What is this ornament?

[Ethan Schwartz]

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? 

[IAN SALTER]

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.

[Trapdoor2]

I have always played these as written, a quick grace note followed by the main note. Yes, it sounds like a stutter.

[Ethan Schwartz]

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?

[Trapdoor2]

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 both on the 1st string, with the thumb and middle finger of the right hand. This is simple preference; you can play them any way you like!

[Joel Hooks]

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.  

[TONY BRYAN]

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 finger from B flat to B natural; the second bar starts with a similar slide, only longer, from G to B natural.  The sequence is repeated in the third bar with a quick slide from D flat to D natural, followed in the fourth bar with the longer slide from B to D.  The idea that the fourth finger is being used is marked in the score, but the flat to natural slide in both cases was left out.  When in doubt with Morley compositions, look for the repeating patterns.  I have attached a copy of the first six bars of the coda from my own transcription.  Regards. Tony