TABS

[Tim Twiss]

Although I am pro-notation, I am not anti-tab. I thought a discussion for tabs might be fun and useful. It was the only way I made any sense of this music when I started. I have lots of tab ready to go, so let's post some here...or John, maybe there could be a spot to place a library. Here is a raw, unfingered version of Land Of Canaan. I watched my tube of it from last year, and thought best not to post it. It sounds okay, but my hand is pretty funky...snapping and bending at the joint a lot. I spent a long time correcting some of those habits. I'm sure if we put up our own fingerings, we would get a lot of different views.

[Tim Twiss]

Here is Napoleon W. Gould's Polka

[Tim Twiss]

Couple more.
Sugar In De Gord and Lor Bres de Ladies (from Buckley 1868)

[Trapdoor2]

One of the things missing from these ning sites is a location for files. I don't know if such a thing even exists in the ning environment...but I agree, it would great to have a library for such stuff. Since I do virtually all my work from TAB, I have lots of it...but because of the way we post files here, I can't remember what's been previously posted and what hasn't.

Also, as I've said, I'm loathe to post tab from reprinted publications.

[Tim Twiss]

John, perhaps there is a solution?
Hey Marc, there is a "must have" fingering in M 9 M11 M13 ...pull the F# to the E.
Also, might want to key it in A....with respect to Converse. (it makes no difference to the TAB, but it is in A).

[Trapdoor2]

LOL. I sometimes leave the tuning off, sometimes not. As I usually play in Briggs tuning I guess that day I decided to leave it in there. The "pull" from F# to E isn't actually notated until m9 (and only then...you could use it in m7 too) and I took Converse at his word...they're suggestions. I don't use the "pull" so I left it out.

It is a good point though. If I were publishing this TAB, I should include a pull in m9 as an example (much like Converse). I suspect he left it out of the rest to squeeze this piece into three lines.

[Tim Twiss]

I guess that is one of my problems with TAB. It removes the "suggestion". Without the original score, I don't think most folks would try that pull. I played that tune over and over and found that his fingerings were incredibly purposeful. It seems like a lot of instruction, but he paves the way for something really cool. This is the only book that seems to have such "set in stone" fingering suggestions. It would be impiled that M11 and M13 would have the same fingerings...they are exactly the same. I think Converse in this book, gives a great perspective to "look back" through time at how to play this music. The fingerings are a complicated path to a simple result. It seems that these arrangements were not done in haste, as perhaps the other tutors were.

[John Masciale]

I've sent a request to the ning people about this. I could create a special forum category of scores that we could attach files to, but this would be awkward

Tim Twiss said:

John, perhaps there is a solution?
Hey Marc, there is a "must have" fingering in M 9 M11 M13 ...pull the F# to the E.
Also, might want to key it in A....with respect to Converse. (it makes no difference to the TAB, but it is in A).

[Trapdoor2]

I don't disagree at all. What I have found is that new players tend to play TAB exactly as it is written (mistakes and all) and more seasoned players play what they feel is best for them. In many of my Classic TABs, I provide multiple choices for repeated figures...sometimes because I'm still trying to make up my mind how to play it and sometimes just because one particular way doesn't seem 'best'. I have gotten feedback from both directions as well (even though I usually tell people that all fingering is "suggested") so I guess I'm not completely sold one way or another. I suspect this is common and part of the reason Bob F. put the "as played by" caveat on his stuff.

Converse obviously thought a lot about this stuff and put a lot of effort into 'getting it right'. When I get around to producing TAB books, I intend to include some discussion about all this. I think your idea about including the facsimile original is probably the best route...but I do suspect most TAB readers aren't ever going to get anything out of it.

Tim Twiss said:

I guess that is one of my problems with TAB. It removes the "suggestion". Without the original score, I don't think most folks would try that pull. I played that tune over and over and found that his fingerings were incredibly purposeful. It seems like a lot of instruction, but he paves the way for something really cool. This is the only book that seems to have such "set in stone" fingering suggestions. It would be impiled that M11 and M13 would have the same fingerings...they are exactly the same. I think Converse in this book, gives a great perspective to "look back" through time at how to play this music. The fingerings are a complicated path to a simple result. It seems that these arrangements were not done in haste, as perhaps the other tutors were.

[Steven Hedgpeth]

Is there a trick to playing two strings at once in "Frisky Reel" in M2 and M7 (and the other repeats of the same phrases)? Do you "pinch" them or downstroke them... fast? I've noticed from the videos that some of these tunes are being played with a combination of guitar-style picking and downstroking (e.g. "Leavitt's Duff Polka," which does include some pinches along with guitar-style picking and some stroke-style sections). Are those intervals in "Frisky Reel" asking for an up-pick?

Trapdoor2 said:

One of the things missing from these ning sites is a location for files. I don't know if such a thing even exists in the ning environment...but I agree, it would great to have a library for such stuff. Since I do virtually all my work from TAB, I have lots of it...but because of the way we post files here, I can't remember what's been previously posted and what hasn't.

Also, as I've said, I'm loathe to post tab from reprinted publications.

[Steven Hedgpeth]

As a sad case in the related point of musical notation illiteracy, I can't tell which notes you're suggesting should be pulled in M's 9, 11, and 13 from looking at either the tabbed or the notated "Frisky Reel."

If I can't read the original (and I can't), I don't know whether the E is the 0 and 5 or whether it's the 7. From playing with it, it seems like you must mean that on the first string the 7 pulls off to the 5.

But maybe you mean the second string 5 is pulled, which actually makes the motion of pinching the first interval easier, for me at least, because I can pinch, pull off the second string, and hit that first string in time to save the triplet. (Then I still want to pull that 7 to save that other triplet.) Whatever you meant, it was helpful!

(You do barre that 555, right?)

New putdown: "That boy's so ignorant he can't tell his E's from his F sharps!"

Tim Twiss said:

I guess that is one of my problems with TAB. It removes the "suggestion". Without the original score, I don't think most folks would try that pull. I played that tune over and over and found that his fingerings were incredibly purposeful. It seems like a lot of instruction, but he paves the way for something really cool. This is the only book that seems to have such "set in stone" fingering suggestions. It would be impiled that M11 and M13 would have the same fingerings...they are exactly the same. I think Converse in this book, gives a great perspective to "look back" through time at how to play this music. The fingerings are a complicated path to a simple result. It seems that these arrangements were not done in haste, as perhaps the other tutors were.

[Tim Twiss]

Re: the "pinch", it is in the beginning of a nail glide, so just dig in and hit it quick.
The Buckley material seems to "swing both ways" sometimes, and I often mix styles. It's his fault for not being more specific. Case in poiunt..."Buckley's March". I'm not sure either way is better. Check out the video I posted...I did both. I often mix the styles within the tunes as needed. I think that as long as you don''t get a radical timbre change, mixing them is okay. I found that to be the best way for that "Duff".

[Tim Twiss]

Tim Twiss said:

I circled the spot. It's subtle, but cool. The 3 with the arc under it implies a pull onto the same string. It keeps the thumb string rhythm going in a smooth way. You can also see the 3 and the 1 above the F# and E.

Re: the "pinch", it is in the beginning of a nail glide, so just dig in and hit it quick.
The Buckley material seems to "swing both ways" sometimes, and I often mix styles. It's his fault for not being more specific. Case in poiunt..."Buckley's March". I'm not sure either way is better. Check out the video I posted...I did both. I often mix the styles within the tunes as needed. I think that as long as you don''t get a radical timbre change, mixing them is okay. I found that to be the best way for that "Duff".