Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Tunes => Topic started by: playandteach on June 17, 2016, 10:03:53 PM
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This is the kiss of death - but because I've written a few tunes recently it seems like a better idea to keep them in one topic. On the umbrella principle it might just guarantee that I never write another.
I'll add the other recent tune links to here, too.
So here is the tune (audio to follow):
I've called it The Last Schmaltz
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And here is a quick soundcloud recording just to show how the tune goes.
The Last Schmaltz (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/the-last-schmaltz)
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In order to thwart the umbrella law, here is another piece.
It's called Flânerie.
Quick Soundcloud version here (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/flanerie) (mic's too close so watch your ears).
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Here's the fake Swedish tune which I called Tillbaka Vagen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeReXRorwHM)(but may retitle in English at some stage).
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Here's Sciatica (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/sciatica) (written for Stefan Sobell)
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And Minorette (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/minorette) - and the youtube version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Mep2TqVsI)
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And Frankham Cottage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JPBcEu3pkk)
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And Dusty End (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px70FCYwAeo)
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"the last schmaltz" is a GREAT tune name! :|glug
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A Simmer Tree (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/a-simmer-tree)(Asymmetry - Geddit)
Recording is rushed, I know, but it should give you a flavour of the tune. For me this thread isn't about the recordings, but just getting the tunes out there. Of course, better performances would help, but...
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Homage to Denecheau (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/homage-a-denecheau).
Going to have a lie down now.
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Oh go on then - I couldn't resist the clamour for more tunes.
Here's one I wrote tonight called Don't Wake the Baby. It's about a father who has his mates round for a bit of a session (in the playing sense) but the baby's mum has different ideas, and they have to keep changing dynamics depending on the presence of the mum - she doesn't want the baby to wake up, so every time she opens the door they all sheepishly play particularly quietly, but instantly forget the moment she's gone again.
The intro is the baby's wailing set to music.
Audio to follow sometime soon.
Tempo is Tie me Kangaroo Down, Sport.
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Here's the audio on soundcloud for Don't Wake the Baby (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/dont-wake-the-baby)
I've added a small note in the main quiet motif, so that the words "Don't wake the baby" are now rhythmically part of the tune - so I've amended the score and uploaded it here.
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What's the record for the most consecutive posts by one member?
Anyway, here's another tune - No More Fridays - in honour of my new working contract.
Audio to follow.
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And here's a soundcloud version - on piano this time as I haven't had a chance to practise it on melodeon.
I've changed a couple of chords, Here's the amended pdf.
No More Fridays (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/no-more-fridays)
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Here's a tune for my daughter, Tabatha. She's a great flute player, but seems to prefer dance, which she's also pretty good at. Think of a Pas de deux in a Tchaikovsky Ballet (only where the dancers are good enough to dance it up to speed).
It's called Hexham Tabby
Audio to follow sometime.
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Homage to Denecheau (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/homage-a-denecheau).
Going to have a lie down now.
I like the held drone notes, (half notes), in some of the measures. It is effective and creates a very moody atmosphere for the piece. It also sounds "Delicq" like.
Anyway like the tune.
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It also sounds "Delicq" like.
Anyway like the tune.
That'll do me for the first feedback on this thread (apart from a well received thumbs up for a tune title).
Thanks for the support.
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Here's a quick soundcloud version of the tune Hexham Tabby (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/hexham-tabby)written for my daughter - played by my daughter.
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And here's a tune for my daughter's friend who came up from London to stay this weekend. Indianna (https://youtu.be/LJXYPK0ocvs)Sheet music and melodeon version to follow when laptop is back working again (this is just a camcorder audio of piano version)
And here's the score - I used musescore for the first time, as I couldn't get into my laptop for Sibelius (fixed now).
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And yet another very nice tune. You are so creative! Just wondering about the name...
Is it referring to the state, "Indiana" in the US which is on the southern edge of Lake Michigan, or does it refer to something else? I was born and raised in Indiana, a small but delightful little state sandwiched between Illinois and Ohio. People from Indiana are called "Hoosiers". Sounds like
"Who' shers". Just a little (useless) information.
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As in "Hello, hello, Hoosier lady friend"?
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And yet another very nice tune. You are so creative! Just wondering about the name...
Is it referring to the state, "Indiana" in the US which is on the southern edge of Lake Michigan, or does it refer to something else? I was born and raised in Indiana, a small but delightful little state sandwiched between Illinois and Ohio. People from Indiana are called "Hoosiers". Sounds like
"Who' shers". Just a little (useless) information.
As in the Hoosier Hot Shots: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b5q1TAlL7Kw. (other videos are available.)
;)
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Just wondering about the name...
Is it referring to the state, "Indiana" in the US which is on the southern edge of Lake Michigan, or does it refer to something else?
My daughter's friend's name hence the double n. Sweet girl, big voice. It was great to hear a couple of 14 year old playing music together (of course there was hair and make up too). Thanks for the support.
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Here's what it sounds like on a melodeon (quick and rough run through). Indianna (https://youtu.be/uoIcsGrjbz0)
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My son, Willoughby is walking the wall this week (Hadrian's). So here's a tune for his adventure.
It's called Willoughby's Wall. Audio to follow soon - probably quick version on piano, then have to learn it on melodeon.
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Just heard Dont wake the Baby. Nice Brotto-like percussive effects! Sophisticated arrangement and structure, with (is it) a middle eight,even. Not a tune I feel like learning..but admiration...and I'll go on now to hear your others. Bravo for melodeonist composing!
