Bull

[Tim Twiss]

This is "Bull upon the Battery" Jig composed by Z. Bacchus and is in the Manuscript Collection of Dan Emmett. The music is taken from the Hans Nathan Book. Any comments are welcome, but I don't really have a motive behind this post. It is just something I am working on. I found it interesting in many ways, and a challenge to play. I'll post a video of my grapple with this song as soon as YouTube is done with site maintenance. Anybody else working on any Emmett stuff?

[Jim Dalton]

Interesting piece -- I like the way you are approaching it, Tim.


Does anyone have a scan or photocopy of the Emmet ms.?

Last time I was in Ohio, I couldn't make the time to get to the library during business hours. It does seem to have some interesting stuff in it but my experience, so far, is limited to the excerpts from the Nathan book.

Jim

[John Masciale]

I have heard that Bob Winans is planning on publishing copies of the manuscripts. I've been waiting for that! I first read through the Nathan book about 2 years ago, and decided that some of the scores were impossible at the time. I think I'm starting to get there. Tim, you are impossible to keep up with. I've started working on G. Swaine Buckley's Celebrated Minor Jig shortly after you posted it. I'm still working on it, and probably will be for a while longer...

[Tim Twiss]

So, is this written for fife, or fiddle? It is a hard lay on the banjo, although it is a good tune. The key of Bb....hmm.
Any insight out there on this? I live close enough that I have an unfulfilled quest to go to the Emmett Collection. Maybe there are some answers in those boxes. I'm certain Bob Winans will make it all clear when he publishes his material.

[Jim Dalton]

I have a copy of Emmet's fife book at home. I'll check it later.

Fifes were often pitched in Bb in the 19th c. -- mine is.

Interesting thought...

[Brian Welch]

Bob Winans, in his 1984 article "Early Minstrel Show Music, 1843-1852" in the book Musical Theater in America, states the following:

"In the early part of the decade, violinists were probably playing as solos such pieces as can be found in the Dan Emmett manuscript tune book of which Nathan makes use. Nathan calls that manuscript a collection of banjo tunes. An examination of the original (now at the Ohio Historical Society) shows that it is not labeled as a banjo collection, and I have concluded that although versions of these tunes were undoubtedly played by banjo players, as written, they look like fiddle tunes. On the whole, they are more idiomatic to the violin than to the banjo; furthermore, many of the "composer credits" are to well-known minstrel violinists. This does not really alter the importance of these tunes or Nathan's analysis of them. [10]"

[footnote 10] On the New World Records recording, "Dr. Hekok's Jig," from Emmett's manuscript, is played as an early violin solo. This is one of the tunes that Nathan finds especially interesting. One good reason for performing it as a violin solo is the fact that, as written,it is impossible to play on the banjo in the minstrel style.

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So it just may be a fiddle tune!

Brian

[Greg Adams]

I play this tune on the banjo. It is really good. Structurally, the most difficult part to play, I have found, are the octave leap 32nd notes in the B part. I've interpretted by using the D/G tuning on the banjo and, depending on how repsonsive my banjo is that day, is to play the leap between the first position on the second string and jumping up to the tenth position on the first string OR treat it as a double octave leap playing the low G with the bass string. I have tried doing the first G on the fourth string, but became quickly dissatisfied with the intontation issues. If you like "Bull upon the Battery", check out "Van Bramer's." I love that one too!

[Greg Adams]

Saw the video. It's great to watch how much Converse's Analytical has informed your playing. You've really got his 'hammer' down. Impressive. I use a bit more alternating between my index and thumb on this piece as well as using a thumb lead with, for example, the opening phrase. If I can make the time over the next few days, I'll try to record myself playing the piece to see what you think! Plus I make a lot more use of the fifth string (except on the ornamented notes, then I go to the fifth position of the 1st string). You play it at a pleasing tempo. Keep up the great work Tim. I'm definitely a fan!

[Tim Twiss]

Thanks Greg. I'll be waiting.
Are you saying that you moved it, to use open strings and a more sensible adaptation? It would make sense to me to do that. If I keep it in the rotation, I would most likely try an alternative "banjo friendly" key.
I want to hear the ornaments as you do them. I know I missed some, and actuallydon't know that one in M4 is. Is it a normal turn, but lacking the line through it because it is below the staff?
It is also tempting to swing the straight 16th notes...not too certain I did very well on that.

[Greg Adams]

Tim,

I learned the tune with the banjo tuned to dGDF#A and play all the notes as written. I am not to be trusted at this time with the proper use of ornaments, turns, and mordents. So far on this tune, I've been putting upper-neighbor turns on mms 1,3,5, 7,19, and 20 (i.e., ascending hammer/descending pull) and have not effectively articulated anything on the mordents on mms 13 and 15. When I do, they just sound sloppy.

[John Masciale]

For me, "Bull Upon the Battery" immediately conjures up the name of Ole Bull, which suggests that this is likely a fiddle tune.