Lonesome Moonlight Waltz

[glauber]

In hopes it's useful to somebody, here's my transcription of Bill Monroe's waltz as i heard played by Don Stiernberg in a lesson (but really, pretty standard). Notes and chords. Any errors are mine, not Don's.

This may look bad onscreen (depending on which version of Acrobat Reader you have), but should print pretty. Have an adequate amount of fun.


Note: don't use this version; get the improved one a couple of messages below.

[Peter Hackman]

In hopes it's useful to somebody, here's my transcription of Bill Monroe's waltz as played by Don Stiernberg (but really, pretty standard). Notes and chords. Any errors are mine, not Don's.

This may look bad onscreen, but should print pretty. Have an adequate amount of fun.

Is there really a C chord in the third bar?
Haven't heard Stiernberg's version,
(and I haven't kept Baker's)
but I always
play F. I might play a-c-(triplet)a-g-f
or c-c-same triplet, depending on my mood.

The tune is a beautiful example of how you can vary
its expression with very small means, such as
playing the theme of the outside (the A in AABA)
in 3rd, 2nd,
or 1st position.

My favorite Monroe piece along with Crossing the Cumberlands
and Jerusalem Ridge. Tons of possibilities,
and great fun to accompany on the guitar.
I used to *sing* this piece.

[SternART]

I learned this when Grisman was playing it in his set. In his workshops he has
handouts that have an F in the third bar too.......sounds right to my ear. This
one is great for mando jams, the more mandos tremeloing the melody the better!

[glauber]

I like the C, but it may well be that the F is the more traditional choice. If i'm thinking C, i use a G underneath as a doublestop; if F, i keep the A underneath. Both sound good to me. Maybe the F sounds more traditional, the C is more contrast.

Here's an improved version. The 5-tuplets were bothering me (and were obviously wrong). It should be 6-tuplets of course. Sorry for the brain ####. I added the F chord too.