:|glug
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Just enjoyed the one with your daughter playing the flute. I like that catchy opening tune with polka rhythm. My favourite so far because of the rhythm and articulation. Quality playing too. Bravo again :|glug :|glug
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Thanks, Jack. All of these are helping my playing too, but the recordings are definitely not showcases. I appreciate the comments.
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Here's a soundcloud piano version of Willoughby's Wall (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/willoughbys-wall)
Should have mentioned that this one is in G, and probably lies as well or better on a D/G box.
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A short tune deliberately changing constantly, but hopefully retaining some organic feel. A bold ambition perhaps.
It's called Keep Up! Audio to follow.
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And here's a piano run through
Keep Up (https://youtu.be/7y95rYb4Cvo)
I've tried some of these out on melodeon, but they are far from under my fingers as yet. I do have the melodeon in my hands during the early stages of working the tune out... so definitely written with Melodeon in mind.
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Back to A minor and 3/4 time. It's my default or where my heart is at the moment.
The title is a give away.
Nostrovia Nostalgia. Audio to follow.
pdf updated to have title typo corrected. It had turned into a Christmas theme (Noel)
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Here a quick run through of the tune on the piano. Seems to lie fine on Melodeon, though - which is the intention. It will just take me longer to get it reliable on the melodeon, whereas I can just bang them out on the piano.
Nostrovia Nostalgia (https://youtu.be/S8Z8UmNycDU)
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Back to A minor and 3/4 time. It's my default or where my heart is at the moment.
The title is a give away.
Nostrovia Nostalgia. Audio to follow.
Very nice Pete. I shall work at this one!
You might want to edit the title on the written music... :|bl
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Thanks for the thumbs up and the typo heads up. P.S. I'll buy you a pint if you're the first one to play one of my tunes! (Real pint, in person, not virtual).
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Calling Bal experts: does this count as a Scottisch / valse? Let me know why, if not.
If anyone can work out why it's called Agamemnon I'll give them a big thumbs up.
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Wow! There's some really nice music there. I particularly like Homage to Denecheau, so many thanks for posting the lead sheet and all the other material. I've started working on it on my bandonion today, not because of the offer of a pint, mind you!
What am I failing to grasp? Why do different chord sequences appear in different colours?
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In my limited experience a waltz/Schottisch would have shorter phrases of each metre. Probably 4 bars of each alternating.
There are also some German dances that have all sorts of combinations of 3 and 4 time in different length phrases.
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What am I failing to grasp? Why do different chord sequences appear in different colours?
That's something that Delicq used to remind himself whether it was a push chord or pull (so on a G/C box the F or G chords and their cross chording) and for the right hand notes too. On manuscript, I've noticed he used a straight underscore line if the melody note was the same button as the previous one, but bellows change for pitch change. Useful. Especially when your memory is as bad as mine.
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Nice! That makes sense. In the Homage to Denecheau though, there are chords in red, blue AND black! The black ones don't seem to just be repeating an already introduced chord and direction. Are black chords available in either direction?
Funnily enough, this coincides with how I'm doing it on the Atzarin bandonion. Red = pull, Blue = push, Black = either direction. It is also testing the rules on bellows reversals for this kind of instrument that I laid out in another thread, where I'd expect to play Am, for example, always on the pull. In this piece, however, it's more comfortable on the push after push G/E and push E
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I'm afraid that's just where I edited it at a later date when I was less in need of the reminders. Inconsistent, but hey. Glad you like the tune. I did email Denecheau with a copy, but didn't hear back. No matter.
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This tune may work for a two mood dance, if anyone could be bothered to work one out. First part is stately minuet or mazurka(despite metre changes) last part is out of control gallop.
Therefore, called Grandmother's Footsteps
Audio will of course follow.
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This tune may work for a two mood dance, if anyone could be bothered to work one out. First part is stately minuet or mazurka(despite metre changes) last part is out of control gallop.
Therefore, called Grandmother's Footsteps
Audio will of course follow.
Interesting one!
Question: should your 1st-time bar marking starting at bar 7 really start at bar 6? Or do you really intend the bar 6 melody to be repeated in the 2nd-time bar at bar 9? (I can see the chords indications for bars 6 and 9 are different).
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Thanks, Steve. You can be my editor in chief. It's amazing what slips under the radar. I've amended it now.
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Thanks, Steve. You can be my editor in chief. It's amazing what slips under the radar. I've amended it now.
You're welcome! Glad that you're not offended.
When I was a student I sometimes undertook music copying vacation work in order to eek out my grant a bit further. That was back in the days when everything was done by pen and ink on translucent foil master staves. I was a dab-hand at music calligraphy ;). Mostly the work was extracting orchestral or band parts from a composer's score, but it also served as a secondary proof-reading exercise.
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I remember the translucent foil. A real artist's hand needed. I probably upload them too soon but that is the easiest way for me to get them on paper myself and I spot errors much better on paper. I can tell the difference between a helpful correction and someone who's just out to polish their own reputation.
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And here's a run through of Grandmother's Footstep (https://youtu.be/JD0hd8aGMKw)
On piano again, and far from fautless - but then the idea is just to get a recording out as quickly as possible to support the sheet music.
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Fully aware that these are rough and not-ready recordings, but I want to spend the time writing new ones, or trying them out on the melodeon rather than perfecting piano versions. So, with that feeble excuse out of the way, here is Agamemnon (https://youtu.be/FpWKVJdCCMw)
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Back to A minor and 3/4 time. It's my default or where my heart is at the moment.
