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[ladydetemps]

I'm a little confused in bluebell polka in the bit in D...
should I play it on the G row and crossover to the D row for the sharps or just swap to D row? (haven't even attempted the 'C' bit). Or should I play it on the D row and crossover to the G just for flats?

I'm not even attempting basses at this point.

[pikey]

I swap to the D row for the 'b' part. I'm on hols at the mo, but when I get back I'll put it up on Youtube for you.

Cheers,
Pikey

[Lester]

Deleted 'cus I was talking about the primrose Polka which is close, florally, to the Bluebell Polka but a mile away musically 

[Ebor_fiddler]

I echo pikey.

[ladydetemps]

I swap to the D row for the 'b' part. I'm on hols at the mo, but when I get back I'll put it up on Youtube for you.

Cheers,
Pikey

That's kind of you.

I play various bits on either the G or D row dependant on where it fits best to the basses. As Im in Costas at the mo not sure what I actually play where. Have a look when I get home.

I really struggle playing tunes from the dots when there are changes of key. Coz my brain is like 'stuck' in in translating one key. I'm wondering if I would do better trying to pick up this one by ear? But picking up the accidentals by ear scare me.

[TomB]

If a tune is in G and you play it on the G row, another is in D and you play it on the G row, it's surely just a case of playing up and down the row, so I don't understand where the 'accidentals' appear? Once you have the tunes playable that way you can then experiment with the [reversals], if that's the right word, to maybe get the basses to fit a bit better.

[Ollie]

Play it on the D row. If you look at the dots, the vast majority of the B part is just a broken D chord. It will be a lot more fluid, and easier to play, on the D row.

[ladydetemps]

If a tune is in G and you play it on the G row, another is in D and you play it on the G row, it's surely just a case of playing up and down the row, so I don't understand where the 'accidentals' appear? Once you have the tunes playable that way you can then experiment with the [reversals], if that's the right word, to maybe get the basses to fit a bit better.

Well according to this abc is goes sharp, then flat
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3352

[Lester]

If a tune is in G and you play it on the G row, another is in D and you play it on the G row, it's surely just a case of playing up and down the row, so I don't understand where the 'accidentals' appear? Once you have the tunes playable that way you can then experiment with the [reversals], if that's the right word, to maybe get the basses to fit a bit better.

Well according to this abc is goes sharp, then flat
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3352

So the A is in the key of G, the B is in the key of D and the C in the key of C. All playable on a D/G but hard.

What is played around my way is this:

X:49
T:Bluebell Polka
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
(3Bdg|b2b2gfge|d2d2B2G2|FGAB c2e2|ed^cd B2 (3Bdg|
b2b2gfge|d2d2B2G2|FGAB cdef|g2g2g2:|
K:D
e2|d2d2Bdgb|d'2d'2b2b2|d'2c'2=c'2a2|e'2d'2c'2d'2|
d2d2Bdgb|d'2d'2b3b|d'2c'2=c'2a2|g2b2g2:|
K:G
A2|B2B2Bc d2|B2B2Bc d2|c2cd cB A2|c2cd cB A2|
B2B2Bc d2|B2B2Bc d2|c2cd cB A2|G2B2G2:|

Not for the purists but easier 

[ladydetemps]

If a tune is in G and you play it on the G row, another is in D and you play it on the G row, it's surely just a case of playing up and down the row, so I don't understand where the 'accidentals' appear? Once you have the tunes playable that way you can then experiment with the [reversals], if that's the right word, to maybe get the basses to fit a bit better.

Well according to this abc is goes sharp, then flat
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3352

So the A is in the key of G, the B is in the key of D and the C in the key of C. All playable on a D/G but hard.

What is played around my way is this:

X:49
T:Bluebell Polka
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
(3Bdg|b2b2gfge|d2d2B2G2|FGAB c2e2|ed^cd B2 (3Bdg|
b2b2gfge|d2d2B2G2|FGAB cdef|g2g2g2:|
K:D
e2|d2d2Bdgb|d'2d'2b2b2|d'2c'2=c'2a2|e'2d'2c'2d'2|
d2d2Bdgb|d'2d'2b3b|d'2c'2=c'2a2|g2b2g2:|
K:G
A2|B2B2Bc d2|B2B2Bc d2|c2cd cB A2|c2cd cB A2|
B2B2Bc d2|B2B2Bc d2|c2cd cB A2|G2B2G2:|

Not for the purists but easier 

so it strays into the dusty end of the melodeon?

