Piano Roll Transcriptions

Piano, Fortepiano and Harpsichord Music
Post Reply
thalbergmad
Pianophiliac
Posts: 333
Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2009 3:03 pm
Instruments played, if any: Piano, banjo
Music Scores: Yes

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by thalbergmad »

I think i love you.

Thal
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

...aww, Thal now you're makin' me blush... :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

James Hubert "Eubie" Blake was one of the most talented of the ragtime composer/pianists of the teens and 20s. His technique was formidable, and having lived to the ripe old age of 100 years he left behind a huge number of compositions and recordings. These can be grouped pretty much into two categories; those done prior to 1940 and those done after 1960 (Eubie was in retirement until the second ragtime revival brought him into the limelight again). Included in his recorded works are a number of piano rolls. In the late teens and early 20s, Eubie made rolls for American Piano Control (Rhythmodik and Ampico labels), Wilcox & White (Artrio-Angelus Label), and Aeolian (MelODee and DuoArt labels). His rolls on MelODee are my favorites because they best demonstrate Eubie's application of his unique ragtime style to popular and blues-themed tunes. One of the very best is "Boll Weevil Blues" from about 1920. Here is my transcription of "Boll Weevil Blues" composed by Cliff Hess and played by Eubie Blake on MelODee. Enjoy

Frank
Blake - Boll Weevil Blues - Piano Roll Transcription.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

Lee S. Roberts was for many years manager in charge of the QRS piano roll recording studio in Chicago, going back to the days of the first handplayed piano rolls, i.e. 1912. He made hundreds of rolls, mostly ballads, waltzes, religious material and the like, and rather infrequently a fox trot tempo piece. One highly notable exception is his ragtime composition entitled "You're On." The title makes one think that the tune was meant as a response to a wager of some kind; perhaps from one of the other more ragtime based piano roll artists. "You're On" was issued only on piano roll (a very rare one) and never in sheet music. It is a phenomenal, hard hitting minor key rag which is heavily scored and great fun to play. One can only speculate as to whether Roberts won his wager with this piece! Here is my transcription of "You're On" as played by the composer Lee S. Roberts on QRS piano rolls.

Frank
Roberts, Lee S. - You're On - Piano Roll Transcription.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

Edythe Ruth Baker was a multi-talented individual; a highly gifted pianist as well as dancer and vocalist. Her start in the music business was with the Aeolian Corporation in New York City, where she recorded numerous piano rolls on the MelODee, Universal and DuoArt labels. Uncannily, her style has an unmistakable blues tinge, very individual it is, and makes one wonder as to whose playing she was listening to in order to make these rolls!!! :mrgreen: Baker travelled to England in the later 1920s where she recorded a number of piano solo (and solo/vocal) 78rpm recordings under the English Columbia label. Her playing on these 78rpm records are absolutely nothing like the earlier piano rolls, in fact they are all played in a lightly syncopated somewhat cocktail style. This presents a mystery; how did Edythe Baker really play the piano? Did she have different styles for different audiences?

About 1919 Edythe Baker recorded a piano roll of her own ragtime composition, entitled "Blooie-Blooie." This is a fast and red-hot piece of ragtime, and as far as I know the only ragtime piece she left behind. Here attached is Edythe Baker's "Blooie-Blooie", my transcription - please enjoy :D

Frank
Baker - Blooie-Blooie - Piano Roll Transcription.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

The name George Botsford needs no introduction to ragtime fans, as his many compositions were wildly popular in their day and his "Black And White Rag" broke one million copies in sheet music sales. What is not as well known is that two of George Botsford's ragtime compositions were only issued in piano roll format and not as sheet music. These are "Universal Rag" and "The Buck-Eye Rag." On the first, the title is most likely a reference to the Universal Music Roll Company, owned by the Aeolian Corporation, and it might well have been commissioned by them.

The roll of "Universal Rag" pre-dates hand played rolls and thus is arranged from Botsford's manuscript and not hand-played. Such arrangements were generally highly orchestrated and this one is no exception. When I transcribed "Universal Rag" I arranged it as a two-hand piece, trying to follow Botsford's scoring style from his other rags as much as possible. Like most Botsford rags, this one is simple and straightforward to play but at the same time melodically infectious.

Frank
Botsford - Universal Rag - Piano Roll Transcription-Arrangement.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

Thomas "Fats" Waller was a pianistic giant and entertainer the likes the world will never see again. In 1923-24 (when only 19-20 years of age) Waller recorded a set of player piano rolls for the QRS company, having been introduced to them by his most famous mentor, James P. Johnson. These recordings demonstrate that even at such an early age, the Waller style was fully developed!!

Previously I had posted Waller's unique 1931 roll of "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby," and now here is another one. A song associated with Waller from his earliest recording days, composed by Everett Robbins, "Tain't Nobody's Biz-Ness If I Do." On this one I do want to apolegize in advance for the calligraphy as it's not up to my usual standard. This was done many years ago, in pencil, and I notated it at the time for my own personal use only without future thought of publishing. The score skips treble and bass clefs throughout, but otherwise I believe is still fully legible and I stand completely behind the accuracy of the transcription to the original roll performance. Note that Waller frequently used "forward" and "backward" tenths in playing - a hallmark of his style and of James P.'s. I notate these using a curved bracket for an upward rolled tenth and the same but with an arrow pointing down for the backwards rolled tenths. So here is my early transcription of Waller's wonderful performance of "Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do." Enjoy!

Frank
Waller - Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do - Piano Roll Transcription.pdf
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
lebowl
Pianophiliac
Posts: 163
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:29 pm
Instruments played, if any: piano Mason BB
Music Scores: Yes

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by lebowl »

I have a question about Waller and James P. Johnson works. I've noticed(and was reminded by the Nobody's Business transcription) that most of the Waller and Johnson pieces(like in Harlem Stride Piano etc.) end quite softly and without big chords. During the piece they can build up to very brauvra playing with huge chords and loud dynamics, but the endings seem quiet at least from what I've observed.

Is this a correct observation?

Was this just the style of playing at that time or ?

Thanks!
User avatar
fhimpsl
Pianomasochist
Posts: 1061
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 6:00 am
Instruments played, if any: Piano
Music Scores: Yes
Location: Pueblo West, CO

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by fhimpsl »

Hi Lebowl, In reference to the QRS rolls recorded by Waller and James P., I would say that your observation is generally correct with popular songs and particularly blues-songs. However, on the "cutting contest" numbers the opposite is true, e.g. "Carolina Shout", "Harlem Strut" by James P. end in a bang, and the same is true at the end of Waller's roll of "Your Time Now (T'will Be Mine After Awhile)". Listening to the artists on 78rpm records, especially accompanying blues singers, the coda section is always played softly as on the piano rolls of like-styled music. It just seems to be musically correct and tasteful to do it that way. On the stride-rags, as on the rolls the live recorded versions usually end at an equal or greater volume as the rest of the performance. Hope this info helps!

Frank
lebowl
Pianophiliac
Posts: 163
Joined: Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:29 pm
Instruments played, if any: piano Mason BB
Music Scores: Yes

Re: Piano Roll Transcriptions

Post by lebowl »

But I think the Johnson version of Carolina Shout that's included in Harlem Stride Piano ends pretty quietly. Same the version Waller's Smashing Thirds in that book.
Post Reply