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Author Topic: Tunes for Bals  (Read 8847 times)

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playandteach

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Tunes for Bals
« on: December 22, 2015, 11:45:25 AM »

I only see myself ever playing for my own enjoyment - however, having seen some clips of Bals on youtube can I ask..
What is a rough make up of types of dance at these things (I appreciate there will be regional differences)?

At the moment I largely play waltzes and Mazurkas - especially Delicq, Denecheau type stuff.
Are there a bunch of Scottish etc dances in a similar vein that I could start to learn?
Bal might not even be the right term.. but I saw a comment saying that Naragonia were playing for a dance where there wasn't even a caller at a Bal (are callers necessary for French dances? It looks to me in the tiny peeks I've had at them as if it is more pairs than group dancing).

So, tips gratefully received for any pieces suitable for French dancing, especially if in a similar style to the players mentioned above.

I have a G / C by the way if anyone is going to post suitable pieces (not an abc man - as I can glance at sheet music and understand the feel and sound, whereas abc is code to me).
Of course even links to youtube clips for delightful versions is helpful.
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Anahata

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2015, 12:02:27 PM »

Mostly couple or circle dances.
Mazurka, Waltz, Scottish, polka
Just start playing and the dancers will know what to do. Announcing what you are about to play optional.
16 Bar jigs (ideally) for Chapelloise, 32 bar jigs for le cercle (which we Brits know as Circassian Circle).
Maybe throw in Breton dance or two.
There isn't a caller, but there's sometimes a tutorial/workshop session before the Bal and possibly some more complicated set dance learnt there will be done at the Bal.

...from my (very limited) experience. Others will shoot me down in flames now.
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Howard Jones

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2015, 12:09:36 PM »

Can't help with French tunes, but a word about ABC...

You say ABC is code to you.  It IS code, and is intended to generate sheet music or to be played back, using software. It can be read without a computer, but very few people play straight from the code, most convert it to dots or play it back and learn by ear.  It's a useful tool, because it is the de facto standard for sharing most tunes which will be of interest to melodeon players, and there is a cast number of tunes in this format available on the internet.  There is plenty of free software which will convert ABC to dots, and Tabledit (which is not free) will also convert it to CADB tablature. Don't dismiss it.

Theo

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2015, 12:10:13 PM »

And of course not forgetting the bouree! Two main types three time in 3/8 and 2 time usually write in 2/4. There are many many regional variations.
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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2015, 12:19:09 PM »

Oh yes, lots of bourées, of course. How could I forget  :|bl
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playandteach

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2015, 12:56:09 PM »

Can't help with French tunes, but a word about ABC...
Don't dismiss it.
Not at all dismissing it - just saying where my skills and habits are. I can trawl through a stack of sheet music (by the way thanks, Graham for the links) and say, "no, no, yes, maybe, definitely not, mmh that looks interesting". Whereas at the moment I just don't have time to convert a stack of tunes. I wish I did, and I'm truly grateful for those who can save me the time at the moment. I'll return the favour in different ways.
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george garside

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2015, 01:13:19 PM »

'Hitler he only had one' aka colonel bogy
george ;D
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playandteach

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2015, 02:07:50 PM »

Favourite Bourees?
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Howard Jones

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2015, 02:10:37 PM »

I'm not sure how much time you think it takes to convert ABC files.

All you need to do is save a collection (this one for example http://www.lesession.co.uk/music/lgsdmweb.abc) which takes only a moment, and then open it in software (ABC Explorer or ABC Navigator, for example) - again, only a moment.  You can then trawl through the tunes and the software will instantly display the notation on screen.  When you see a tune which takes your fancy you can print off a hard copy of the score.

I'll end here, as this is going off-topic.  However there are a vast number of tunes in ABC out there, which is a really useful resource. You don't need to understand ABC syntax to use it.

playandteach

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2015, 02:18:27 PM »

Thanks for taking the time to explain. I'll search the software.
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arty

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2015, 04:02:29 PM »

It would be good for you to have a conversation with 'DIATOSOLDO' who comes on this site frequently. A lovely, knowledgeable French lady who lives in Nantes. I am sure she would give you good advice.
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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2015, 04:16:21 PM »

It's also worth trying to obtain the tunebook "Bal Folk: Traditional Dance Music from Central France" which used to be available from Dave Mallinson Music. This book is itself an amalgamation of the two Mel Stevens' "Massif Central Tune Books", sadly long out of print, but you might be lucky and turn up a copy somewhere.