The title is a give away.
Nostrovia Nostalgia. Audio to follow.
Point of order here and I'm hesitant to point it out as you're a music teacher and far more qualified in music theory than I am. You open with a pick up and your PDF numbers that as bar one because you never pay the pick up back. As I understand it this is incorrect. Your tune is 33 bars long, how does that work then? ;) >:E 8)
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Back to A minor and 3/4 time. It's my default or where my heart is at the moment.
The title is a give away.
Nostrovia Nostalgia. Audio to follow.
Point of order here and I'm hesitant to point it out as you're a music teacher and far more qualified in music theory than I am. You open with a pick up and your PDF numbers that as bar one because you never pay the pick up back. As I understand it this is incorrect. Your tune is 33 bars long, how does that work then? ;) >:E 8)
I'll jump in and try to answer this...
With music notation software (I use MuseScore; I think P&T uses Sibelius), there is usually an option to set bar numbering either to include pick-up bars, or not. The default for MuseScore is to include pick-up bars, but I normally set this to off. I suspect this is what is happening here: simply that the bar numbering option is set to include pick-up bars and hasn't been turned off (it's probably located somewhere not very obvious in the software preferences). It's no big deal.
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Yes, Steve's right. It would mean a trawl through options that for these purposes I wasn't sufficiently concerned to do. I had a cursory glance, but moved onto more enjoyable tasks. I could easily have removed the bar numbers, but then I'd be removing reference points for people to make comments like: I really like the way the pick up has been rhythmically displaced in bar 12 :D
Seriously though, you seem to have 3 points
1, Yes the bar numbers are out of step with the real phrasing - just a software default I couldn't be hassled with.
2. The tune is 32 bars long in this case (if you repeated the whole lot, you would duck the last beat in the last bar). I do, however, like tunes that have extra bars, or missing bars - breaking expectations is a big part of engaging the listener.
3.As to the pay back being missing at the end. You are correct, but it's a little like ending with a preposition - it's a rule that I think is comfortably dispensed with.
Most importantly, thanks for taking the time to look at my tunes.
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Since there are two people here who've done music copying: how did you learn? I once asked on the ABRSM forum if anybody knew of references on music calligraphy comparable to the many books available on textual calligraphy, but nobody seemed to have heard of one. I'd have expected that publishers had their own in-house style guides, at least.
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I didn't mean to imply that I'd worked on the translucent foil, just was around those who did. It was a very specialised skill. You'll have to go directly to Steve Freereeder for real details.
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Since there are two people here who've done music copying: how did you learn? I once asked on the ABRSM forum if anybody knew of references on music calligraphy comparable to the many books available on textual calligraphy, but nobody seemed to have heard of one. I'd have expected that publishers had their own in-house style guides, at least.
Hello Jack,
My music copying/calligraphy was largely self-taught, but being an orchestral and band player (clarinets, saxophones, etc.) I did have a good idea of transposition and what constituted player-friendly parts, especially layout, e.g. so the player didn't have impossible page turns to contend with. Also the balance of 'white space' with notes on the page so that everything looked good and not too cluttered, nor too spaced out.
As for the actual penmanship, I practised a lot and had a decent music calligraphy pen, which was a fountain pen with a nib having three flexible 'prongs' (for want of a better term) at the tip rather than the usual, more rigid, two. The special nib meant that you could form a note head with a single downward push and then take a thin line up or down for the stem of the note, all without lifting the pen from the page. Also thick line beams for quavers, semiquavers, etc. could similarly be formed with the minimum of removal of nib from the page. This all made for faster, more flowing, work.
I did have one book to refer to which I borrowed from a library, entitled something like 'The Art of Music Handwriting' which was very useful, but I'm afraid I cannot remember the author or publisher. It was over 40 years ago!
Most of the work I did was for a couple of individual composers rather than for a publishing house so I cannot comment on house styles.
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Seriously though . . .
My post was pretty tongue in cheek to be honest, hence the smileys. ;D An interesting point was made about music software like MuseScore hiding simple options in obscure menus that are then easily forgotten by the next time you need them. I messed about with MuseScore for a while but got bored and wandered off. As for taking time to look at your tunes it's a pleasure, there's some lovely stuff here!
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Here's a youtube clip of me finally risking a melodeon version of No More Fridays (https://youtu.be/dbb8h_ArLIo).
It has been really fiddly to get to grips with. I also tried recording it on a Yeti mic, into audacity and splicing audio and video together in Moviemaker. I didn't add anything to the sound, but think it is better that the video camera sound alone which I used for the piano versions of these tunes.
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Here's a youtube clip of me finally risking a melodeon version of No More Fridays (https://youtu.be/dbb8h_ArLIo).
I liked this tune so much I transcribed to ABC so I could learn it but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the segment ident of A and B to display with a rectangle around the letter. Is there a way to do it?
I also tried stem=down in bar 7 but is messed up the display.
