# Music by Genre > Old-Time, Roots, Early Country, Cajun, Tex-Mex >  Cherry Blossom Waltz

## Tracy Ballinger

Just discovered this song and it is SO pretty... does anyone have the tab for it?  It was written by Tony Ellis and I can only find it performed on banjo (also found sheet music, and tab for banjo; I'm not smart enough to convert from sheet music to mandolin tab, though!) :Crying: 

Help, anyone?

Thanks in advance.

Tracy

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## JEStanek

One of my favorite old time bands the Orpheus Supertones do this on "bound to have little fun".  It is a pretty tune.  If you have the notation you could try and convert it to tab yourself with the help of this.  I have a staff with the fingerboard below it.  The 1, 2, 3 and 4 with the degree symbols are the open strings from G, D, A, and E respectively.  You also have the neck just beneath.  Just remember to adjust for the sharps#, flats _b_ and naturals in your score.  It's slow but satisfying and may help you learn to read (even slowly) the staff and your neck.

Jamie

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## Tracy Ballinger

Thanks Jamie!  A long time ago I printed out a page for guitar tab to mando conversion, but wasn't sure how to go about converting from standard notation.  While the task seems a little daunting, I'll give it a whirl and see what happens!  Who knows, maybe I'll learn something. :Wink: 

Tracy

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## Tracy Ballinger

> While the task seems a little daunting, I'll give it a whirl and see what happens!  Tracy


Why is this so much harder than it seems like it ought to be?  8 notes out, and off track already...  :Frown:

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## Jean Fugal

Go Here For a sample Dan Levensen  New Frontier  enjoy

http://cdbaby.com/cd/levensonmurley

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## JEStanek

Keep at it, Tracy.  Like anything new, you'll make mistakes.  The great thing about knowing the tune is when you play the tab as you go, you'll hear the error and be able to go back and fix it.  Patience and stick-to-it-edness will get you there.  You've done harder things!

Jamie

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## Tracy Ballinger

> You've done harder things! Jamie


All right, I'm still wrestling with this song... not much progress at this point, and I'm wondering if the audio I heard actually matches, note for note, the intro on the sheet music.  It just doesn't sound right.

Can you answer a question?  On the sheet you posted, there are several different sections of notes (three octaves?)  How do you know, from looking at sheet music, the octave in which to begin?

Funny how I can handle physical challenges better than mental challenges... maybe because I'm already mentally challenged?  :Laughing: 

Thanks for your help!

Trac

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## JEStanek

Tracy.  I looked at the tab/notation that you linked to in the OP.  The best thing to to is maybe print that sheet music and cut out all of the tab for the banjo.  It would just confuse me.  Next, the song is in C (no sharps or flats except where noted on the staff).  To start with only play the highest note if there is more than one in a vertical line (you could add the lower note (must be on a different string of course) if you want... they aren't important to start.  You could add in I, IV, V chords of C, F, G respectively to the mix (later!).

Most of the A part will be on the A and E strings.  I find it easiest to play these tunes at first in first position (use frets 1-6 on the strings. Fret 7 is the next higher string open).  The tune as written on the Banjo Hangout may not be exactly like the one you've heard but it will be pretty similar.

OK. So each note on the staff will be on one place on the G, D, A, or E string in first position.  I've attached my own Tab sheets (use copies of page 1 and each line represents a string set (so you would write on the lines rather than between them).  Hope that helps.  Maybe for fun, I'll tab out the music for the A part, scan it and attach it from work tomorrow (or the next day!).  Hope this helps.

Jamie

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## Tracy Ballinger

All right, Teach, let's see if I'm on the right track.  This is what I've gotten thus far - assuming I remember my lines and spaces from Jr. High Music Theory correctly! I understand what you are saying - now I just need to see if I can translate the a-b-c's to fret positions.  That's where I get confused, but will work on that tomorrow.

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## JEStanek

Great! Now on the first attachment I had in post #2, you see that the Open G string is the G below the staff, the open D string is just below the staff, the open A string is the A in the middle of the staff, and the open E string is the E near the top of the staff.

