What's in your playing folder?

[Trapdoor2]

After the Banjo Collector's Gathering, I decided that the binder in which I keep all my music was getting over large and overweight. There were lots of tunes in there that I never or rarely pick thru and some new stuff that I wanted to add...but had no room to do so.

The ones that didn't make the cut are going into a seperate binder. I think I'll put all my 2nd banjo, banjeaurine & cello-banjo parts in yet another binder.

So...new year, start with a clean slate, etc. I've whittled it down to 35 tunes (all in TAB, of course):

 

In standard "C" tuning, gCGBD:

 

The Hailstorm Jig, Morely

A Banjo Oddity, Morley

Berkeley March, Brooks & Denton

Cannon Jig, Morley

Circus Parade, Morley (hmmm...this must be a trend)

Corn Cob Parade, Morley

Colorado Buck Dance, A.H.Nassau-Kennedy

Cupid's Victory, Weidt

Dimples, Morley

Donkey Laugh, Morely

Fun On The Wabash, Hunter

Galop De Concert, A.H.Nassau-Kennedy

Glitter Of Steel, Dorward

Honolulu Cake Walk, Lerman

Kaloola, Weidt (another trend, I fear)

Lancashire Clogs, Grimshaw

Pensacola, Hunter

Rag Pickings, Lansing

The Raiders, Weidt

Rose Leaves Gavotte, Morley

Royal Tourist, Percy Jacques

Skeleton Dance, Greenop

Sunflower Dance, Rowland

Whistling Rufus, Mills

Woodland Echoes, Armstrong

 

In "raised bass" tuning, gDGBD

 

Dashwood Quickstep, Oakley

Dat Yam Rag, Weidt

Drowsy Dempsey, Lansing

A Footlight Favorite, Grimshaw

Gypsy Love, Sheaff

Lillies Of The Valley, Weidt

Onion Rag, Weidt

Pink Lemonade, Weidt

The Red Rover March, Weidt

Somewhere In Dixie, Lansing

 

Failed to make the cut:

 

At A Colored Tea Party, Eno

Banjoland, Morely

Banjoliers, Grimshaw

Carry On, Kirby

A Darkey's Romance, Grimshaw

Darktown Dandies, Morely

Desert Trail, Morley

The Dusky Minstrel, Burns

Eli Green's Cakewalk, Koninsky/Morley

Favourite Waltz, Morley

Fernbank Quickstep, Oakley

Festival, Morley

Four Little Blackberries, O'Connor

In The Moonlight, Morley

Indian Patrol, Grimshaw

A Joy Ride, Morley

Kalamazoo Kapers, Armstrong

Kansas Jig, Ellis

Kingdom Comin', Morley

Kissing Cup Waltz, George

The Ladbroke March, Skinner

Limited Mail Galop, Frey

Louisiana Hoe Down, Armstrong

Man The Guns, Papworth

Mazurka, Morley

Mister Jollyboy, Grimshaw

Nuts And Wine, Morley

Ossmania, Ashton

A Plantation Episode, Grimshaw

Plantation Symphony, Eno

Popinjay Polka, Morley

Royal Rag, Armstrong

Rugby Parade, Oakley

Smokey Mokes, Holtzman

That Banjo Rag, Weidt

The Whistler and his Dog, Pryor/Morley

Yankee Boys, Weidt

Yankee Dandy, Weidt

Yankee Land, Hoffman/Ossman

 

 

 

 

[Jody Stecher]

In my folder are

A Banjo Diversion/ Morley

La Plus Belle/Morley

Rubiana/Morley

Oxford One Step/ F Cecil Folkestone

Karakata/ Geo Eaton

Kalaloola/ Weidt

Frets Waltz/ Bartlett

Fortissimo/ Morley

The Night Express/Jan Wien

Etude in G major/ Cammeyer

Valse de Concert/Eno

Halimar/Banta

Sebastopol/ Various

Spanish Fandango/Various

[thereallyniceman]

To see mine go to the top of the page and click  MUSIC LIBRARY then pick any one of the 800  :-)

Unfortunately it seems to be the way that I hear a certain tune, fall in love with it, and want to play it only to find that the score is not available or it never has been. That is where my mate Steve Harrison comes in, he does an arrangement from the piano score and then I mess with it to suit my fingering.

So currently we have:

"Teasing the Cat" as played by Van Eps,

"Where the Lanterns Glow" as played by Van Eps

"Black Diamond Rag" as played by Van Eps

... to keep me amused on these cold dark evenings.

I have a lovely big 27" Apple iMac monitor and in full screen view  downloaded scores are perfect, so I just sit in front of the screen to practise.. who needs a folder?

