I've been practicing a Banjo Solo composed by Joe Morley called "Florida Cracker".  I've worked out most of the puzzles that the notation presented but am still stuck on a few points. Maybe someone here plays this piece or has heard it played or is more adept at deciphering BMG "secret codes" than I am. 

The various sections are labeled C, D, A, and B, and in that order. Section D is one measure long. It is identical to the last measure of section B which is the next-to-last measure on the printed notation. Between that next-to-last measure are instructions to repeat the four lettered sections in a certain order. This order may be A,B,C, D (which I think is likely) but could also be interpreted to mean A, C, B, D. Most peculiarly these instructions are preceded by the key signature of one flat. I *think* that is a clue to go to section A, which is also in F major/one flat.  In any case the last repeated section is going to be section D (one measure long) and that, apart from the rests,  consists of a C natural note followed by a C7 chord ( high to low: c, g, e, B flat). This implies a shift to the key of F. But instead we are told to follow section D (still only one measure long) with the final measure which is almost the same except that the final chord is a C major, with the B flat replaced with the open bass string tuned to C natural, and the whole chord played as a rasp. This makes no musical sense to me. I'd be inclined to *replace" section D with the final measure instead. 

Can anyone make sense of this? Should section D be replaced with the final measure? Is ABCD the correct order?

Thank you. Here's the notation.

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Well it's been a while since I last posted something here.

But to answer your question Jody. I read it as :

Play A to B (second ending) followed by C to D then jump from the letter D to the final measure (not playing what you consider to be the D section) .

There isn't a D section as such. The letter D should be read as a da coda (in my opinion) 

It's not really BMG code only. I ran accross this type of notation quite frequently in turn of the century French mandolin music.

Regards,

Jean-Marie

I should have explained better. 

You play from the letter A up to the letter B. So you only play the A part. The A part has 2 endings. Since the reference says no repeats take the second ending. That's 8 measures. From there you play C up to the letter D and then the final measure. 

I hope it's clear now.

Thank you, Jean-Marie. Since there is no second ending to what I was calling section B, you must mean the second ending of A. I think I may understand now. The dashes between A and B and between C and D are suggesting that that A, B, C, D are points, not sections. In which case you are saying that once the player has reached the penultimate measure the section beginning with A should be played once, using the second ending. (the instructions in the penultimate measure say" "omitting repeats"). That brings the player to point B. Then the first part of the piece (which is labeled C  ) is played once and when point D is reached the final measure of the piece is played. This makes musical sense. Do I understand it correctly now?

I still think that the B flat is in the penultimate measure which contains only words and no musical notes, is very odd but I now understand that BMG was following the convention of its time.



Jean-Marie van de Laar said:

Well it's been a while since I last posted something here.

But to answer your question Jody. I read it as :

Play A to B (second ending) followed by C to D then jump from the letter D to the final measure (not playing what you consider to be the D section) .

There isn't a D section as such. The letter D should be read as a da coda (in my opinion) 

It's not really BMG code only. I ran accross this type of notation quite frequently in turn of the century French mandolin music.

Regards,

Jean-Marie

Yes, very clear. I deleted my first reply and wrote a new one at the same time as you were writing your second reply. Thanks!

Jean-Marie van de Laar said:

I should have explained better. 

You play from the letter A up to the letter B. So you only play the A part. The A part has 2 endings. Since the reference says no repeats take the second ending. That's 8 measures. From there you play C up to the letter D and then the final measure. 

I hope it's clear now.

Yep you've got what I meant.

The b flat in the penultimate measure isn't that strange. Since the words direct you to go to the letter A. When you look at where the letter A stands that part also has a b flat in the key. If you would write it out completely , paste the parts in the correct order. There would be a b flat at the same spot.

It would seem clearer (to me) to explain it thus:

Play from the beginning, include all repeats. When you get to the penultimate measure (where it says "repeat"), go back and play from A to B (omit repeats, which usually means play the 2nd ending) and then from C to D, then skip to the final measure (rasp).

I understand. I found humor in the idea of words having a musical "key".  thanks again, you've cleared up the mystery. I'll see if I can post a video of this tune after a while. It's a very nice tune. It's rhythms are similar to the "clogs" that were composed for fiddle and solo dancing in the 19th century. The title is also a bit of a mystery since a Florida Cracker can be, according to context, a person or a horse. Given Joe Morley's fondness for horses, I'm guessing the latter. Perhaps he didn't have the breed (Florida Cracker) in mind but a particular animal with the name Florida Cracker.


Jean-Marie van de Laar said:

Yep you've got what I meant.

The b flat in the penultimate measure isn't that strange. Since the words direct you to go to the letter A. When you look at where the letter A stands that part also has a b flat in the key. If you would write it out completely , paste the parts in the correct order. There would be a b flat at the same spot.

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