Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/399019
Banannajo - Posted - 08/24/2024: 09:03:04
HELLO,
I have googled how to transcribe piano to banjo TAB, but at my novice music level not quite sure I understand what to do. I chose a simple music score to try and learn. (School Days From When We Were A Couple of Kids) From what I understand, I start by taking a piano note and find a correlation to middle G on the banjo then go from there?
I have no desire to use an app like Table Edit as I'd like to learn how to do this myself. I'm sure if I can get
an Idea about where the first note from the score begins in correlation to the banjo I can work it out from there.
How would any of you who have knowledge do it?
I'll attach the music sheet If I can.
I guess my confusion is ALL GOOD BOYS Do FINE so I can figure out notes based on that, but the music is on a C Scale.
Am I making it more confusing than need be?
Banannajo - Posted - 08/24/2024: 09:20:02
Should I have posted this under music theory? Sorry,
So I'm thinking it would go note by note on the first line something like this, F G A E? G A D? F A D.
Then I'd find corresponding note on my banjo fret board.
trapdoor2 - Posted - 08/24/2024: 11:29:33
I do it all the time.
First, look over the music for the lowest melody note. Ignore the bass clef...at first.
Remember, the banjo actually sounds an octave below Middle C, that is, the bass string when tuned to C is actually properly written in the bass clef (All Cows Eat Grass...it is the "Cows" note) if you want to match the piano pitch...
Normally we ignore that and write the bass string as middle C (or the D above that).
Finding the lowest melody note, match that up with a note on the bass string...build your melody up from there. This may mean you need to transpose the piece into a key that is more suitable for the banjo.
The piece is in a banjo friendly key (Fmaj) but the lowest note is a B flat (Golden rule days...). You probably ought to raise the key so that note becomes a C or a D (Bass string open).
Edited by - trapdoor2 on 08/24/2024 11:37:05
Texasbanjo - Posted - 08/24/2024: 11:33:11
Normally, if I'm learning a new song and have piano music, I isolate just the melody notes and find them on my banjo. How do you find the first note? Do you read musical notation? If so you know what the notes are on the lines and in between on a piano score. Just pick those notes on your banjo. Pay attention to the key the song is in and that will tell you what notes you need for melody notes and work with those notes. There may be "incidental or odd" notes but basically, you'll have 5 melody notes that stand out, the 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 notes of the scale in the key you're playing in. Those 5 notes are called the pentatonic scale.
I've found in traditional bluegrass songs, usually learned in the key of G, most melody note(s) start with G, B or D, not always but generally and you can take it from there and figure out the other ones.
trapdoor2 - Posted - 08/24/2024: 12:04:43
See pdf. I've transposed a few measures of your file up to Gmaj. Now it sits properly on the banjo (tuned gCGBD) and the chord stacks can be arranged with the bass note on the bass string and the treble notes on other nearby strings. If you wanted to tune to gDGBD, you'd probably transpose to Amaj...which would put the lowest note at D.
In many cases, piano chords cannot be transferred directly to the banjo as they may have notes which only occur on one string. There, you generally just go for a chord inversion that sounds good...or eliminate part or all but the single necessary note.
Some people work from the highest pitches (on the D string) down. That works too.
Banannajo - Posted - 08/24/2024: 15:03:42
Thank you both. I'm going to give it a try. And extra thanks for transposing a couple of lines. This will help me get started.
