Easy Goin’ Playing Notes

Here are the two notational things I need to explain: I have spent a lot of time playing saxophone in jazz Big
Bands; modern jazz arrangers have developed their own unique notational methods because—can you really
write out jazz? Even with the most complex writing methods, jazz defies codification. Harry had a great sense of
“swing,” especially considering he was playing before swing became a jazz “thing!” If you have ever played jazz,
you know that true, heart-felt swing just cannot be reproduced in writing!
I have adopted a couple of these notational tricks in an effort to come as close to the way Harry played it as
possible; again, it is no easy task to copy a style. Even after writing it down of course, the real proof is in the
playing; I also have the advantage of hearing the playback on my computer as I’m writing it (though it can’t
swing to save it’s life!).
Here is a syncopated passage from his original published sheet music (from the Trio):

And here is how I notated it:

His notation is again “how he wrote it,” but my attempt to interpret the stroke is how he actually played it (they
are both “correct” of course). Two things to note: Notice how I wrote “across the bar line,” the beam from the
third set of three notes stretching through the bar line, as opposed to the tie across the bar line in his example.
This more accurately visually reflects the symmetrical-but-off-beat nature of his syncopated stroke (which is
almost exactly like one of Eddie Peabody’s most famous strokes by the way—of course, Reser recorded this two
years before Peabody started recording). Is the notation “correct?” I didn’t invent it; somebody much smarter
than me did, and that’s good enough for me!
The other thing to notice are the X’s in place of note heads; this means to play the G, B, and D strings muffled,
and is technically known as “ghosting.” His notation does not show this, but if you listen very closely, you can
hear the ghosted notes on that third beat of each group of three. During this muffled beat, your fretting hand
should be moving to the next chord shape, gliding along the strings but not compressing. This also gives you an
up stroke in order to reset for the next “double-down” stroke.
The most important thing to realize about this passage is that they are not triplets! If they were triplets, they
would be bracketed (with a little “3” under the bracket); there would also be a total of 12 separate notes in the
measure, instead of the eight shown.
 EASY GOIN'
for the Plectrum Banjo,
transcribed by Ron Hinkle, as played by the composer.
Harry F. Reser
w/ technical guidance from Juergen Kulus

                                            Play
    
h - 90 3  
      


 Piano Introduction: Play if unaccompanied

3
B
D
  7 5 7
 5
  
7 5 5 10 12
 10 12 10 12 10 10 12 13 12 10 13 12 10 13 12 10 17 17 17
 5 7
 5
   5 5  5   5 5 10  10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 15 14 15  6 
G 5 5 5 5 5 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 16 15 16 4
C

A     3 
                        3          
              
 


3
       
    3
7 5 7 0 5 7 5 7 19  12 12 10 7 7 5 7 0 5 7 5 7 0 0 3 3 3 7
6 6 4 5 16 9 6 6 6 5 5 6 7 8 8 5 3 3 6
4 4 4 5 4 4 4 6 2 2 7

                    3     
                    
3

       

3 3

 
5 5 9 9
 
9 12
 
13 10 11 12 13 12 10 13 17 12 14 12 14 17 14 12 7
 5 7
 0 5 7 5
6 6 6 12 10 12 12 12 12 6  6  4
4 7 7 10 11 4 4 4


     3              3                             
                
 

3 3
    
7 19
 
12 12 10 7 7
 5 7
 0 5
 7 5 7
 
10 12

13 14 10 12 10 12 10 12 10 12 10 5 7 5 7 5 7 5

 
5 16 9 6 6 4 5  9 9 9 10 10 4 4 5 5
5 4 4 4 5 10 10 6 6

3                
B

1. to B 2. to C and Coda
 
                   
 
        
 

  
3


10 7 7 7 5 7 10 14 15 16 17 16 10 10 15 17 14 14 16 13 12

 
7 7 6 6 6 8 8 8 15 14 14 13 12
9 7 4 4 4 9 9 0 9 16 15 15 14 13
0 14 16 15 14
  
                                 

          

  
     
 
8 10 7 7 9 6 5 10 7 10 7 7 5 7 0 5 7 5 2 3 4 5 5 5 7 7
8 7 7  6 5 7 7 6  6  6  6 1 5 5 
9 8 8 7 6 9 9 4 4 4 4 0 5 5
7 9 8 7 6

                  


                       

   
       


     
7 10 13 16 15 17 14 14 16 13 12 8 10 7 7 9 6 5
4 7 10 13 15 14 14 13 12 8 7 7 6 5
5 8 11 14 16 15 15 14 13 9 8 8 7 6
6 9 12 15 14 16 15 14 7 9 8 7

 
                            
 D.S. al 2nd Ending  
     
3

  
 Piano Introduction: 3
Play if unaccompanied

  
 10
7
9
 7 10 7
7
9
7
6
4

 5 7
6
4

 0 5
6
4

 7 5
6
4 5
 6
0
 1 2
 5 2
 0
5 4 2 0
  5 10
11
12 14
11 11
14 12
11
10
11
6 4 2 0

3 3

C
                             
           