X:1
T:No More Fridays
C:Pete Seago
L:1/8
Q:3/8=100
M:6/8
K:C
EF !segno! |"C" G2Ec2G|"F" {G}A3-AFE |"G" D2DB2A|"C" GAG "G" FED|
"Am" ECc-c2G|"Dm" AFf-f2e|"G" d2cB2A|GAG F(EF) |"C" G2 E c2 G |
"F" A3- AFE |"G" D2 D "E" E2 B, |"Am" C2 c BAG |"Dm" AFf edc |"G" BGg fed |
"C" c2 2G "F"A2 F |"C" E3- EAB || "Am" c2 A ABc |"G" B G2- GGB |"F" A2 F D2 A |
"Em" G6 |"Dm" F2 D AFG- |"Em" GEC B2 G |"F" AFc- cec |"G" d3- def |
"C" g2 e c2 B |"F" Afe d2 c |"G" B2 c"G/F" d2 B |"E" e3- eed |
"F" cGA- Afe |"G" dcB "/F" ABG |"/E" c2 G "/D" GAF |"C" E3- E+D.S.+EF|]
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I liked this tune so much I transcribed to ABC so I could learn it but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to get the segment ident of A and B to display with a rectangle around the letter. Is there a way to do it?
Read this thread (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,18957.0.html).
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ABC is a notation for music, not a notation for music notation, so trying to reproduce typesetting exactly is usually not the best way to use it. If you use ABC's part construct you can represent the same sequence of sounds without using the (non-portable) !segno! and +D.S.+ constructs, and the result is a bit more economical as staff notation:
X:1
T:No More Fridays
C:Pete Seago
L:1/8
Q:3/8=100
M:6/8
P:ABA
K:C
P:A
EF|"C" G2E c2G|"F"{G}A3- AFE|"G"D2D B2A |"C" GAG "G"FED |
"Am"ECc- c2G|"Dm" AFf- f2e|"G"d2c B2A | GAG F(EF)|
"C" G2E c2G|"F" A3- AFE|"G"D2D "E"E2B,|"Am"C2c BAG |
"Dm"AFf edc|"G" BGg fed|"C"c2G "F"A2F |"C" E3- E |]
P:B
AB|"Am"c2A ABc |"G" BG2- GGB|"F" A2F D2A|"Em"G6 |
"Dm"F2D AFG-|"Em"GEC B2G|"F" AFc- cec|"G" d3- def|
"C" g2e c2B |"F" Afe d2c|"G" B2c "G/F"d2B|"E" e3- eed|
"F" cGA- Afe |"G" dcB "/F"ABG|"/E"c2G "/D" GAF|"C" E3- E ||
Your bar 10 has an extra number 2 in it:
|"C" c2 2G "F"A2 F |
which no ABC processor will be able to figure out (and it's enough to stop BarFly displaying the tune at all) - that's the only actual mistake you made, I think.
The tune has definitely got something but I'd like to see it simplified a bit by folk processing.
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And here's the melodeon version of Agamemnon (https://youtu.be/xNDFiDZjT3w).
As there were no takers for why it's called Agamemnon - look at 7 mins 26 secs of this youtube epic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXnoxs5WDTA).
Sometimes people ask if I miss my old career - and I rarely do - being surprisingly happy bodging around on instruments I have little skill at, but when I listen to these big works a little nostalgia creeps in.
Here's a few of my colleagues from the Philharmonia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDz88oVfpZI) telling what it's like playing Strauss in a big orchestra.
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For tunes set afloat in the folk/trad milieu, the composer doesn't get to control what players can manage to memorize and make a success of. We had a discussion of William Taylor's Tabletop Hornpipe a while back - I much prefer it the way the morris dance community has adapted it. Similarly I prefer Philippe Plard's Zelda without the third and fourth parts, and it's usually played without them.
The most extreme example I know of is Grey Larsen's Thunderhead - it's a great tune the way it's played around Edinburgh (as recorded by the Old Blind Dogs in the 1980s) but it's rubbish the way Larsen originally had it, and it was a remarkable stroke of imagination from the OBD's to see that it could be made into something listenable.
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With great thanks to those who have messaged me.
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But I'm afraid it makes me want to reconsider my use of time.
Don't do that - I'm sure there are plenty of people who like the tunes - as I do - even if they don't feel they have much that they need to say about them. I'm still trying to overcome my arthritis with Sciatica, but I'm sure I'll have a go at some others. (:)
Best wishes
Roger
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Thanks, touched by the messages. I'll grow a thicker skin.
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I've a friend whose daughter has just had a major back operation and is now home again. This is a Song for Maya.
By the way, the rhythm of the opening bar is to the words; this is a song for Maya - I'm finding that once you have an opening rhythm things tend to develop well from there. Yes, it's in A minor, and 5/4 - am I getting predictable? (Rhetorical - no answer needed).
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And here's a late night piano version.
Song For Maya (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVwn0J223GM&feature=youtu.be)
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We had someone asking about cross chording on a G/C a couple of hours ago - and although I regularly use a few combinations of basses with substitution chords, I thought I'd experiment with combining chords senza basses.
This is the result. The + signs have nothing to do with augmented chords - just trying to make it clear that there are two chords going on. 3rds out, by the way.
Sketch is called No Bass Oblige
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Here's a soundcloud version of No Bass Oblige (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/no-bass-oblige). The sound is untreated as the whole point is to hear the blend as it really is - however it is a good room to play in.
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This was a clever realization of the enthusiasm for the recent chord chart.
I will work through your combinations, it's good practice to expand the use of left hand chords.
Thanks
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I sensed that I was getting carried away with unusual phrase lengths, and decided to go back to basics to see if I could write a tune with a conventional structure and no syncopations etc. but still have something about it.
I've complained in the past of not wanting to play tunes where you can predict what happens next. But now I've written one myself.
It's called Vanilla March, and fits quite well under the hands.
