Here is the second in my series of transcriptions of Harry Reser’s plectrum banjo recordings. I count these as “technical studies,” as there is no better way to learn a style than by copying a true master of the instrument. Click on the link below for the transcription.
Harry Reser with his Paramount plectrum banjo.
Original recording:
Thanks for all your research and work! I’m working on Pickin’s like crazy and it is helping me with some other Reser tunes that I’m attempting to learn on plectrum!
Would love to hear a progress recording. I would be happy to advise.
Thanks, Ron! As soon as it starts to sound fit for human consumption, I will send you a progress recording….
Hopefully soon!
Thank you, Mr. Hinkle, for introducing me to the frightening world of Harry F. Reser! And thanks for all the work you have put into providing us mortals with this great transcription and helpful playing notes. Could I possibly get an MP3 of the original recording from you? I need to listen to it many more times!
Was there a reason you reverted to one finger per fret fingering of the notes on the B string in those single notes runs? I find that it bunches up my fingers on the move onto the first string, whereas, if I use fingers 1,2 aand 3 on the B string, it reduces the distance my hand has to move up as I change strings and it keeps my fingers more open, ready for the notes on the first string. Having played guitar for many years I originally approached this piece using a one finger per fret fingering where possible, but soon found that using a one finger per note fingering seems to work better on the single note runs. Using this idea on the first single note run in the A section, by playing the notes at frets 13, 15 and 16 with fingers 1,2 and 3, this leaves finger 4 free to drop onto fret 17 and you’ve got a gap between fingers 1 and 2 ready for dropping onto frets 12 and 14. And using it on that long single string run in the first ending or the Trio gives you 2-1-2-3 shift 2-1-2-3 shift 2-1-2-3-4-3-4, similar to your first alternative example, but this fingering reduces the distances of your shifts, admittedly not by much, but anything you can do to shave a few milliseconds off the time it takes to play this stuff, has to be a good thing!
All the best and thanks again for this most excellent transcription, Bob
Bob; Glad you like it! I enjoy torturing myself, so why not spread the joy? To the first question: My fingering on the B string (which Reser reportedly never used in single-note passages) is 1-3-4-3-1-3-3 (slide); this does “unbunch” the fingers a bit for the move to the D string. I decided on this after countless hours of trying it every way I could invent. Then I was told that Reser actually fingered it (G string) 1-2-3-4 (D string) 1-3-4-3-1-3-4 (shift) 1-2-3-4. Then I discovered that Grimshaw arranged it as (G) 1-3 (B) 1-2 (D) 1-3-4-3-1-3-4 (shift) 1-2-3-4! I would be curious to hear your take on these other fingerings; Reser was also a fine guitarist, and it would make more sense to me to use the B string to advantage.
I’ll have to get back to you regarding the other fingerings. As I stated in my text, I welcome questioning, because I sure don’t know it all! I see this as a work in progress. Thanks!