New strings/ New transcription

[Jody Stecher]

The 5th peg on my Windsor Grand Solo banjo keeps slipping so I've been playing my Eric Stefanelli banjo more and more. As my classic banjo playing evolved I found Eric's recommended gauges too heavy for this banjo's 28 inch scale. The feel was good but the sound was a bit congested. The LaBella classic set ("17s") were too light in feel and too thin in sound to bring out the best this banjo has in it. I've been experimenting and I've nearly got it right now. At  present the 4 highest strings are rectified nylon  ( a mix of La Bella and Saverez Anciens, chosen according to what was in my string drawer) and the bass is a LaBella wound string like the one in the 17 set.  The gauges are as follows

1 and 5:   . 020

2:   .023

3:  .028

4: .025

I might like the 5th string to be .021.  The bass at C is perfect at .025 but sounds a bit fat and congested at D. Maybe I'll try .024.

Here is a recording  (with the new strings) and transcription of a tune that is called "Smith's Reel" in Texas and "Kitty's Wedding" in Ireland where it is thought to be a hornpipe although it doesn't go Rum Pum Pum at the end of either part.  

I've gotten not much response to the jigs, reels and hornpipes I've been posting. If these are not of interest I will stop posting them. One reason I've been posting these is because in my arrangements I have  applying the techniques I learned from classic banjo repertoire. For instance in Smith/Kitty I am using the fingering of both hands indicated in banjo solos by Joe Morley in "A Banjo Revel" and Parke Hunter in "Pensacola".

Attached are a recording,  staff notation, and tab.

[Sam Harris]

Have you tried using the 16th or 8th note "symbol" for 5th string flags in notation? I've found it to be less of a hassle than using a second voice, since MuseScore doesn't recognize it as an additional note.

Trapdoor2 said:

I don't consider adding flags for the 5th string as "adding a voice", it is just a Musescore expedient to get that flag into the notation. For music without voiced harmonic structure, getting all the flags/beams down in the Tab is a doddle.

FWIW, when I create notation and tab, I do it independently, ie., not linked. You can create linked staves where one automatically feeds the other (enter notation staff and tab appears in the tab staff) but that's a PITA. I simply key in the notation, get it the way I want it and then create a blank tab staff and cut/paste the notation into it. Musescore automatically switches it to tab...and then I go thru and shove notes around to suit my fingering needs. If you have already entered the 5string flag, Musescore considers it just another G note and will convert it to two separate notes in the tab, usually one on the 1st string and one on the 5th. When that happens, I simply delete the 1st string note in the tab. There are many ways around it in Musescore. I haven't messed with all of them...yet!

When I have to add flags to the notation, I don't mess with the tab part, I segregate the parts (using the "parts" management button) and work on the notation alone, independent of the tab.

Yes, Musescore seems to have a mind of its own. If I remember to do so, I usually complete a part and then export it to .pdf (if I'm happy with it). Sometimes I'll mess around with another part and Musescore decides to change the part I just exported. The .pdf is not changed...so I'm good (or, it is easy to update).

For many scores, I save alternate versions. I have a lot of old scores in A notation and C notation as separate files. Too easy to convert back and forth now, so I don't do that anymore. It is when there is weirdness (errors in the original, inscrutable jumps/repeats, original vs "Marc version", Musescore flukiness, etc.) that I will save multiple versions.

Jody Stecher said:

Marc, I may have found a method for keeping the stems downward in Musecore tab-s. If I copy and paste the staff notation into tab *before* I enter the 2nd voice to get the 5th string G flag all stems point down. When making a tab of a pre-existing banjo notation that already has the 5th string G flags entered I can sometimes correct the stem direction by removing voice 2. It doesn't always work. A reliable way that takes a bit longer is to delete the offending measure and create a new blank one in its place and manually enter the tab for that measure. Sometimes I can keep the measure and just delete its content. Musescore is temperamental and does what it pleases. As you have pointed out to me several times, there is a Highly Scientific Method of dealing with this:  messing around until somehow the desired result occurs. 

[Trapdoor2]

This is why I love these forums. I talked extensively with the folks at Musescore about the 5th string flags and nobody ever mentioned using symbols.

I just did it. Easy! Now I just need to figure out how to access that symbol quickly, make it a button or something.

Thanks!!

Sam Harris said:

Have you tried using the 16th or 8th note "symbol" for 5th string flags in notation? I've found it to be less of a hassle than using a second voice, since MuseScore doesn't recognize it as an additional note.

[Jody Stecher]

Never mind, for now, how to access this symbol *easily*. How does one access it at all?  

[Trapdoor2]

Highlight the note where you want the symbol. Go to "View" - "Master Pallet" - "Symbols" - "Individual notes". Choose which note you want, direction, etc. and click on it. Bingo!

Better yet, you can hold down the Ctrl key and highlight EVERY note you want a 5th string flag on and then one click...there they are!

