I've done something different. Let me know if this kind of thing is of interest or if it is just way too nerdy. This video is an experiment. I am making explicit the questions I ask and choices I'm making as I learn a piece of music I have not played before this week. I compare a 98 year old recording with another one that was recorded 115 years ago and compare both to the sheet music. I am making decisions as to left hand fingering and right hand picking and am deciding how i want the piece to sound and deciding what techniques to apply to achieve that. The tune is "A Footlight Favorite", composed by Emil Grimshaw.  Just the first part. If this of interest I'll make similar videos about the intro and the other parts of this Banjo Solo. This is just about part one.

By the way does anyone have an idea what the title means. Is " a footlight favorite" referring to an actress or actor or dancer or someone people liked to see on the stage? Or is this Emil Grimshaw composing a tune no has ever heard and declaring that it a favorite for the stage?  That seems a bit presumptuous!

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Great stuff, Jody! You'll find yet another recorded version in the "Original Recordings" section here, one by William Ball...which is just a little more sedate than either Ms. Spaulding or Mr. Pidoux. It listens like it is very close to the published sheet music.

Shirley's A part beginning (scalar/chromatic sequence) is problematic in that I think she messes it up more often than she gets it the way she wants it. I slowed it down so I can hear each note. I think the very first time thru, she doubles that A...but I don't think she ever does it again. The next time thru she sticks to a scalar sequence and again as required. In the repeat after the B part, she flubs her way thru it again, all 4 times (I think).

So, I think she intends it to be scalar (no doubled notes). Exactly how she does it (or intended it to be done), I dunno.

I like what you're doing, it makes me feel so much better to see your process, esp. that I go thru a similar one. I am not terribly picky about whether I use the same finger to produce consecutive notes, if that is more comfortable for me at the required rate of speed. I've never played "AFF", but I imagine alternating digits is going to be required for the most part as it is rather fast.

I don't know if you've seen Greg Adams' video of AFF but he uses Ms Spaulding's version...

Thanks, Marc, I've seen *two* of Greg's videos of A Footlight Favorite, done several years apart.  Speaking of repeating a right hand finger I make a boo-boo at the end and use my thumb twice where I didn't mean to do it.  Now I'm gonna check out the Bill Ball recording.

Oh yes! Please do make more videos like this. I find it highly interesting and inspiring. Makes me realize that I often go with the fingering that at first feels more natural, although with some practise other fingerings might be better. I'm a bit lazy in that sence...

I didn't know that tune before. It's a really nice one! Maybe I'll learn it along with you :-)

So, is Pidoux playing a zither on the recording in "original recordings" on here? Quite a different sound than I get out of my zithers....

Thanks for letting me know, Par (sorry about the missing dots over the a in your name). Yes, John Pidoux's instrument was the zither-banjo. As far as I know he never made a recording on a regular 5-string banjo. Those who have better information please correct me if I'm wrong.  

Yesterday I made several attempts at a video about the intro and part 2 of A Footlight Favorite but kept getting de-railed at one point. There is an indication on the sheet music to play at a metronome setting of 104. So I turned on a metronome to show how fast that is and I played a few phrases at that pace. And then I intended to turn off the metronome. But instead I clicked on the *stop* button on the Quicktime video. I had gotten the digital world and the real world mixed up. And I did this 3 times!   Unfortunately there seems to be no way to continue recording a stopped video so I had to start over. Fortunately (for *me*, anyway) I am amused when I am an idiot, and not discouraged or upset. I'll just try again today or tomorrow.



Pär Engstrand said:

Oh yes! Please do make more videos like this. I find it highly interesting and inspiring. Makes me realize that I often go with the fingering that at first feels more natural, although with some practise other fingerings might be better. I'm a bit lazy in that sence...

I didn't know that tune before. It's a really nice one! Maybe I'll learn it along with you :-)

So, is Pidoux playing a zither on the recording in "original recordings" on here? Quite a different sound than I get out of my zithers....

Hi Jody, thank you for sharing a bit of your process!  I always find something useful when I get a peek at others systems.

Aaron Jonah Lewis gave a similar sort of workshop at a ABF rally where he described his process.  Drew Frech has done the same.

This is very useful to beginner and experienced players. 

I look forward to round two.

"Footlight" is a ABF "group number" but I have not taken to it.  Perhaps I'll go back and give it a closer look.  it would be nice to do more than just sight read the 2nd part at rallies (if we get to have another).

Thanks, Joel.  I did not respond to A Footlight Favorite at first.  After a few years I gave another listen and somehow it appealed to me. It might have been the John Pidoux recording that helped change my mind. He seems to be enjoying himself and sound is remarkably clear for 1905,  I made the second video this morning. Youtube and my new computer are coming to terms with each other. I hope to have the problems solved later today and I will post the video here.  

Joel Hooks said:

Hi Jody, thank you for sharing a bit of your process!  I always find something useful when I get a peek at others systems.

Aaron Jonah Lewis gave a similar sort of workshop at a ABF rally where he described his process.  Drew Frech has done the same.

This is very useful to beginner and experienced players. 

I look forward to round two.

"Footlight" is a ABF "group number" but I have not taken to it.  Perhaps I'll go back and give it a closer look.  it would be nice to do more than just sight read the 2nd part at rallies (if we get to have another).

And now all is well. The video is posted. Part 2.

Jody Stecher said:

I made the second video this morning. Youtube and my new computer are coming to terms with each other. I hope to have the problems solved later today and I will post the video here.  

Okay, so I found it.  "Footlight Favourite" was announced in the September 1916 issue of the BMG as being ready for sale October 1st.  

In the October 1916 Issue on page 12 there is an article "How to Play A Footlight Favourite, by the Composer". On page 11 there is a note about John Pidoux's recording.

I see I've been misspelling "favourite" omitting the u.  The 1916 date is at odds with my previous idea that Pidoux recorded this in 1905. I had another look: the note in The Banjo On Record that says that Pidoux recorded this in 1915. This is close enough to 1916.  I found the article (written by the composer) in October issue, sure enough. What he says accords with my experience so far. I've only begun trying to play page 2 so I will see what happens.

Joel Hooks said:

Okay, so I found it.  "Footlight Favourite" was announced in the September 1916 issue of the BMG as being ready for sale October 1st.  

In the October 1916 Issue on page 12 there is an article "How to Play A Footlight Favourite, by the Composer". On page 11 there is a note about John Pidoux's recording.


But wait.... the Edison record label of the Shirley Spaulding record used the American spelling.
Jody Stecher said:

I see I've been misspelling "favourite" omitting the u.  T

Really interesting and informative. Thank you for doing this, Jody

Ok. Grimshaw's writing in the BMG on the tune didn't really give that much information. He basically said, that if you've done your practise you need not to worry. And practise "at a moderate pace".

Helpfull in that is; if I can't play it, I haven't done my practise :-)

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