[Lester]

so it strays into the dusty end of the melodeon?

You paid for them all so should use them to get value for money 

[Anahata]

I have already put it on YouTube, if it helps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyHB6n9Nwv4

I play the D bit on the D row...
The key change to D implies a C# in the key signature, but as it happens the tune doesn't actually use a C#. However it's easier to play on the D row anyway.
There are some G# notes, correctly shows as accidentals and unfortunately not available on a two row D/G melodeon. It has a G#, but an octave lower that the one you really need. I think I faked it by playing the lower pitched G# anyway.

The C music (in C) is tricky if you're not used to playing in C, but if you have standard accidentals you can get the required F natural.

It's also possible to play the whole thing on a D/G box in the keys of D, A and G, which actually works very well as you can get the D# in the B music. I first learnt the tune that way, from Colin Cater who played it on an A/D/G three row box.

[Daddy Long Les]

I feature this tune in my Blogs 8 and 9.  Look at the latter part of both blogs.  I had Martyn White re-tune one of my squeaky G row buttons especially for this tune - watch the video to find out more.

The playing is pretty poor as I had only been learning for 2.5 months but I'm sure you'll get the idea.  George Garside gave me the idea of using my RH thumb in the C major section.

Hope this helps

Les

[Graham Spencer]

I must confess I usually play the C music in G as well; I don't know why - I must have learned it that way from someone sometime in the dim and distant.

Graham

[ladydetemps]

I have already put it on YouTube, if it helps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyHB6n9Nwv4

Wow! You must have long fingers...no way I could reach the accidentals while playing at the dusty end. lol!

I play the D bit on the D row...
The key change to D implies a C# in the key signature, but as it happens the tune doesn't actually use a C#. However it's easier to play on the D row anyway.
There are some G# notes, correctly shows as accidentals and unfortunately not available on a two row D/G melodeon. It has a G#, but an octave lower that the one you really need. I think I faked it by playing the lower pitched G# anyway.

The C music (in C) is tricky if you're not used to playing in C, but if you have standard accidentals you can get the required F natural.

Or just swap to the C box for the C part?

I must confess I usually play the C music in G as well; I don't know why - I must have learned it that way from someone sometime in the dim and distant.

Graham

What keys do people usually play it in?

I feature this tune in my Blogs 8 and 9.  Look at the latter part of both blogs.  I had Martyn White re-tune one of my squeaky G row buttons especially for this tune - watch the video to find out more.

The playing is pretty poor as I had only been learning for 2.5 months but I'm sure you'll get the idea.  George Garside gave me the idea of using my RH thumb in the C major section.

Hope this helps

Les

Have you got direct links?

[Lester]

Have you got direct links?

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,9415.0.html

[ladydetemps]

I think I know why now every time I think about trying this tune I give up. There's no simple idiots version.
Why do I like all the really *hard* tunes? 

[Thrupenny Bit]

By utter coincidence, I bumped into Anahata's version on Youtube last night and was wondering about getting the dots......and they appear here!
Brilliant.
I keep twiddling a version I've learnt from goodness knows where but perhaps is a less accurate version. I quite like the F naturals. It's about time I learnt it properly.
As Lester says, I've bought them, better use them!
Q

[pikey]

I must confess I usually play the C music in G as well; I don't know why - I must have learned it that way from someone sometime in the dim and distant.

Graham

so do I, and so do most people I know.
Does anyone else apart from me play a 4th part in E minor?

[TomB]

If a tune is in G and you play it on the G row, another is in D and you play it on the G row, it's surely just a case of playing up and down the row, so I don't understand where the 'accidentals' appear? Once you have the tunes playable that way you can then experiment with the [reversals], if that's the right word, to maybe get the basses to fit a bit better.

Well according to this abc is goes sharp, then flat
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/3352

What I meant was if you only had a one row melodeon, you would only have the basic scale to play with, so you would ignore anything in the music that strayed from what you have available, instead modifying the tune to 'get close enough'. With the Bluebell Polka, you essentially have two tunes to learn, one in D and one in G (save the C tune until later). The accidentals form only a tiny amount of the whole tune and they can be corrected later when you have a firm grip of the basics of the tune(s).