Much of this song is in C (and so far none on the G string) so you won't use the #s or bs unless noted...

The D string notes going from just below the staff to the middle A are:
Fret          Note
Open             D
1st                D#/Eb
2nd               E
3rd                F
4rth               F#/Gb (not used unless noted with # or b)
5th                G
6th                G#/Ab (not used unless noted with # or b)
7th                A

the A string notes span from the middle to top of the staff are:
Fret          Note 
Open             A
1st                A#/Bb (not used unless noted with # or b)
2nd               B
3rd                C
4rth               C#/Db (not used unless noted with # or b)
5th                D
6                   D#/Eb (not used unless noted with # or b)
7                   E

The E string notes from near the top and above are
Fret          Note
Open              E
1st                 F
2nd                F#/Gb (not used unless noted with # or b)
3rd                 G
4rth               G#/Ab (not used unless noted with # or b)
5th                A
6th                A#/Bb (not used unless noted with # or b)
7th               B
8th               C
9th               C#/Db (not used unless noted with # or b)
10th             D
11th             D#/Eb (not used unless noted with # or b)
12th             E

You're doing great!
Jamie

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## Tracy Ballinger

Hey Jamie!  Just wanted you to know I haven't given up... the weather got crazy and threw off my schedule due to school closings and delays, and now the holiday rush is winding up... but I'm going to work on it at some point in the next couple weeks!  Thanks for all your help - it's very... er... helpful!  :Smile:   I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Tracy

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## JEStanek

Thanks, Tracy.  I've been thinking about you.  Even if you can't sight read notation to the neck (I can't yet) being able to convert notation to tablature will open a lot of music to you.  It did for me.  Now, any tune I want to play from my hymnal is ready to become a mandolin tune!  The first few times are harder, then it gets easier, espescially when you start recognizing phrases in the tune that get repeated.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't easy at first.  It's like learning anything new, challenging, and hopefully rewarding.

JamieJamie

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## Jim Garber

I would find it difficult to learn the banjo part on mandolin since banjos often play countermelody and/or chords.  I am not sure if this is the same tune but it is the same title. I would learn it from here rather than the banjo sheet music. 



PS: sorry if this is not the same tune...

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## Jean Fugal

I think that is a different tune Jim  The Dan Levensen on CD Baby sounds just like Tracy's example and ias played on the fiddle and mandolin as well as banjo

<<PS: sorry if this is not the same tune...
__________________
Jim<<<

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## Tracy Ballinger

> I would find it difficult to learn the banjo part on mandolin since banjos often play countermelody and/or chords.  I am not sure if this is the same tune but it is the same title. I would learn it from here rather than the banjo sheet music. PS: sorry if this is not the same tune...


Hi Jim!  I also saw that video, and it is a very different tune, at least to my ears.  Since the banjo is the sole instrument in this song, I think it's going to be possible.  Just going to take some work!  :Smile:   Thanks for trying to to help.

Tracy

P.S.
Check your MySpace email... I sent you a bowlback question the other day. :Grin:

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## Bernie Daniel

Tracy,

See if you can open these Cherry Blossom Waltz mando tabs.  I downloaded a midi and converted it with Melody Assistant.  If you can't open these windows metafiles I can print and scan it later today.  I couldn't make it output on one page sorry.

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## Bernie Daniel

Looks like they wouldn't upload?  OK I'll try something else.

I don't know why a .wmf file will not upload.   :Confused:

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## Bernie Daniel

Just to close this loop.  The .wmf files seem to be a clunky format and were big -- even an image of one page of notation for Cherry Blossom Waltz was ~2 mB!   

And, had I noticed in the first place .wmf are not a valid file format to attach on this forum anyway and Melody Assistant does not offer a save in .pdf or .txt which will work.

Later today when I get my printer hooked back up I will print & scan them in and post them in a .jpg format.

The midi file will not work either -- I wonder in .mid at least isn't a format that could be added as valid attachments for this list server?

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## JEStanek

Bernie, and any others interested,

There are plenty of free PDF generators available on the web.  They act like a printer and generate a PDF file to your local drive.  Google will find you many options.

