Armstrong's Crown Banjo Method 1889

[Joel Hooks]

Hi Folks, 

This was posted on the Classic Banjo site.  As it is in "A" notation I thought it might be of value here even though Armstrong was not big on minstrelsy.

I bought this on Ebay the other day and scanned it.  Put it up on the Internet Archive.  As it is in the Public Domain everyone owns it and may do with it as they want.

Rather unremarkable overall but there is a Banjo/Banjeaurine piece and "Menuetto from Don Juan" for Banjeaurine, Piccolo Banjo and 2 Large Banjos.

In the back are "Letters to the Young Banjoist" that I enjoyed.  "No. 4 Fretted Banjos and Unfretted Banjos" is fun.  

Favorite quote… "In playing on an unfretted banjo, nothing is gained, but much is lost.  The only object gained is to show the apparent difficulties of an otherwise easy instrument."

Get it here...

https://archive.org/details/ArmstrongCrownBanjoMethod

[Wes Merchant]

Thanks Joel, you can never have too many books. I found the those all notes in the back were really interesting.

[Joel Hooks]

For those that may be concerned about Dan'l's above post, don't be.  The US copyright office has provided a nice circular that covers this very thing...

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf

Read the part about "derivative works."  I have made no "significant changes" to the work (no changes in fact) thusly the public domain status remains.

For new members I would like to introduce Dan'l.  Dan'l has been a member of the Minstrel Banjo groups from back when they were on Google (before before I got into this).  He has a lot of knowledge on the subject of Early Banjo and Minstrelsy in general.

Here is a nice article all about his true hobby. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)

Though he may honestly not know he is a troll.

One of the things he does is make a post, then edit it after people respond.  This site only lets you edit for 15 minutes.  That has been problem for him.  He did figure out at one point that if he started the discussion he could edit his original post.  He then would start a new discussion using "RE:" before the title.  He has not done that in a while, but if he does-- ignore it and post to the original discussion.

He will also delete his posts-- after someone has commented about something he wrote.

Hey Dan'l, we would love to have you at the EBG next month.  It is going to be a great one  with a all star line up.  Are you going to make it?  One of us could pick you up at the airport as we will be in Baltimore on Friday.

I think Tim is near you, perhaps you could share expenses.

[Strumelia]

"In playing on an unfretted banjo, nothing is gained, but much is lost.  The only object gained is to show the apparent difficulties of an otherwise easy instrument."

That is priceless!   lololol!

[John Cohen]

The entire "Letters To The Young Banjoist" section is hilarious and priceless- a great read!

[Ian Bell]

Joel - Finally had a peek at this. Thanks very much for making it available. I was interested to see that even though the music is written in "A" notation the expectation is clearly that your banjo is actually tuned in "C". (In the chapter about playing with piano) The book is from 1889. Do you have any sense about when most performing banjoists would have "cranked-up" to the higher pitch?

[Joel Hooks]

Hi Ian,

By 1880 Stewart would have you tune to B flat (this was Weston's key), meaning the fourth to B flat and the rest in intervals of "standard" tuning.

Stewarts "The Hunter's March" 1879, #8 in his catalog has you tune to C to play with the piano.  I'm certain SSS was not the first.  

Stewart published a lot of Armstrong's compositions and arrangements.  Many people don't realize that SSS was the first to widely publish and distribute sheet music-- his catalog eventually hits 600+ pieces.

By the mid 1880s most books explain that "C" is the correct pitch for the fourth string (one exception is Lansing--he wants you to tune to A).  Page 4 of Converse's ABM gives a nice explanation on how it works.

At the same time there was still floating around the "banjo size determines the pitch" rule.  Smaller banjo, higher pitch.  "large" banjo, lower pitched (our properly proportioned "tub" reproductions would fit here- 26" or less scale and the strings get flabby).

That said, for the most part by 1884 or 85 you'd be up to C.

[Joel Hooks]

Incidentally, it was in the early/mid 1880s that the Banjo hit big on the other side of the pond.  English sheet music for banjo was published in "C" from the start (much of it was stolen from SSS).  Music published in "C" came to be called "English System Notation" and later "Universal Notation."  Whereas music published in "A" was (is) called "American Notation."

On March 26, 1907 the American Guild of Banjoists, Mandolinists and Guitarists officially voted to publish music in "C" notation.

We Americans are a stubborn bunch, we resisted change for 30 years.

[Ian Bell]

Thanks Joel