"I had never thought of playing it as two notes. I saw the first four bars of the coda as a repeated sequence, mostly playing a melody on the first string with the fourth finger. The first bar starts with a short slide of the fourth…"
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What is this ornament?
6 Replies
I come across this (see photo) occasionally in classic banjo sheets. This one happens to be from "A Banjo Oddity." Is this indeed intended to be a grace note on the same tone (producing a kind of…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by TONY BRYAN Sep 12.
Compiling B.M.G. banjo solos
36 Replies
It occured to me: Wouldn't it be nice to take all the banjo solos printed in early issues of B.M.G. and compile them into a single document and/or directory? I enjoy collections/folios at least, and…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Ethan Schwartz Jul 30, 2025.
Even MORE fun with fluorocarbons
5 Replies
I took the plunge and bought a bunch of Savarez Alliance fluorocarbons in different gauges to try out. I've had a fluorocarbon 4th (.0303) on my main banjo for a while, and I've been wondering what a…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Jody Stecher Jun 12, 2025.
Fun with fluorocarbons
4 Replies
I've been exploring alternatives to the conventional wound 4th, which I've never been particularly satisfied with. I can now report that the "KF Alliance" fluorocarbon strings offered by Savarez do…Continue
Started this discussion. Last reply by Ethan Schwartz Mar 13, 2025.
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"I think that both ways are orthodox, but I tend to go with the stutter version. There are exceptions, but I am with Marc and like the sort of staccato and deliberate sound without the ringing. "
"I tend to want grace notes not to ring and thus, rarely use the 5th for them. I haven't played "A Banjo Oddity" in years, so I had to check my video. I play them with the thumb and middle finger of the right hand. This is simple…"
"It seems like a strange way to notate it, but I suppose it makes sense musically. Now, does anyone else catch the grace note on the 5th string, or is that just me?"
"I have always played these as written, a quick grace note followed by the main note. Yes, it sounds like a stutter."
"Hi Ethan,
On p.7 of Morley's tutor, one of the two examples of grace notes, shows an E to E, similar to the B to B in your attachment."
What is this ornament?
I come across this (see photo) occasionally in classic banjo sheets. This one happens to be from "A Banjo Oddity." Is this indeed intended to be a grace note on the same tone (producing a kind of stuttered attack), or are we meant to assume it is located a tone higher/lower? See More
"This is fantastic. I recall we had discussed at one point how to get the collection "out there" more publicly, and this is a great solution. "
"Re: FVE and TBJ, it should be considered that fingerstyle banjo and the BMG club scene retained some relevance for longer in England than in the US. It likewise took time for American jazz to become more mainstream in British society (we see the…"
"To add to the points already made...
While fingerstyle banjo didn't fully embrace jazz, it was also the case that jazz (which was much bigger than arranged charts for orchestra) didn't embrace fingerstyle banjo. It went both directions.…"
"Here's another. While I don't have a good answer for what is and isn't jazz as of 2026 (does anybody?), jazz or blues (e.g., Grimshaw's "Banjo Blues" and several pieces by Weidt) in the classic banjo context seems to…"
Goldby & Shepard Progressive Studies, Book 1
The Famous Goldby & Shepard Progressive Studies for the Banjo in C Notation Compiled by Frank B. Smith, Book 1 of 6 (1914)0:00 Nettie Schottische (4/4 time a...
"This will be my last reply as this whole thing is clearly a waste of time and a distraction from what could otherwise be a productive and practically useful discussion about arranging for the banjo.
1. This hypothetical distinction assumes…"
"Austin, it's not my job to convince you that you are wrong (and when people who are older than you, more experienced, and better studied tell you outright that you are wrong, you should at least consider the possibility that you are, indeed,…"
"Samuel Floyd Jr is not typically described as an ethnomusicologist per se (no disrespect to him), although his work is certainly relevant. Fine. Here's how I know you haven't actually read him (or have, but didn't understand it).
In…"
"Oh? Which ethnomusicologists exactly? I am in the middle of getting my PhD in ethnomusicology. Surely, I have heard of them."
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