For enthusiasts of early banjo

Jim Along Josie melody

Anybody ever reference the melody for "Jim Along Josey" from other sources? I was looking at it today, seeing the lyrics and playing it the way we usually do, and then I looked at music in the Hans Nathan book and noticed that melody hanging on the root note for the entire verse, not the root up to the third as we usually hear it. There are a few other things consistant in these sources that change it up a bit. I looked and Levy's and found the same thing. It changes the tune significantly. Do most of you go off the Briggs' and then add the words?

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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on March 16, 2011 at 7:49am

There is also a really neat dance section at the end that I've never heard anybody do.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on March 16, 2011 at 8:13am

I moved it down a P4, and puts it in a reasonable range, and also makes the dance at the end work out well.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on March 17, 2011 at 7:56am

Check out every other line in the verse. It is an ad lib vocal line, going back into tempo with 3 quarter note accents for timing. I'll put the next page up too. The chorus is up tempo. This version also give the accompaniment rhythm...an unusual insight into the tune. It really changes every version I've heard of it.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on March 17, 2011 at 7:03pm

Sorry I'm not lettin' this one go. Too intreguing. Anybody wan to do a project...play this version? Compare it to the "Jim Along" we have all grown used to.

C'mon...somebody must want to have a little fun with this??

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Permalink Reply by Ian Bell on March 18, 2011 at 10:26am

I might rise to the bait in a couple of days - My fingers are still sore from playing five hours of Irish tunes at the party last night.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Jeter on March 18, 2011 at 12:12pm

This is cool! I missed work so just saw it today. I would try , but Im trying to stay on starter tunes.

kudos

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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on March 20, 2011 at 6:08pm

The melody in the Sheet music (as seen in Carlin's Sweeney Book) found in Levy's also uses the melody and ad lb that the Hans Nathan book does.

http://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/levy-cgi/display.cgi?id=020.005.0...

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Permalink Reply by Strumelia on February 12, 2015 at 1:05pm

Tim, I just found this discussion.

(and the link above to Levy no longer works.)

I'm interested in hearing this Nathan/Josey version of which you speak! Did you record or video yourself playing it? Did you include the "dance section at the end" that you decribe?

Lemme hear it? :)