Gumbo Chaff

[Tim Twiss]

Anyone want to read through the Gumbo Chaff with me? It would be so awesome. Go straight  through it. Mark....do I hear a nibble of interest? We can do "as is" versions, then interpretations.

[Tim Twiss]

Hey, as we look at this....you should cross reference this with the Ethiopian Glee Book. I think almost every tune is paralleled. It brings to the forefront the importance of how they appeared as vocal tunes in the early Minstrel shows. This represents a "fake book" of tunes that had significant impact.  

[Tim Twiss]

Wow....this one needs to be understood from a vocal viewpoint. Anyone tried this yet? I am referring to "Who's Dat Knocking"

[Tim Twiss]

This next one coming up is real cool...."Gone to Alabama". Great opportunities for interesting banjo moves with pulls, open strings etc. Sounds great. Switching to a gourd for a few.

[Tim Twiss]

These next 3 on page 14 are real nice. "Jim Brown"....perfect as is. if anyone ends up liking this, go for it. I'd tab that one if there is an interest. Sounds like something from the "Big Four". Billy Barlow...a nice 6/8 tune that works. Ends up as a minor tune, so "E" is the thumb string. Jolly Raftsman......works fine.

[Tim Twiss]

Next up..."Dandy Broadway Swell". Now THERE'S some fine lyrics...jeez.

[Tim Twiss]

Okay, I'm done. All 46 tunes, played unaccompanied as written. I'll take a day or so and collect my thoughts, and write a summary of what I found in playing this music. Certainly, we went towards something that not many have done before, and it was cool to take a collective look at this, the first banjo book. These WERE the tunes of the day. I'm sure many tunes will still be coming in...I hope so. I am sure I will go back and do my own versions of these.....turning them into more of a musical experience as to opposed to an academic reading. At least....there they are, as best as I could do with them. Many....NOT simple.

[Tim Twiss]

I hope we keep talking about this music....relating it to the Ethiopian Glee Book, and the appearance of these songs in the early playbills, and subsequent development in future Tutors.

[Paul Draper]

Thanks for doing this work Tim. It's a great reference.

[Tim Twiss]

My summary of Gumbo Chaff:
PROS:

• It is a representative collection of the hottest pieces of the time
• It can be matched with the Glee Book to complete the picture of this era
• Everything in there is possible, to be played by a banjo
• It's appearance marks the high interest in the instrument and the beginning of commercialization

CONS:

• It offers nothing in telling us how to execute the music on the banjo
• It is possible, but not practical, to play all the music
• If it were the  first book someone saw about the banjo, I do not believe they would make any sense of it

That being said, I still feel it is a parallel publication to the flute and violin books Howe published. I think we need to "read between the lines" to appreciate its true value. Perhaps we would not have the clarity of the subsequent tutors if it were not for this publication. And....it makes clear that fiddle music is indeed a source material.

[Rob Morrison]

.Tim:  Re: using fiddle music as a source material--Just for fun I've spent the last couple weeks learning common D fiddle tunes and A modal tunes in Briggs High Bass (Open) tuning.  It's really fun and easy to do.

These tunes, and especially the modal ones sound great in the lower tuning.  To date I've learned thirty-six tunes this way.  Many of these tunes I already play in Double D, but it takes a little ingenuity to put them in another tuning.  I also use the internet to find printed sheet music for them.  Of course, you have to leave out about half the notes in some of the tunes to make them suitable for stroke style, but your brain does have a way of filling in the missing notes.  This sleight of hand is part of what Weidlich does in his arrangements of the Preceptor material. 

[Strumelia]

Rob, I have been finding much the same as you describe.  I am only in the beginning of doing such things, but it does seem as though it will fall into place naturally once one goes through the process a few times.  I can only imagine other musicians exploring the same pathways long ago as well.   :)

[Tim Twiss]

It is good to get into that mind set..of so long ago. There was no "banjo" music.