Agamemnon started with the opening leitmotif from Elektra.
Any guesses where the first 4 notes of this tune come from?
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By the way there are also 3 other snippets of tunes hidden inside Vanilla March.
One from G and S, one from Elvis, and one that keeps marching in.
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Back to 6/8 - to avoid another 3/4 piece. Still in A minor, and fast harmonic change - but like Delicq's Chiens Battus, the B section is simpler harmonically, and in this case, an even simpler C section (where I also have a tendency to use sequences). It's one way I find helps give different character to the sections.
It's called Recycle
By the way, if anybody liked this tune, but didn't like the extra bar to the opening phrase (e.g. for dancing) you can omit bar 5 (you might want to replace the last E quaver in bar 4 with the C above it in that case).
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And here's a piano version of Vanilla March (https://youtu.be/be3kAFN_QCI)- if indeed it is a march (my best guess). There are other flavours available.
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I think you might have been ever so slightly pistachio at the time and your vignettes don't fool anyone ;)
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There was a great trumpet player (now died - so I won't sully his name) but he was once asked how he could play so well when he was pistachioed all the time, he replied: Easy, I practise when I'm pistachioed.
He also had a reasonable complaint from the back desk of violas who sat in front of the trumpets (a real and ongoing problem with work related deafness) - asking him if he had to play so loudly even in rehearsals. He said if they'd practised harder at music college they'd be sitting at the front of the section out of harm's way.
Didn't get the vignettes bit?
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I sensed that I was getting carried away with unusual phrase lengths, and decided to go back to basics to see if I could write a tune with a conventional structure and no syncopations etc. but still have something about it.
I've complained in the past of not wanting to play tunes where you can predict what happens next. But now I've written one myself.
It's called Vanilla March, and fits quite well under the hands.
Agamemnon started with the opening leitmotif from Elektra.
Any guesses where the first 4 notes of this tune come from?
If you mean the Vanilla March, how about the first movement of the Tchaikovsky piano concerto?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItSJ_woWnmk
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Good guess, and as right as anything. But think clarinet!
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Good guess, and as right as anything. But think clarinet!
Aha! How could I not have guessed first of all? ;)
It's the opening phrase of the Mozart clarinet quintet K581
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gtqsm5gH24
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Here's a soundcloud version of Recycle (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/recycle)
Yes, that's the one Steve. Did you spot 'The Lord High Executioner'? and 'Wooden Heart'? or 'When the Saints'. Just tiny snippets.
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I sensed that I was getting carried away with unusual phrase lengths, and decided to go back to basics to see if I could write a tune with a conventional structure and no syncopations etc. but still have something about it.
I've complained in the past of not wanting to play tunes where you can predict what happens next. But now I've written one myself.
It's called Vanilla March, and fits quite well under the hands.
Liked this one also so transcribed it. Also attached the pdf output from ABCedit for the tabs for my HA114C. There is a question mark in bar 12 for the pull note (push notes on top, pull notes on bottom) as I do not have the note on my box in that octave so I have to fudge it.
Great tune!
Stephen
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Thanks, looking forward to hearing someone else have a go at a tune here.
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Here's a slow pensive tune - the intention was to keep it in 3/4 but to use some irregular placement of simple open 5th chords to give the harmonic energy (rather than changing time signature or having more rapid chord changes). And also 3 bar phrase lengths for a loping quality.
Resurgence
By the way, it is easy for me to transpose these for other boxes - so rather than individuals writing them out again - just ask for a particular key. It's a 5 minute job to transpose and upload.
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By the way, it is easy for me to transpose these for other boxes - so rather than individuals writing them out again - just ask for a particular key. It's a 5 minute job to transpose and upload.
The majority of players here have D/G boxes so if you are writing for a G/C box simply add a transposition to the relative row. :)
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Fair enough. I'll put up transposed versions for D/G box users.
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Here are the D/G versions (just a couple missing - as stored on a different computer).
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4 more D/G versions
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And another 4
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and again 4
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And the remaining ones -
If you need Sciatica or Indianna for D/G it may have to wait a while.
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Actually, found Indianna - just remembered it was a Muse score.
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Here's a little tune just to get used to using harmony notes in the right hand that are a little independent from the melody. It may be that it suits reversal users only - haven't taken the time to think through a box set up I don't use - but it works well on my Dutch reversed set up.
I may need to take a break as my melodeon throat has reared up again (I did try out a bunch of boxes yesterday, so it could be that or just how much playing I've been doing recently). This does mean that I won't be able to demonstrate Recycle or this tune (Weave) for a while. Sorry.
Removed pdfs as there was a mistake in the second bar - see later post for corrected pdfs
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Here's another simple tune. No tricks - hence title. But the notes in red are the descending scale that have an extra life outside of the tune and emphasising a little.
Nothing Up My Sleeve
As I said in the previous post - I'll have to record on piano only for a while. Audio to follow.
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Sorry - just spotted a mistake in the score in bar 2. Here are the amendments. I may be able to play this one as it won't take much learning (allergy flare up).
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And here's a quick youtube version of Weave (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqtbbXGRmWw&feature=youtu.be)
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Here's a tune that somehow reminds me of the Wild West and the 60s -with a dash of Horst Jankowski. So, for no good reason, I've called it Space Hopper. I always forget to include tempo markings, this one grooves at around crotchet = 160 bpm.
