Kettle Drum Polka & D# sharped

[Joel Hooks]

Kettle Drum Polka, written in E major, for some reason has sharps added next to the Ds. That is except for the four times that have a natural.  So what gives?

It plays O.K. ignoring the added sharps.  

At first I equated it to early written nuttiness, Buckley's Banjo Guide, but they went through the trouble to engrave new plates the same way in Dobson's New System etc.  

Is there a music rule that I'm missing?

[Trapdoor2]

Rob,

This appears in Buckley's Banjo Guide, which is available as a .pdf on Tim Twiss' site...here:

http://www.milfordmusic.com/Banjo%20Clubhouse/Books/Buckley%2520186...

Page 41!

I have no clue why those extra sharps are there...I have seen this in other pieces and guessed that it was simply there as a reminder: "Hey! Don't forget I'm sharp!"

[Jody Stecher]

My best guess is that it was printer's error. I can imagine Buckley reminding the printer (or publisher) that this polka had two kinds of D notes and not to forget to show which is sharp (meaning no special indications since there already was a d sharp in the key signature) and which is natural (by means of a natural sign) and the printer said it to his apprentice who told his kid brother who actually did the work (the elder brother having gone to the racetrack) and we end up with a buncha redundant sharp signs.

[Joel Hooks]

Here ya go.