Jamie

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## Tracy Ballinger

WHEW!  Now that my dulcimer performance for the church Christmas program is out of the way, and our out-of-town-3-days-this-week plans are now cancelled because hubby has the flu (he's actually recovering but since his mom is on chemo and the kids or I may be pre-flu carriers, we can't be around her)... I can concentrate on mando again!  :Grin:   Gonna start working on this tomorrow.  Wish me luck - both that I can get somewhere with the song, AND that my flu shot beats this strain!  :Laughing: 

Tracy

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## Bernie Daniel

> JEStanek: There are plenty of free PDF generators available on the web. They act like a printer and generate a PDF file to your local drive. Google will find you many options.


I am aware of those but I don't know how much good it will do in Melody Assistant as you can't even highlight and copy in that program.  Maybe you meant convert the .wmf to a .pdf?   Yeah, that is probably what I should have done.

If anyone out there is considering Melody Assistant -- I suggest you pay a few dollars more and get the "full up" version which is called Harmony Assistant.

Once I get a working verison of TablEdit on my PC again that is what I prefer to use then I can output into a format that anyone can read with the free viewer.

I still think it would be good to able to attach .mid files though.

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## Mike Buesseler

I've used Melody Asst for years and have been totally satisfied.  If you have the tune in MA now, why not save it in ABC form?  That translates anywhere, takes little room here.  There are ABC converters all over the web.

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## Bernie Daniel

OK sorry about the delay - I was taking care of a sick border collie -- he is fine now.  

The best way to do this is print to the Adobe printer, save the .pdf to your hard drive and then attach it.

So here folks is the mandolin tab to Cherry Blossom Waltz in C.  :Smile:

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## Mike Buesseler

A waltz in 4/4 time?  Is that right?

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## Bernie Daniel

The name is Cherry Blossom Waltz and Melody Assistant rendered it the way you see it.  I suggest you try to find the writer of the tune for your questions.  I for one would not have an answer for you.

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## Mike Buesseler

Hey, Bernie, I don't mean to sound critical.  Sorry if it came across that way.

I've used Melody Asst for years.  It sometimes imports midis with the wrong time signature and key.  I'm pretty sure the version you posted should be in D, judging from the number of sharps.  And, it is definitely in 3/4 time.  Both of those can be set under "Score" in the menu bar.  Exporting in PDF format was a great idea, btw....  :Smile:

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## JEStanek

Well, Tracy, looks like some of the notes on the Tab Bernie put up won't work on the mandolin... see those notes descending into the tab staff with ? marks on them... no dice.  See how his work compares to yours.  Don't forget there may be variations on the tune.  That's just Old Time for you.

Jamie

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## Bernie Daniel

> MikeB: I've used Melody Asst for years. It sometimes imports midis with the wrong time signature and key.


No offense taken -- I guess my response sounded abrupt.

I just now pulled up the midi and listened to it in toto -- something I had not done earlier.

The midi file does seem to be the key of D as you suggest.  

I have used Melody Assistant only half dozen times when I have no other ready option -- I was (and still am) totally unimpressed with its kind of obtuse way of presenting things (IMO).

I guess I need to look at it more closely in the future but the fact that it would output in the wrong key and time signature is not too surprising to me -- I should have guessed it.   

It is a mystery (and irritating) to me why the only way you can really look at the output is in a print out -- this is because the programmers did not allow for breaking the notation staves (with the transcribed tab below) into sections like a normal musical score so as to fit on the monitor screen.  It is one long continuous line of notation from measure 1 to N running off your monitor and into the wall in the next room of course.

Thus it is impossible to play along with the score in the program -- big drawback.  So this is the first time I've tried to play the tab -- it is OK expect for the notes that the mandolin does not have.




> JEStanek: Well, Tracy, looks like some of the notes on the Tab Bernie put up won't work on the mandolin... see those notes descending into the tab staff with ? marks on them... no dice.


I see what you are taking about - occurring the first time in measure 17?  I think this maybe cause by the fact that Melody Assistant thinks the song is in the key of C?

