I finally cracked standard notation

[Chris Prieto]

I feel like dummy for not having figured this out sooner. I was reading the Briggs book at like 3am last night and saw the old every good boy does fine and face and a light went off. I do feel a bit silly for having spent so much time memorizing fret based positions instead of memorizing where notes are. Its easy to find notes now that the SN clicked. But in no time I will unlearn and relearn.

So I guess my question would be lets say I wanna play some of the Emmet tunes from the Nathan book, can I play them right out of the book or do I need to rearrange them a lil so they are better suited for banjo? Also are all those tunes written for fiddle in that book? Haven't really dug in yet and have been mostly going over songs I know and really trying to rethink them as notes.

My teacher and I for a while transcribed fiddle tunes into tabs to help me get a better understanding of tunings and fret hand economy. Do I need to do that sort of thing?

[Chris Prieto]

Thanks! Starting up the 1860 Buckley. So very many jigs :D

[Chris Prieto]

Is there a good way to know if I should be using 5th fret of 1st string or open 5th string? I'm struggling with this on some of the Buckley and Rice tunes without finger marks.

Otherwise the transition is going rather smoothly and I feel like I'm on top of the world. Takes a lil longer to learn a tune but its worth it.

[Chris Prieto]

weird, so for something like the sanford jig in buckley 1860 I have a much easier time playing all those notes with my thumb even tho they have no upward stems.

I do recall reading somewhere that the 5th strings always had the up stem but feel tunes like sanford jig are conflicting that.

[Chris Prieto]

ahhh okay I see, then that would be why I am having issues with sanford jig. thnx!

Timothy Twiss said:

The stuff in the "back of the Buckley" will not tell you, and that is because those are fiddle tunes, and not arranged for banjo. 

[Chris Prieto]

yeah that has helped a lot. before you mentioned it I was struggling with whoop jamboree in the wrong tuning. I haven't left the folds of Rice/Buckley books but I have generally been learning the music on my gourd tuned to E and once I memorize it I play it on the old sweeney tuned to D.

overall I am very impressed with what a great system standard notation is. Any time I run into a new symbol or squiggly line of some sort i look it up and it makes perfect sense. A great amalgamation of various skills going on in the old noodle too.