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Here's a piano version: Space Hopper (https://youtu.be/6okP_3t4bLc)
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And here's a soundcloud version on the Hohner Erika that I bought on German ebay earlier in the year. Theo did the reeds, I fiddled around with the mechanics (enjoyably). I'd still like to find a way of lightening the left hand action, as I'd play it much more if I could sort that out.
Space Hopper (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/space-hopper)
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Here's a more standard tune - regular phrase lengths, slower harmonic pace etc.
Closer to Home - audio to follow.
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A tune I wrote for my father-in-law, who is a life long music lover.
There are 3 sections which can be played together or separately.
Waltz for Ian
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Here's a soundcloud version of Waltz for Ian (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/waltz-for-ian). I found a clarinet under the bed! It had a plastic reed on it, but still worked, so that's what you can here in the background. The main tune doesn't start straight away -in fact not for over a minute - but this is just a recording to show how the parts fit together - can just be played as a 3 section tune on one Melodeon without combining parts.
Just recorded on Audacity - so a bit fiddly to always line parts up exactly. Have I got enough excuses in?
UPDATE - Just tweaked the balance between parts a little - so slightly easier to hear the main tune etc. New version found at the link above.
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Here's a soundcloud run through of Nothing Up My Sleeve (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/nothing-up-my-sleeve)on the Bb/Eb Erika - which I would play much more if the left hand stiffness could be sorted - tried new springs etc. I notice there are a couple of 'Italian' bass mecs for sale on Ebay - does anyone know if that would help?
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Possibly the last tune for a while as after a holiday (without the melodeon) I'll be straight back into school and new syllabus preparation.
I realise I haven't recorded closer to home yet, might just find time for it tomorrow.
Here's a Mazurka, named in tribute to those wonderful Clandestine (Mazurka Klandestina) youtube late night slideshows that are so enchanting:Incantata
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Here's a Soundcloud version of Incantata (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/incantata) (back on the Serafini).
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Laid up in bed in Turkey - back's gone. No melodeon or other toys apart from laptop. So here's a 2 part canon which will work on a 2 row (with another of course). It's a 7 bar phrase which continues to develop all the way through, the second part being therefore 7 bars later. The canon (actually more like counterpoint) breaks out at figure F. Maybe not a memorable tune, but it was inspired by the counterpoint (clearly Bach influenced) of La Sourde - Duo Tanghe Coudroy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiIchz1CFWU). Their counterpoint passage starts at 1'.14" and they break out of it into a wonderful tune at 1'.58"
Mine's obviously nothing like theirs in quality. Just an exercise in patience: Counterpoint
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Okay, clutching at straws here in Turkey. Here is a midi (Oh dear, to have sunk so low) version of Counterpoint (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/counterpoint) - until I get upright again. I've listed it as a private track because I don't want a midi track permanently attached to my name. Let me know if you can't access it, and I'll make it public.
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Just discovered the Due Tanghe Coudroy and was just about to post "la sourde" (I find it's one of the most felicitous accordion-guitar combinations I have heard.... I often find the guitar to be a distraction more than anything else ie>the accordion does the rythm just fine, thank you. )
But then I found this (your counterpoint).
Thanks for all work and the material you are sharing !
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Just made Counterpoint on soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/counterpoint)public as there were some access issues.
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Having written a tune for my daughter, son, father-in-law and several friends it was time to write one for my wife.
Her pet name is Boo Boo and the (rather gentle) Scotch Snap is to echo her name.
Audio to follow sometime. It lies well enough on the layout I have (reversals) for some two part writing.
Waltz For Boo Boo
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Here is a youtube version of Waltz for Boo Boo (https://youtu.be/Q8_47uZCdsM)- no external audio this time, just a straight to camera run through. Which means no edits, just a warts and all recording.
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Finally got round to doing a recording of Closer To Home (https://youtu.be/utOkYbOVW28). - I keep writing tunes with at least one quick bellows change to force myself to work on that aspect, but I always regret it when trying to record them.
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writing tunes with at least one quick bellows change to force myself to work on that aspect, but I always regret it when trying to record them.
Well, you certainly seem to have it down here.
I'm having the same problem, so tracked down all the advice I could find on the forum.
There is one thing I discovered, that is helping me, and that I have not seen mentioned (may have missed it though - apologies if so). Ah, and I also feel sheepish about advising anything to someone called 'playandteach' :|bl
A few months ago I started trying to play a one row. Gaaah! I am absolutely terrible at it (seems like a totally different instrument). So I practice little since my two-row is so much more satisfying for relaxing after work. But recently I noticed that what has much improved is my bellows change on my 2-row.... I can now conceive of getting this down.
Enjoying your tunes.
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It's funny, but I found the exact opposite when trying to play an old PA which I recently had. I wanted to push and pull all the time, when there was absolutely no need. Another plus to playing my one-rows, is that I can now knock tunes out on my dad's old (rubbishy) Anglo concertina, which was a complete mystery to me previously.
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Ah, and I also feel sheepish about advising anything to someone called 'playandteach' :|bl
Enjoying your tunes.
Firstly, the playandteach is from an old youtube channel, and is nothing to do with melodeon. I am a music teacher, but my melodeon playing (and a few other instruments) is frankly something I would neither do in public, nor would I teach it. So you are on safe grounds.
I also think the one row is the only answer.
Secondly, thanks for the support for the tunes. I find the writing of them restful and useful (for when I advise students on melodic construction).
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I wanted to push and pull all the time, when there was absolutely no need.