I believe I've come across what seems to be a nicer midi of the song I'll give that one a try tomorrow.

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## Tracy Ballinger

> Well, Tracy, looks like some of the notes on the Tab Bernie put up won't work on the mandolin... see those notes descending into the tab staff with ? marks on them... no dice.  See how his work compares to yours.  Don't forget there may be variations on the tune.  That's just Old Time for you.
> 
> Jamie


It seems pretty certain that I'm not going to get the easy way out on this one, doesn't it?  Several days ago I had compared the little bit that I had to the initial tab that Bernie sent me, and in seeing that they were different just assumed that I had done it wrong.  Kinda got frustrated and quit for a bit... assuming the grandparents take my kids for their Christmas shopping tomorrow and I can get some peace and quiet (in more than 5 minute increments!) I'll get back to working on it.  :Grin: 

Tracy

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## JEStanek

That's the spirit.  It's easier to work of the version and key you know... lets you hum along as you play what you've written.  That's a good copy editor!

Jamie

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## Mike Buesseler

Bernie, I understand your frustration with MA.  But, for $25 it does a lot of things very well, IMO.  I play along with the score all the time.  I set up the Global Configuration to "page after page."  I guess I've just gotten used to it....and I think the problem with the way those midis come into MA is that the midi itself doesn't have all the info MA needs to translate it.  I say this because most of the stuff I import works perfectly--right key, right timing, right notes.

But, this is about fixing Tracy's tab problems.  Those 'extra' notes outside the range of a mandolin occur because this a BANJO score.  Says so right at the beginning.  I've run into lots of those, and sometimes they are just too confusing to modify for mandolin.  Some work, some don't.  I've gone through a few and just deleted any notes that aren't found on mando.  That doesn't always leave the tune intact, however.  Wish we could find another notated version of the tune....

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## Bernie Daniel

> MikeB: I set up the Global Configuration to "page after page." I guess I've just gotten used to it....and I think the problem with the way those midis come into MA is that the midi itself doesn't have all the info MA needs to translate it. I say this because most of the stuff I import works perfectly--right key, right timing, right notes.


I will check on the "page after page" setting I did not do much exploration on the matter after Myraid tech support told me that for viewing the entire score on a page the only solution was Harmony Assistant.

I did not think to ask about a that option of having it automatically advancing the pages.  Thanks for the info.

Yes I realize that it is a banjo score -- was not aware that MA could not handle that.  I'm aware that midi's are tricky -- and do realize there are real problems converting from a wav or mp3 to midi but I though once you had a midi you were on easy street -- obviously not.

Anyway I have copy of an mp3 of the original Tony Ellis version played on the banjo in C and I almost have it worked out by ear and then I'll make a video of that -- it is a very straight forward tune in C on the mando and I do not think tab will be needed.

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## Tracy Ballinger

Weellllll... I sat down and tabbed it out... I can't make it even vaguely recognizable when I pick through it, though.  I know there are a few 'extra' notes besides the melody notes, but I'm wondering if I'm way off.  Would someone with more nimble fingers than I mind playing through it and testing it out?  There are a couple spots with large circles rather than numbers... I'm not sure what to do with those, as it's calling for 3 notes and, as far as I can figure, it's impossible to do.

Thanks!
Tracy

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## Jean Fugal

Tracy, that tab makes no sense to me. I think it must be for a different tune.

You got me interested in the song at any rate and I have got it down "by ear. I have no idea how to tab it out tho.

What I have found out is that Tony Ellis wrote and recorded it, (in C) on Masters Of The Banjo and in D on another album. It lies well on the mandolin in D. (banjo C and D are the same except the capo on D)

I would suggest a repeated listen to the Dan Levenson CD Baby sound bite until you can hum or whistle the tune and then I think you can find it on the finger board.   Trust yourself.

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## Tracy Ballinger

> Tracy, that tab makes no sense to me. I think it must be for a different tune.
> 
> I would suggest a repeated listen... until you can hum or whistle the tune and then I think you can find it on the finger board.   Trust yourself.




