Fascination Waltz (1904)

[John Green]

Hello all,

I like this tune and want to play it but I can only read TABS.  I've looked just about everywhere but can only find the notation which I'm unable read. If anyone knows where I can find the tabs, that would be great.

John Green

[John Green]

Hi Trapdoor2,

I can't thank you enough for taking the trouble to give me access to the tabs.  Ian's video was what inspired me to want to play this tune and now, thanks to you, I'll be busy for a while.  I'll let you know the outcome in due course.

Thanks again

John

Trapdoor2 said:

See? I told you waltzes were easy...

The mp3 is considerably faster than 'standard', it just sounds better to me there (150bpm).

The tab reflects the position markers in the notation, mostly. If I felt I needed to alter it, I did. I also watched Ian's delightful video...something I highly recommend. Ian adds stuff like arpeggiated chords, additional twiddly bits, etc. I did not include them...though they add much to the tune.

I would print out the notation and the tab. The notation has fingering (which I left out).

edit: don't hesitate to tell me if you've found an error. I did this rather quickly! ;-)

[Joel Hooks]

Dude, It would be no problem to find two more players for your first rally!  We would make quite a splash with a 4 banjo arrangement.

Trapdoor2 said:

Its ok, Joel. I think I'm just getting cranky in my geezerhood. Now get off my lawn! ;-)

As I have said before, I don't really care about the mechanics of learning...I'm about getting people to play the tunes. How they get there is their business. Being able to read notation is always going to be a plus...but not for everyone.

Ian, I have been inordinately happy with how Musescore handles converting to tab. I have never found a program that handles the 5th string properly, so it always requires manual plotting after the dots are keyed in. Apart from that, it does a very good job.

I have been working on the 2nd for Joel's "Spanish Dance #2" and it is a tough slog (#1 was easy...). I'm thinking that since the original was for piano 4 hands, perhaps I should try to arrange it for 4 banjos! 

[Trapdoor2]

LOL, I was thinking along the lines of Banjeaurine, Banjo, 2nd Banjo and Cello Banjo. It doesn't quite get up high enough for a Piccolo part.

Reading the bass clef again has been interesting. I learned it when I was playing Cello (not the CB but the violin family thing) and I'm having to re-remember all the notes...and then transpose appropriately. For the first page or so, I would key in the notes properly and then discover I'd started mis-reading them as treble clef. "Finnegan, begin again!"

I downloaded a copy of the original and it is interestingly laid out. The pages open to where the treble player reads the RH page and the bass player reads the LH page. Clever, these piano people!

[steve leuschner]

thank you

Joel Hooks said:

Hi John, I hate to be "that guy" but I used to be in your position years ago.

After making due with the play-by-numbers system, I decided to work through a course of study.  I find the Mel Bay Banjo Method by Frank Bradbury to be well graded and easy to follow.

What I found is that before I set down with the fundamentals, I would spend months trying to learn a solo.  I decided to spend that same amount of time instead learning the basics.

One phrase I no longer need to say is "I can only read tab."

If you can read tab then you have the hard part of notation down-- note duration. You should also be able to recognize the standard markings like repeats. 

I recommend spending just two or three months time on a course of study. That is not that long.  

You only have to learn to read once.

Another great part of the Bradbury method is that he gets one started with alternate fingering early on.  That is the key to classic banjo.

He also spends a good bit of time on second banjo parts and chord structure. 

By just jumping into tab solos I found I ignored alternate fingering and learning the positions. I had to unlearn bad habits.  I regret starting with the tab method.  I wish I had someone convince me to do it right in the beginning.  It was actually Clarke Buehling that got through to me and set me on the right track.