is just a slightly modified version of the backup vamp (another unexpected surprise for me...today you would expect a highly individualistic solo having little to do with the backup vamp).

Permalink Reply by Joel Hooks on July 3, 2015 at 12:25

If the Ossman recording is true speed (highly unlikely) then chances are he is tuned to B flat and playing as if in C.  That is speculation on my part but was a very common practice for playing with orchestras.

B flat was Horace Weston's default pitch for that reason.

That said, I think Ossman was capable of playing in any key he wanted.  I also think that the speed of the recording is off.

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on July 3, 2015 at 14:08

Steve, the stories of how Earl got started are mostly just that...stories. He was influenced by musicians who lived in the surrounding areas and those included what we would now term "classic three-finger" players...though their repretoire is unknown. Earl's "Home Sweet Home" is, in my opinion, a great example of such transference. It is in C and it is almost exactly like some banjo versions published in the 19th C.

I'm going to wash the Ossman recording thru the Amazing Slow Downer and see what's up. I have no absolute sense of pitch...as long as the band is in tune with itself (and the singer doesn't sound like a cartoon character), I would never question it.

Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher on July 3, 2015 at 14:20

Steve,

it's been verified that all of the older three finger pickers in young Earl's part of North Carolina had listened to the recordings of Fred Van Eps. It's seems likely they would have heard Ossman as well. 

Steve Harrison said:

Hi Marc, It just shows that there's nothing new in the banjo world. I wonder if the likes of Earl Scruggs would have listened to some of the early recordings? Ossman's Old Folks At Home with variations sounds like pure Blue grass in parts. The earliest recording was done in 1899. Best of luck with Uncle Joe, I'd like to see your results......Steve.


Trapdoor2 said:

I've printed out your score...I think I can use the chord progressions to work out Ossman's licks (or at least what I think I hear Ossman doing).

Interesting to me that he is really just doing what every other BG banjoist does 99.44% of the time, providing backup and then a short solo...which is just a slightly modified version of the backup vamp (another unexpected surprise for me...today you would expect a highly individualistic solo having little to do with the backup vamp).

Permalink Reply by thereallyniceman on July 3, 2015 at 14:58

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOEL "BIRTHDAY BOY" HOOKS

Ian and Lynn

(Mr and Mrs thereallyniceman)



Joel Hooks said:

If the Ossman recording is true speed (highly unlikely) then chances are he is tuned to B flat and playing as if in C.  That is speculation on my part but was a very common practice for playing with orchestras.

B flat was Horace Weston's default pitch for that reason.

That said, I think Ossman was capable of playing in any key he wanted.  I also think that the speed of the recording is off.

Permalink Reply by Joel Hooks on July 4, 2015 at 3:47

Thanks!  Spent the day in the "factory" making tailpieces and thimbles.  Then did a little scanning.

For those who have not, check out my ever-expanding Internet Archive page for a weak supplement to the amazing stuff here.

https://archive.org/details/@joel_hooks#collections

Now, back to "uncle Joe"...

Permalink Reply by Shawn McSweeny on July 4, 2015 at 4:20

Hi Joel   In his BMG interview, Ossman said he always used standard C tuning and could play in any key.

The recording pitch is fairly close to modern Bb.  The short break he takes between 1st chorus and second verse (about 60 seconds into the recording) falls into place using thumb and index glides etc. while holding  Bb and F7 chords barred at the 3rd position.

Permalink Reply by Trapdoor2 on July 4, 2015 at 14:59

Bb...like Shawn sez, pretty close. I had to adjust the pitch around 20cents to get it to sound in tune with my banjo (A440 based). I think Ossman is in C also.

Didn't take much to figure out he's holding a barre at the 3rd to get Bb. Same for the F7. He's playing mostly triplet figures and 'morley licks' (I call 'em that, Joe uses a basic syncopated lick constantly...I don't think he invented it...but I'm blaming it on him). ;-)

Once you got the chord progression, the rest is easy. I'll post anything I get when I'm thru messing about with it.

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