Paul Eno's plantation symphony

[Austin]

I know I shouldn't even attempt to learn this piece yet, but it's really good and doesn't seem that difficult. I'm not sure if there are many classic style recordings of it. All of the recordings on YouTube seem to be using melodic style. Is there a classic era recording of it? If not, I want to learn it and make one. Should I just transcribe the whole thing to MuseScore to listen to it?

[Jody Stecher]

I watched 3 Youtube videos of Plantation Symphony. To me they all sounded metallic and mechanical and just-plain-wrong. But the problem was not melodic technique. The problem was insufficient musicality.

What is called "Melodic Style"  is part of Classic Banjo technique and predates Bill Keith and Bobby Thompson.  The right and left and hand fingerings are clearly marked in some early 20th century banjo sheet music.  

I don't understand the question about Musescore. This Banjo Solo is already "transcribed".  It is in the music library right here on this website complete with fingerings of both hands clearly marked.  Imagine the timing and melody from the notation and from the Youtube videos, unsatisfactory though they are.  Musescore playback is unmusical in both timing and tone.  The timing is too literal and the tone is like most midi: not nice to hear. Although their Harmonium sound is pretty good.

[Austin]

MuseScore playback is better than no playback

[Trapdoor2]

Here's a copy in Musescore, if you'd like to mess with it. It was an old Tabledit file of mine but I just converted it to Musescore...it may have issues with endings, etc., but it is a workable copy...and you won't have to key in every note...

I use Musescore all the time to listen to music. The roboticity of it doesn't bother me at all. It ain't there to be a perfect human emulation, it is just there to give you an idea of how the tune might sound.

[Austin]

Thank you! Sorry forgot to say that when I saw it.

Trapdoor2 said:

Here's a copy in Musescore, if you'd like to mess with it. It was an old Tabledit file of mine but I just converted it to Musescore...it may have issues with endings, etc., but it is a workable copy...and you won't have to key in every note...

I use Musescore all the time to listen to music. The roboticity of it doesn't bother me at all. It ain't there to be a perfect human emulation, it is just there to give you an idea of how the tune might sound.