... so maybe the key is to stay really bad on the one-row for this to help. Good news for me! ;D
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Staying really bad hasn't been a problem for me so far, either.
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Here's a melodeon once through (or so) of Vanilla March (https://youtu.be/yr5r2vGxr44). Still developing some technical aspects of my playing (which also affect the rhythm) - so please don't judge the playing, just the tune.
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Posted off the treble reed blocks of my Serafini today for some tweaking. So here's a waltz in gratitude to the man who made it.
Waltz for Marc - I'll have to wait until the blocks return before I record it.
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And here is Waltz for Marc (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/waltz-for-marc) - but perhaps ironically not played on his instrument as the reed blocks are back with him. It's played on the Hohner Erika Bb/Eb
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And here is Waltz for Marc (https://youtu.be/rV39-17vvSg)on his R2D2 recently back from a short but important tweak or two. Just recorded straight to camera.
Edit - just listened back to it - and it's very brutal sound quality - I'll try to find time to rerecord it.
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So here's to Witney
I'm Off To Witney - a tune written (hopefully) to lie well on a D/G (i.e. not going too high). It does need the two accidentals I normally have access to.
As usual I forgot to put a tempo marking. It's an alert Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, type of speed.
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So here's to Witney
I'm Off To Witney - a tune written (hopefully) to lie well on a D/G (i.e. not going too high). It does need the two accidentals I normally have access to.
As usual I forgot to put a tempo marking. It's an alert Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, type of speed.
Nice catchy tune! I like the 'I'm off to Witney' motif which keeps recurring. ;)
You mention the two accidentals...
On your D/G version, the D#4 in bar 15 is not available on a standard 2-row D/G box, it's the D#5 instead and which occurs in bar 25. The G#4 in bar 23 is OK.
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Thanks, Steve - I've got the low accidental on my box, and knew that it was unlikely to be available to others - hopefully they'll just use their B major left hand chord to provide the harmony. I couldn't resist using it anyway. One of the many reasons that these tunes will stay on the shelf, I suppose. Still good fun writing them.
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.... hopefully they'll just use their B major left hand chord to provide the harmony.....
Yes, that will work fine.
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Here's a Soundcloud version.
I'm Off To Witney (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/im-off-to-witney) The returned Serafini R2D2 - no audio editing, just the honest box.
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In honour of our recent little tune-title spat; a new tune. On a recent post (help me remember the tune and thread!?) someone said it felt like a certain tune had been around for ever, so I felt challenged to write a new tune with an old feel. Hence the Latin.
Hope someone feels the urge to play it. I've given a suggested rhythm for the left hand to help drive it along a bit. The last accidental is optional - happy to stay with the modal feel.
Angustia in mola
EDIT - typo in DG version - second chord should be Am, not Em. I'll correct soon. Fixed now.
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And here's a quick blast through Angustia in Mola, on the 3 voice Sander.
The youtube version is under its English title Trouble at Mill (https://youtu.be/ZEsFKKhgXRI)
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In response to theme of the month for December 2016 - a new tune to old words - Hark the Herald, but as a lullaby. I've never really liked the original tune (not saying mine is an improvement) as it seems too dictatorial - you will hark or else!
I've only included a pdf in C as I think transposing it will make it harder to sing. I'll copy this to the Theme of the Month too. Ideally I'd record it sung with melodeon accompaniment. Not sure if I'll manage that.
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Here's a straight to video recording of Hark the Herald (https://youtu.be/ogr-_LIl-_U). I need a quicker way of recording with a decent sound without setting up the laptop each time - this is just the video camera sound.
I think this tune deserves better, but then it needs a singer too. I can hear a great version in my head. Hey ho (or should it be Heigh Ho?). Identical post in the Theme of the Month for December 2016. Sorry if that makes life messy.
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Just to keep my hand in with cross rowing while I learn the push pull techniques, a tune deliberately written to have as much cross rowing as possible.
Roulette
Audio to follow sometime (and I've put up an Em version for D/G players - especially as it doesn't go very high).
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Here's a wistful piece - hopefully the constantly changing time signature is more organic than it appears. Figure of Speech
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And here's a piano youtube version Figure of Speech (https://youtu.be/JR7gxuZmpbo)
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Here's the youtube melodeon version of Roulette (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahuxr69YQfA&feature=youtu.be)
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And a melodeon version of Figure of Speech (https://youtu.be/oP1CZoT4hFk).
It's done on a new to me video camera - hopefully with better results. It has a mic jack and I'm using a Sony Electret condenser mic which plugs straight in. I haven't altered any settings and no audio editing has been done. I have cut out a wrong note directly on the video, and as usual the purpose of these videos is to share the tune, rather than to demo my playing. However, this time, I'm also interested in the new camera / mic results.
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Thank you so much. The music is a pdf just a few posts above yours (no. 130) let me know if you can't find it. The blog doesn't take pdfs, so I've got a bit slack about updating it.
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A new tune in support of the Tune of the Month theme - I set out to write a lazy summer's day boating song, and not in A minor for once.
It's called Punting
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Here's a wistful piece - hopefully the constantly changing time signature is more organic than it appears. Figure of Speech
A very nice tune! Would you please transpose it two semitones up, i. e. two sharps?
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This should be what you asked for, let me know if not.
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(:) Thanks a lot, that's great. :||:
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And here's a taste of Punting (https://youtu.be/d-iwd6ZsJgc).
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And here is Dinna Tell 'Er Tarantella
So, had to save it as a PNG file, AND retitle it. So maybe it reads the title in the pdf, and the file name, and doesn't like something about the words?