Unfortunately it is the tab for the same tune, converted from standard notation to mando tab.  I thought it was because I'm just not fluent enough to play it quickly, but maybe I made some major boo-boos in the conversion!

Is that similar to, "Use the Force, Luke!"  :Laughing:   I guess that's my next step... listening to it repeatedly, I mean!   Thanks for checking it out for me.

Tracy

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## Jean Fugal

I can read tab  but can't play it   I have to do it all by ear

simplify and go for it

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## Tracy Ballinger

I had some quiet time to myself this evening and put on my earphones and kept repeating the song on my iPod... here's what I've come up with.  It starts on the A string, but you can also move it up to the E string and it sounds OK.

Tracy

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## Jean Fugal

sounds like the A part is mostly right.  I can't find the b (second) part.

on the a string you are playing in Key of G .  The e string makes it D

Are you listening to the banjo by ellis or the levensen 
Here: last song on cd

http://cdbaby.com/cd/levensonmurley

you are getting it

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## John Gardinsky

Tracy - I took the banjo tab and weeded out some of the filler notes hoping to simplify it.  I hope this helps you get in the right direction.  John

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## Bernie Daniel

> Taurodont: Tracy - I took the banjo tab and weeded out some of the filler notes hoping to simplify it. I hope this helps you get in the right direction. John


John I'd be interested in comparing notes with you on what you tired to do to convert a midi to tab on this song -- there is something "tricky" going on.  

I tried both Melody Assisant and TablEdit and both with less than satisfactory results -- but I might be the weak link in the processes.

From the .tef file that you posted it seems you might be having similar issues - I think you will find for example the C# (fifth note of tab) should really be a D (5th fret) and the 9th note should be an E (open E) instead of the C# given and again the 11th note a G (3rd fret E) instead of the C# given.  Is this right?????????  

Some how the tabbing program keeps picking up an incorrect C# (4th fret) instead of the correct note.  I had similar problems with the Ellis banjo version.

If we could get a midi of the Levenson version noted by jpf it would be much easier -- in fact that version is easy just to play along with by ear (ear reading -- analogy to sight reading) -- the banjo version is confusing as he is able to add in a lot of harmony notes and picking it up by ear did not result in a version that made me want to play it again  :Smile:

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## Jean Fugal

Well... Someone could write it in abc per

http://abcnotation.org.uk/

then convert it with concertina

http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html

and then print out the sheet music AND play the midi

somebody but not me. I would if I could but I'm strictly a by ear person. I wish sometimes it were otherwise and other times Not.

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## Jean Fugal

And  Here it is on a Cello Banjo ..... single noted ....

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## Bernie Daniel

> jpf: And Here it is on a Cello Banjo ..... single noted ....


Jean, did you mean to leave a link to that cello banjo?

If a person could find an .abc that might be the way to go.  I know nothing of the format of an .abc -- I have seem them written out obviously.

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## Tracy Ballinger

> Well... Someone could write it in abc per
> 
> http://abcnotation.org.uk/
> 
> then convert it with concertina
> 
> http://www.concertina.net/tunes_convert.html
> 
> and then print out the sheet music AND play the midi
> ...


I converted it to abc and posted my results in post #9 of this thread, and then converted it to tab in post #33.  But there are so many banjo filler notes that I can't play it and make it sound right. :Chicken:

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## Tracy Ballinger

> Tracy - I took the banjo tab and weeded out some of the filler notes hoping to simplify it.  I hope this helps you get in the right direction.  John


Thanks John, I'll pick through it and see how it sounds!  :Grin:

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## Jean Fugal

http://www.banjohangout.ws/users/aud...1531102008.mp3

Cello Banjo

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## Jean Fugal

also when I suggested writing a new abc sheet I was refering to using the Levensen example  not the Ellis banjo.
The cello banjo would be close, at least to my ear.

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## Bernie Daniel

Yeah, that cello banjo verison is really great -- it is ideal for the mandocello (or mandola).  Thanks for posting that.  It is much easier to hear the actual melody of the song on this recording.

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## mandomansuetude

Sounds like 5/4 time to me ...much used in Greek music..Wm.

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