Mandocello Duet in G (Zarh Bickford, 1913)

[Martin Jonas]

Zarh Myron Bickford: Duet in G
From: "The Bickford Method for Mando-Cello"
Published by The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Co (1913)

This etude is from Bickford's mandocello method, which predated his much better-known mandolin method by several years. Most of the book consist of technical exercises and descriptive text, but there are a number of nice etudes. This one is a fairly simple practice for expressive mandocello tremolo, with an obligato mandolin countermelody -- there aren't many original pieces for mandocello out there, but this is one.

Unfortunately, the book is written in "universal notation", i.e. in treble clef transposed by two octaves. For my recording, I have used a trancription to bass clef posted yesterday by Wundo in the CBOM section (link) -- thanks, Bill!

This is pretty easy to play, at least the mandocello part, but good fun. Nice interplay of the alternating tremolo and arpeggio parts. I've played the mandolin part on a 1921 Gibson A-Jr, for some vintage Gibson vibes seeing that the Bickford Method was published by Gibson. I've played the slurred notes tremolo, as specified in the book, but have used alternating picking for the single-note passages rather than all-downstrokes as specified by Bickford. Sounds more fluent this way, I find.

I don't often tremolo on the mandocello, especially on the G and C courses, but the Suzuki came through quite nicely here.

Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
1921 Gibson Ajr



Martin

[Jim Garber]

Unfortunately, the book is written in "universal notation", i.e. in treble clef transposed by two octaves. For my recording, I have used a trancription to bass clef posted yesterday by Wundo in the CBOM section (link) -- thanks, Bill!

Martin, thanks for posting this. It is a nice etude. However, I am a bit confused by you saying it is transposed by two octaves. Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't "universal notation" notated an octave and a fifth up from the mandocello tuning and fingered as if you were playing an octave mandolin (European style)? See this thread to add to the confusion (possibly).

[Martin Jonas]

Martin, thanks for posting this. It is a nice etude. However, I am a bit confused by you saying it is transposed by two octaves. Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't "universal notation" notated an octave and a fifth up from the mandocello tuning and fingered as if you were playing an octave mandolin (European style)? See this thread to add to the confusion (possibly).

That's a common misconception which I've seen a few times on old Cafe postings (and used to think was true), but that's not how it works. "Universal notation" as it was used in the early 20th century was simply changing octaves. If you follow the link I've posted, you see Bill's posting of the etude in Bickford's original (universal) notation and transcribed into bass clef. The key signature is G major for both parts, no fifths involved. Universal notation is just written in different octaves -- one octave down for mandola, two octaves down for mandocello. I attach the page from the Bickford mandocello method that explains this.

Unfortunately, it's completely useless at its intended purpose of making mandocello (and mandola) parts easier to play for mandolin players as transposing by full octaves changes all fingerings for CGDA instruments. You may as well just learn alto or bass clef, same effort but more useful when learning other instruments.

Martin

[Jim Garber]

Ah, I see. This does make even less sense than what I thought it was. If you were a mandolinist and conscripted to play mandola or mandocello then you would have to learn the notes in any case and as in the discussion I linked to you would be better off learning bass clef for mandocello and alto for CGDA mandola.

Many years in the Aonzo workshop in NYC we attempted one of the Brandenburgs and we needed many mandolin players to play mandola just for that piece. I volunteered and Victor did some transcribing so that my fingering would the be the same as mandolin but would sound like mandola. Much easier than learning a new clef just for that piece.

When I played mandola in the NY Mandolin Orchestra I actually did learn the proper alto clef. Of course, mandola/viola music is often notated in treble clef as well which was a bit confusing.

[Martin Jonas]

Ah, I see. This does make even less sense than what I thought it was. If you were a mandolinist and conscripted to play mandola or mandocello then you would have to learn the notes in any case and as in the discussion I linked to you would be better off learning bass clef for mandocello and alto for CGDA mandola.

When I played mandola in the NY Mandolin Orchestra I actually did learn the proper alto clef. Of course, mandola/viola music is often notated in treble clef as well which was a bit confusing.

Yes, I agree that "universal notation" was no help to anyone. However, writing CGDA mandola music in treble clef or CGDA mandocello music in octave treble clef is actually quite useful for jobbing mandolinists: you only have to learn the bass notes below G (three or more ledger lines) as all other notes are simply one string up from where they are on mandolin.

Martin