schlange - Posted - 07/04/2014:  12:02:54

Jimmy Martin and Bill Emerson

This week's tune is Bill Emerson's popular instrumental "Theme Time." According to Bill it was written while Bill was playing with Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys, and they would play it a lot on a radio show spot they used to play on the WWVA in Wheeling, WV (he talks a little about this at the beginning of this video).

This is our first Bill Emerson tune in the TOTW series, so it bears mentioning that Bill is a giant in the banjo world. Not only was he the founder of the world famous Country Gentlemen, he has performed with more bands than any other banjo player (I didn't do the homework to verify this, but his website's bio says so!) He started singing and picking in 1953, which means last year marked his 60th year as a banjo player. You can learn more about him on his Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie website.

Theme Time is a fun, fast tune with a distinctive melody and banjo breaks that move all over the neck. It's a fairly standard chord progression except for the middle "B" part which gets interesting and throws in some rests, too.

Here's an article from BNL in 1974 where Hubbard Nitchie talks about this tune in some detail.

Typically played in A--or "capo 2" as us banjo players like to call it.

Learn the Tune:

• Hear It using the GrooveShark playlist to the right.


• This week's lesson break is taught by Murphy Henry (key of G), taken from her DVD "Rawhide". Lesson is only $6 thru the end of the week.​ Get it here >


• John Boulding will be posting a backup lesson for this tune soon, I'll post the link here once I have it


• Backing Tracks: Band in a Box tracks are included below at various speeds for your practicing pleasure. 


• Tabs: Jack Baker gave me this one. Also, Janet Davis has a nice one, as well as Jack Gentle, Jr.

Share!

I (and others) would love to hear (and see!) you play your version of this tune--post it in a reply below!

VIDEO: Tom Adams - Theme Time (click to view)	VIDEO: Jimmy Martin - Theme Time (click to view)	VIDEO: Bill Knopf - Theme Time (click to view)	VIDEO: Bill Emerson - "Theme Time" with guest Danielle Sargent (click to view)
Theme Time Backing Track (A) 80BPM	Theme Time Backing Track (A) 100BPM	Theme Time Backing Track (A) 120BPM	Theme Time Chords

flatthead - Posted - 07/08/2014:  05:51:41

Fantastic Jimmy Martin/Bill Emerson instrumental off the Big and Country Instrumentals record.  Recorded July 8th, 1965...so Happy Birthday Theme Time....  Also a tiny bit of trivia, Theme Time was cut with the 2 piece flange flathead #6, affectionately known as "Harvey Brassey"   that Bill Emerson later sold to Ben Eldridge of the Seldom Scene. So I'd say that's a pretty significant banjo in the history of Blue Grass music.  Here's my take on it slowed down.

Edited by - flatthead on 07/08/2014 05:53:39

Theme Time Slow

schlange - Posted - 07/08/2014:  08:42:27

Woah, that's cool. Happy 49th birthday, Theme Time!

I worked on it today--such a fun tune to play, with that B part in there. I'm playing it at about the speed flatthead posted above, since I only started learning it yesterday from Murphy's vid. :-)

Jack Baker - Posted - 07/09/2014:  04:32:02

Hi Eric,

Did you get my tab of Theme Time...Jack

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Originally posted by schlange

Woah, that's cool. Happy 49th birthday, Theme Time!

I worked on it today--such a fun tune to play, with that B part in there. I'm playing it at about the speed flatthead posted above, since I only started learning it yesterday from Murphy's vid. :-)

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Beardog - Posted - 07/09/2014:  15:42:48

I've needed to learn this tune for a good while. Since the thread seems a little bit slow, I am going to attempt imbedding my initial arrangement, after listening to the tune on Grooveshark for about 30 minutes. Still slow, but you gotta get it perfect before speeding it up!

VIDEO: Theme Time (click to view)