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Archive-Simple Melody tablature arrangement by John Sackenheim for the mountain dulcimer in the 1-3-5 tuning
Simple Melody
1914
Irving Berlin, neé Israel Baline
Mountain Dulcimer Tablature
Arrangement by John Sackenheim
“Perhaps no other songwriter had so much
influence on the development and performance of American
popular song as Irving Berlin. He wrote his first hit
song, Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, in 1911 at the
age of 21. By 1914, he was well known on Broadway and
was contracted to write a stage show starring Vernon and
Irene Castle, the world-renowned dance couple. The show
was entitled Watch Your Step and received
national acclaim. One of the tunes by Berlin was
Play a Simple Melody, having a “ragtime” tempo like
that of a currently popular dance step. The combination
was a huge success and the show was performed 175 times
before finally closing.
Ragtime music in America began with the early minstrel
shows prior to the Civil War, and finally peaked in
popularity shortly after the early 1900’s. It’s
significance relates to its syncopated tempo and use of
chromatic notes, eventually leading to the creation of
today’s jazz music.
Play a Simple Melody is written as a two-part
composition. The first is the “simple”, unsyncopated
sound of traditional music from the Gay Nineties era.
The second is a ragtime selection having a separate set
of lyrics and melody, both of which can be
“superimposed” as a contrast of two musical styles. The
arrangement for the dulcimer is shown here as two
separate parts for two instruments. When played together
as a duet, the two produce an interesting study in
harmony and rhythm . As an aid in learning, sound files
for each part and for the combination have been
provided. This tab offering may be a bit beyond the
beginners but is well worth the effort for players at
the intermediate level and beyond.”
Lyrics:
Part 1:
Won’t you Play A Simple Melody
Like my mother sang to me?
One with good old fashioned harmony
Play A Simple Melody
Part 2:
Musical demon, set your honey a’dreamin’
Won’t you play me some rag?
Just change that classical nag
To some sweet beautiful drag
If you will play from a copy of a tune that is choppy
You’ll get all my applause
And that is simply because
I want to listen to rag
Part 3:
My heart is palpitatin’
From all this syncopation
When I hear a ba-_nd
And when I’m with my honey
My feet start actin’ funny
When I hear a band
It’s really not surprisin’
My temp’rature keeps risin’
When I hear a ba-_nd
So pardon all my swoonin’
My crazy way of croonin’
When I hear a ba-_nd
Mountain Dulcimer Tablature Arrangement
by John Sackenheim
This tablature is available in the
following formats:
TablEdit:
Simple Melody
.TEF
Simple
Melody-Part 1 .TEF
Simple
Melody-Part 2 .TEF
Adobe .PDF
Simple Melody Part 1
Page 1 /
Page 2
Simple Melody Part 2
Page 1 /
Page 2 /
Page 3
Printable Webpage (.JPG Format)
Simple Melody Part 1
Page 1 /
Page 2
Simple Melody Part 2
Page 1 /
Page 2 /
Page 3
Midi File:
Produced
from TablEdit
Simple Melody Part 1
Simple Melody Part 2
Simple Melody Both |
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At this time we
will be using the .MIDI music files produced
by TablEdit or Finale . |
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