@Joel Hooks uploaded the original to the Internet Archive a week or so ago here: https://archive.org/details/12-orignial-breakdowns-jigs-for-the-banjo-authur-tilley_202512 I Tabbed out a couple of the pieces and they were fun enough to play that I decided to do all 12. Funnily, there actually were only 11 in the original...so I Tabbed another Arthur Tilley piece, "The Demon Jig", just to bring it to an even dozen. It is a two-pager, the rest are full duets on a single page each. An introduction/commentary is provided.
This work was written for 2 banjos, one 5-string, tuned gCGBD and one 6-string, tuned gGCGBD. I've added guitar chords to them just in case you haven't got a 6-string banjo. Of course, you can still read the 2nd banjo part for a 5-string by just playing those "5th string" bass notes on your third string. Works fine.
I uploaded this to the Tab archive the other day...but I discovered some fingering errors this morning. See attached (or look in the Tab Archive).
In addition the 6 book series of Tilley’s Concert Banjoist first published in 1887 are shared here:
Edited by - EEB on 12/15/2025 01:41:25
To add to Marc's introduction:
Arthur Tilley 1847-1921. Born and lived in Surbiton, Surrey. Full biographical details and composition list will be uploaded to the EEB blog page (link in previous post above).
Among his banjo models were the prize-winning ‘Matchless’ patented in 1885, and the closed back with internal brass sound chamber, patented 1889. This banjo commonly had a zither-style neck with a tunnelled 5th string. We have the only known surviving example of this model with a standard 5-string neck and brass tuners.
Edited by - EEB on 12/15/2025 05:31:13