Absolute gems all of them.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2015, 04:18:04 PM by Steve_freereeder »
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george garside

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #12 on: December 22, 2015, 04:28:31 PM »

presume that is a different Bal Folk from the one I bought  some years ago in Vendee.  Bal Folk by Fanny L'Hotte ( I kid you not!)

probably still available from somewhere , written in French with some English ''translations'' and includes a CD.  Tunes divided by region Bretagne,Vendee,  Gascogne, Pays Basque, Avergne, Berry and Alsace.

published 2001 editions CARUHEL

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Gary P Chapin

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #13 on: December 22, 2015, 04:36:50 PM »

It's also worth trying to obtain the tunebook "Bal Folk: Traditional Dance Music from Central France" which used to be available from Dave Mallinson Music. This book is itself an amalgamation of the two Mel Stevens' "Massif Central Tune Books", sadly long out of print, but you might be lucky and turn up a copy somewhere.

Absolute gems all of them.

I will second this, and point out that the Bal Folk book contains the Standards of the Bal movement. These are the tunes that if you start playing, you'll have a good chance someone will join you. They are Bog Standard Bal ... which I mean in the best possible way.
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Bob Ellis

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #14 on: December 22, 2015, 04:39:32 PM »

Our band play for bals quite frequently - we average about two a month.

The bourrées we play at the moment include Bourrée d'Aurore Sand, Bourrée de Concours, Bourrée de Thiers, de Montfort and Bourrée Tournante des Grandes Poteries.

For a chapelloise we often play Zelda or Jump at the Sun, which is very popular in France under its French name, Saut vers le Soleil.

For a schottische (or 'scottish' in French), we might play Ganivelle, Scottish à Catinaux, La Sansonnette, Kite Scottish, Man in a Brown Hat or Scottishe från Háveró.

We also include Breton dances in our bals, such as an dros (e.g. Thème Vannetais, Gweharall or An Dro Nevez), hanter dros (e.g. Genette or Hanter Dro de Languidig), laridés (e.g. Laridé à Huit), and rondes (e.g. Rond de Saint-Vincent or Ronde du Quercy.)

We also play quite a few mazurkas and French waltzes, but it sounds as though you already have some of these. There are other types of dance, but these are the ones we play most frequently.

Visiting websites like Bernard Loffet's, googling or searching Youtube will find you sheet music and/or videos of many of these tunes. If there are tunes for which you would like the sheet music that you can't find elsewhere, I will be happy to supply it.


« Last Edit: December 22, 2015, 04:41:23 PM by Bob Ellis »
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playandteach

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2015, 05:01:29 PM »

Thanks, Bob.
Done a bit of googling on your tunes and found some I'd like to learn. I couldn't find the jump towards the sun under the English or French titles, and there were a few Sansonnettes out there.
If it's easy enough to email or attach those I'd be grateful. Also are they playable on a standard two row G/C? I looked at a video clip of  the Bourree d'Aurore Sand, where there were two rows playing, but the music I've found has high accidental G sharps?
Thanks, again. I realise I'm using others to trawl for me.
I'd like to get to a bal sometime.
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Mike Carney

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2015, 06:37:59 PM »

Hi playandteach
You'll find a decent version of John Kirkpatrick's tune Jump at the Sun on the session.org, at tune 13 under that entry. Its's in E minor for playing on a DG. You may want to adapt...but not sure what key is used in France.
M
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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2015, 07:12:21 PM »

Hi playandteach
You'll find a decent version of John Kirkpatrick's tune Jump at the Sun on the session.org, at tune 13 under that entry. Its's in E minor for playing on a DG. You may want to adapt...but not sure what key is used in France.
M

I can send it in A minor when I get home from work tonight.
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playandteach

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #18 on: December 22, 2015, 11:11:43 PM »

Sorry - had the French title in mind, and mistranslated it back into English which is probably why I couldn't find it. I'd appreciate it in Am, Gary if it's no hassle, that is the sort of thing I'm happy to do for myself, but I won't turn down the offer.
Just ordered the Bal Folk book, so thanks all for that tip.
Still looking at building a raft of Bourrees, if anyone has more favourites to recommend - ideally a little quirky, but playable on a two row plus 2 acc.
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Bob Ellis

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Re: Tunes for Bals
« Reply #19 on: December 23, 2015, 12:12:07 AM »

John Kirkpatrick wrote Jump at the Sun in Gm, although we play it in Dm for some reason.

Here is our version.

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