[Jody Stecher]

Let me take this opportunity to trumpet the virtues of the MUSIC LIBRARY.  Ten of the fourteen pieces on my list were discovered (came to my attention) when I was perusing the library. It's a great resource.

thereallyniceman said:

To see mine go to the top of the page and click  MUSIC LIBRARY then pick any one of the 800  :-)

Unfortunately it seems to be the way that I hear a certain tune, fall in love with it, and want to play it only to find that the score is not available or it never has been. That is where my mate Steve Harrison comes in, he does an arrangement from the piano score and then I mess with it to suit my fingering.

So currently we have:

"Teasing the Cat" as played by Van Eps,

"Where the Lanterns Glow" as played by Van Eps

"Black Diamond Rag" as played by Van Eps

... to keep me amused on these cold dark evenings.

I have a lovely big 27" Apple iMac monitor and in full screen view  downloaded scores are perfect, so I just sit in front of the screen to practise.. who needs a folder?

[Trapdoor2]

I do sometimes sit in front of the computer and play along with my TAB program. It certainly helps me work thru some of the complex rhythms. Big plus, I can slow it down as much as I need to...and it stays in tune. Another big plus: it doesn't complain when I screw things up (which is more often than not).

Still, I have a very comfy picking chair and a nice, heavy duty music stand. I love to plop down and crack open the folder/binder to a random piece and start playing. I also like to carry my folder along when I travel to jams or festivals. You never know who might want to play along or take a 2nd or whatever. I want to be ready!

And yes, the Music Library is a shining jewel. I well remember when I first started out and there were only a rare few pieces available.

[3iv8pyyhxxoiv]

Plus one for the Music Library......what a phenomenal collection it is!

[Joel Hooks]

I noodle a bunch.  Grab random folio or tutor and sightread.

I also have been keeping a folio (three ring binder).  I try to keep it clean and lean.

The pieces I am comfortable playing and keep in rotation are (in no particular order)...

Bay State Quickstep. (Ike Browne's with Vess inspired trio)

Golden Bell Polka (Jennings)

At A Georgia Camp Meeting (needs work but I can play from memory)

Dat Yam Rag (also needs work but is a great rag and I feel will stay in rotation)

The Darkie's Dream/Awakening (or whatever we are calling these)

Funeral March of an Old Jaw Bone.  (Ellis' arrangement, better than the SSS but don't tell).

Donkey Laugh (regular rotation and I play this one for folks)

Sunflower Dance (yeah I know, but I still like it)

Skeleton Dance (love it)

The Alice Weston Waltz

Weston's Minor Jig

Rag Time Episode

Leaning on the Garden Gate (FBC)

Wood Up, or the Mississippi Quick-step (Mostly Buckley, but I used the 1840s guitar sheet to add the third part, I'll post my arrangement if someone wants it).

Weston's Celebrated Polka

The Washington Post March (Lansing's version, I'm still working with this one but his trio is worth the price of admission)

Devil's Dance (Converse, I've been playing with this one.  Apparently Ossman liked it.  It is far from ready).

Not included is the gamut of minor jigs and short pieces I play, stroke and guitar style.

[Trapdoor2]

Joel, "Dat Yam Rag" is one of my alltime favorites. The C part is a hoot and I usually play it softly the first time thru and then Fz the second. When it is repeated at the end of the piece, I love to install a big accelerando and end up the piece playing as fast as I can. Always leaves me with a big smile on my face...esp if I don't screw it up too badly. ;-)

[Thomas Edgar]

Joel, where can I find a copy of Lansing's Washington Post March?

Joel Hooks said:

The Washington Post March (Lansing's version, I'm still working with this one but his trio is worth the price of admission)

Devil's Dance (Converse, I've been playing with this one.  Apparently Ossman liked it.  It is far from ready).

Not included is the gamut of minor jigs and short pieces I play, stroke and guitar style.

[Joel Hooks]

Right here… (attached)

Ian, please add to the collection!

Thomas Edgar said:

Joel, where can I find a copy of Lansing's Washington Post March?

Joel Hooks said:

The Washington Post March (Lansing's version, I'm still working with this one but his trio is worth the price of admission)

Devil's Dance (Converse, I've been playing with this one.  Apparently Ossman liked it.  It is far from ready).

Not included is the gamut of minor jigs and short pieces I play, stroke and guitar style.

[Trapdoor2]

Thanks Joel, I'll put that one on my "to do" TAB list. Lansing did great arrangements, most of Sousa's "in house" (John Church, publisher) arrangers for the banjo were simply awful.

[Thomas Edgar]

Thanks Joel!!

[thereallyniceman]

Thank you Joel,

I have added the Washington Post to the MUSIC LIBRARY... with a  disclaimer that it is in A tuning, so we "modern day" (1900s) players will have to alter the score to C tuning.

... Would someone like to explain the simple process to do this, as I have practice to get on with ??

... just get your Tippex/Liquid Paper and a ruler ready :-)