8 10 12 12 10 8 6 8 10 10 8 6 5
 5 7
 5 10
9 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 8    
9 5 10 X 14 X 13 X 12 X
4 9 12 11 10

   
              
    
 
                     
        

        

  12 10 X 17 15
  14 12 X 19 17 19 17 12 10 7 5 5 12 10 19 17

 
9   14   11 16 17 17 11 11 5 5 5 11 11 17 17
10 12 X 16 X 15 X 14 X 12 15 15 9 9 3 3 3 9 9 15 15
9 11 14 13 12 11
     
                      


   

      
        

 15
12
13
13
12
10
11
12
10
10
11
9

 10 12
11
9

 10 12
 10
11
9

 10
 X 14
 X 13
 X 12
 X 10
12
9
 10 X
 17 15
14
9 12 11 10 9

                              

             
1 1

 
  

 3

        3    
14 17 19 17 19 10 12 10 12  5 7 5 7 5 7 8 9 12 14 12 17 17 12 14 17 14 12
16 17 9  10 4 5 4 6 8 10 11 12 12 12 12 12
5 7


     
                              
               

 3

10 11 12
 9

11

8 10 7 9 6 8 5 10 12
 10 X
 17 15
11  10
  9 8 7 6 11     9 14
9 8 7 6 5 4 9 5 10 X 14 X 13 X 12 X 10
4 9 12 11 10 9

 
                
                      
       
       
       
    

  14 12 X 19 17 19 17 12 10 7 5 5 12 10 19 17
 15 13 11

 
    11 16 17 17 11 11 5 5 5 11 11 17 17 12 12 12
12 X 16 X 15 X 14 X 12 15 15 9 9 3 3 3 9 9 15 15 13 10 10
11 14 13 12 11

       
            3                
3
  
     
 

 3 
3
  
10
 10

12 10 12
 10    3
 10 12 10 15 15 10 12 15 12 8 8 10 11 12
 15 17
 15


11  11 11 4 6 8 9 10 10 10 10 10 10
9 9 9 2
       
                                    
     
  



18 13 11 13 11 10
 10 12
 10 12
 15 12
 10 14
 12 14
 12 14
 17 14
 12 12
 10 12
 10 12 10

 
12 12 12 10 10 10 10 12 12 12 12 11  11  11 11 
10 10 10 9 9 9 9

        D

        
                               
        
 hammer-on w/ 3rd finger

15 13 11 10 3 7 6 5 3 3 3 3 3
 3 3
 3 3
 3 5 9 7 6 5 5 5 5 5
 5 7
 7 5
16 14 12 11 1 6 6 5 1 1 1  1 3  3  6 6 6 6 6 6 6  6  6
14 12 10 9 2 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 7 4 5 4 4 4 4 4

                       

                                   

            

Note: These are not Triplets!

 
7 5 X 12 10 X 7 5 X 12 10 X 19 17 15 15
 15 13 11
 11 10
 10 12
 10 12
 10 3 7 6 5
5 5 X 11 11 X 5 5 X 11 11 X 17 17 12 12  12 12  11  11  11 1 6 6 5
3 3 X 9 9 X 3 3 X 9 9 X 15 15 13 13 10 10 9 9 9 2 5 4 3

                                      

         
          
      
 hammer-on w/ 3rd finger

3 3

3 3 3
  3 3 3 3 3
  
5 10 9 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 5 7 8 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 5 5 7 9
1 1  1   1 3 3 5
   8 8 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
2 2 2 2 2 2 5 9 9 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 4 7

 
      
                          

                  
  
hammer-on w/ 3rd finger

10 8 10 8 10 3 7 6 5 3 3 3 3 3
 3 3
 3 3
 3 5 9 7 6
8 6 8 6 8 1 6 6 5 1 1 1  1 3  3  6 6 6 6
0 0 0 0 2 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 7 4 5
0 0 0 0 0
    
                     
                
               
             


5 5
6
4
5 5
6
4
5
6
4

 5 7
6
4

 7 5
6
4
7
5
3
5
5
3
X 12
X 11
X 9
10
11
9
X
X
X
7
5
3
5
5
3
X 12
X 11
X 9
10
11
9
X 19
X 17
X 15
17
17
15
 15
12
13
13
12
10
11
12
10
10
11
9

 10 12
11
9

 10 12
 
10
11
9

            
  3           
   
3      
   




 
3


3     
3  10 12 10 15 15 10 12 15 12 8 8 10 11 12 15 17 15 18 13 11 13 11

 
4 6 8 9 10 10 10 10 10 12 12 12
2 10 10 10

                                 

   
D.C. al Fine, with intro
    
   


10
 10 12
 10 12
 15 12
 10 14
 12 14
 12 14
 17 14
 12 12
 10 12
 10 12 10
 3
 5


10 10 10 10 12 12 12 12 11  11  11 11  1 6
9 9 9 9 2 4

  3       
                       3       
3

   
               
     
  
 

  
3 3 3
19 19 19 18 18 18 18 17 17 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 10 10 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 10

  
17 17 17 10 10 10 6 6 6 6 6 8
17 17 17 8 8 8 4 4 4 4 4 9
0