[Jody Stecher]

 
Trapdoor2 said:

I don't consider adding flags for the 5th string as "adding a voice", it is just a Musescore expedient to get that flag into the notation. For music without voiced harmonic structure, getting all the flags/beams down in the Tab is a doddle.

But Musecore considers the 2nd voice used to get the 5th string flag to be a second voice. And that's when I get the upward beams in Tab. 

FWIW, when I create notation and tab, I do it independently, ie., not linked.

That's what I've been doing with these recent transcriptions. Copy and Paste.

You can create linked staves where one automatically feeds the other (enter notation staff and tab appears in the tab staff) but that's a PITA. I simply key in the notation, get it the way I want it and then create a blank tab staff and cut/paste the notation into it.

Yup.

Musescore automatically switches it to tab...and then I go thru and shove notes around to suit my fingering needs. If you have already entered the 5string flag, Musescore considers it just another G note and will convert it to two separate notes in the tab, usually one on the 1st string and one on the 5th

. When that happens, I simply delete the 1st string note in the tab.

Yup... but... sometimes when that happens the beams go up instead of down. When I remove the G from the 1st string the beams reverse.. from time to time... and other times they don't.  

Whoops, gotta go. More later...

There are many ways around it in Musescore. I haven't messed with all of them...yet!

When I have to add flags to the notation, I don't mess with the tab part, I segregate the parts (using the "parts" management button) and work on the notation alone, independent of the tab.

Yes, Musescore seems to have a mind of its own. If I remember to do so, I usually complete a part and then export it to .pdf (if I'm happy with it). Sometimes I'll mess around with another part and Musescore decides to change the part I just exported. The .pdf is not changed...so I'm good (or, it is easy to update).

For many scores, I save alternate versions. I have a lot of old scores in A notation and C notation as separate files. Too easy to convert back and forth now, so I don't do that anymore. It is when there is weirdness (errors in the original, inscrutable jumps/repeats, original vs "Marc version", Musescore flukiness, etc.) that I will save multiple versions.

Jody Stecher said:

Marc, I may have found a method for keeping the stems downward in Musecore tab-s. If I copy and paste the staff notation into tab *before* I enter the 2nd voice to get the 5th string G flag all stems point down. When making a tab of a pre-existing banjo notation that already has the 5th string G flags entered I can sometimes correct the stem direction by removing voice 2. It doesn't always work. A reliable way that takes a bit longer is to delete the offending measure and create a new blank one in its place and manually enter the tab for that measure. Sometimes I can keep the measure and just delete its content. Musescore is temperamental and does what it pleases. As you have pointed out to me several times, there is a Highly Scientific Method of dealing with this:  messing around until somehow the desired result occurs. 

[Trapdoor2]

It is all a moot point now that we know how to do it the easy way.

BTW, to add the symbol (or any symbol) to one of your pallets:

Open the pallet where you want to add a symbol. Click on the ellipsis "..." and ensure the "enable editing" is checked.

Now open the Master Pallet and navigate to the symbol you want to add. Drag it to an empty box in your chosen pallet. Done.

Now, that symbol is just a click away (instead of an exercise in navigation).

[Sam Harris]

No problem! There probably aren't too many people using MuseScore for classic banjo notation.

For quick access, you can create a custom palette and then drag and drop any item you want into them by selecting the item and pressing Ctrl+Shift. I have a palette with all the symbols I need for banjo notation in one place.

Trapdoor2 said:

This is why I love these forums. I talked extensively with the folks at Musescore about the 5th string flags and nobody ever mentioned using symbols.

I just did it. Easy! Now I just need to figure out how to access that symbol quickly, make it a button or something.

Thanks!!

Sam Harris said:

Have you tried using the 16th or 8th note "symbol" for 5th string flags in notation? I've found it to be less of a hassle than using a second voice, since MuseScore doesn't recognize it as an additional note.

[Trapdoor2]

So...

What does your Classic Banjo symbol set look like? You probably have symbols I never considered (since this is my first)...

Sam Harris said:

No problem! There probably aren't too many people using MuseScore for classic banjo notation.

For quick access, you can create a custom palette and then drag and drop any item you want into them by selecting the item and pressing Ctrl+Shift. I have a palette with all the symbols I need for banjo notation in one place.

[Jody Stecher]

This method is working for me on my Mac but is doing a strange thing. If there is one high g to be flagged in a single measure  the job is done perfectly. If there are two in a measure the first g goes well but when I flag the second g the first g gets a flagged g added to it, an octave lower on the second line of the staff. This is easily deleted but it is an unexpected anomaly.  

[Sam Harris]

This is all I've needed so far

Trapdoor2 said:

So...

What does your Classic Banjo symbol set look like? You probably have symbols I never considered (since this is my first)...

Sam Harris said:

No problem! There probably aren't too many people using MuseScore for classic banjo notation.

For quick access, you can create a custom palette and then drag and drop any item you want into them by selecting the item and pressing Ctrl+Shift. I have a palette with all the symbols I need for banjo notation in one place.