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Here's a quick play through to get the gist of the tune, it's not under my fingers yet - but I did only write it a couple of days ago...
Dinna Tell 'er Tarantella (https://youtu.be/SBSijnX5Uds)
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Here's one in response to our table tennis club being banned from the local pub (I won't go into the reasons - but we're all calm and pleasant, so nothing to do with our behaviour).
Black Bulled
I've not done a DG version, as it goes fairly high, but if anybody wants one it's easily done.
Decided 2nd time bars needed a longer cadence, so I've changed those, and re-uploaded.
Also tried it on 3 voice DG and it works fine. So DG version too.
By the way, you might find a simple reason for the ban if you can recognise the quote in the first bar.
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Here's a tune written in memory of my Dad.
The left hand begins with holding the first chord (3rds out, and pulsing the second chord on off beat quavers). So if it's written f---a--a--a
then the pull f chord is held with the a chord played on quavers 2, 4 and 6 of the bar.
Usually the pulsed chord (bare fifth) will prescribe the bellows direction.
I've recorded an audio version, where the only editing is that I left gaps between sections, which I then cut out in edit - just in case I wanted to rerecord one section only (actually I didn't need to - so this is essentially a live recording). There is no reverb or other edits. For those that care, recorded to Audacity with a Yeti mic set on Omni direction.
Only problem is the upload button seems to have disappeared on my soundcloud.
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Found the upload button on a different computer!
Here's Remembered (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/remembered). Picture is my Dad's old clarinet turned into a lampstand.
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P&T, that tune for your father is excellent, thank you for sharing. One day I would love to learn that!
JM
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Now a tune for a toddler friend of mine.
It's in 5/4 and called (for mixed reasons) Handful
Only posted for GC as it might be a bit high for DG. I'll try it later on the other box.
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Here's a Soundcloud version of Handful (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/handful) - just to get the tune heard, recorded in a room I don't normally use, because of my daughter's sleepover using the better rooms. Banished!
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Here's a recording (duplicate from Theme of the Month March 2017) on the G/C Serafini.
Mother's Day March (https://youtu.be/uu-Qa5zl0WU)
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OK, this is back to front from my usual way of putting tunes up. There is a rough recording first - before I actually type up the tune - because I was worried that I'd forget the intention of the left hand rhythm if I didn't get it recorded quickly.
It's written for Theo this time.
Theosophy (https://youtu.be/EslD2N8kvNY)
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And here are the scores of Theosophy.
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Thank you so much Pete. I am delighted. Now I have a new tune I have to learn. I listened first and was surprised to see it notated in 6/8. I was hearing it as a scottische, in 4/4 with lots of triplets.
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I'll happily write it out in 4. Might take a few days to find the time.
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No rush from me. I'll be learning it by ear!
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Here's an attempt to upload a scrolling score with a slower and accurate midi audio of Theosophy for anyone who wants to learn it by ear.
Theosophy Slow (https://youtu.be/LxNI-i8nNDo)
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And a longer version that might be easier to see the intended detail that was fudged in the first recording. I'll remove the earlier recording later unless anyone tells me that they prefer it.
Theosophy Longer (https://youtu.be/zR6g10CCf3g)
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Here's another tune. This is a punchy 3+3+2 piece (hence its title).
The left hand part I'm using alternates 1 left hand bar of 3 stabs (on the irregular beats) - bass and chord together, and 1 bar of Om, pah, pah, Om, pah, pah, Om, pah.
3 Sided Square
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Here's a rather lumpy version of it. I like playing this box a lot, but I do find it harder to play in time. I wonder if that sometimes on the pull the pallets are less easy to release when playing short notes - it's almost as if there is a suction force that needs to be overcome, despite the fact that the box isn't entirely airtight.
I'll have a go on the Serafini and see if it is easier.
3 Sided Square (https://youtu.be/RidGAitDawY)
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Here's a GC version on the Serafini. I'll put the music up for it later.
3 Sided Square (https://youtu.be/eXxab3Vv_3Y)
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Here's another tune. Written on the DG this time - but both keys posted here.
Dead Cat on account of not getting quite the feel I was really after as I was trying to play it.
I'll put up a video of it when it's more under my fingers.
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A tune in memory of - I've forgotten what it is in memory of, but it's clearly in memory of something.
Not autobiographical.
Fly Away Peter - audio to follow sometime.
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Name change for Dead Cat. Now I can play this slightly better, the swings like a dead cat title doesn't seem appropriate any more. So I've changed the title to Wooden Leg because of the off beat left hand part.
I still can't really nail it in one go, but I want to move on to other pieces, hence this video is unlisted.
Wooden Leg (https://youtu.be/oi0-uITcJMk)
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Here's a youtube version of Fly Away Peter (https://youtu.be/xch48V_J7rk).
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If you can bear more than one slow tune at a time, here is a partner tune for.... (you'll have to work out which one for yourself).
Come Back Paul
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Here's a run through of Come Back Paul (https://youtu.be/XFtFNjfdlQA). A little lumpy performance-wise but as usual, it's just a way of getting the tune out there.
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A little reflective waltz for some new borns.
Margot and Ur (https://youtu.be/cIB3LoPaA8M)sula.
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And the music for GC.
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Another day, another tune.
This is a little more lively than recent tunes. Just the GC version, unless someone wants the DG version.
Slip and Slide. Video to follow soon, hopefully.
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Here's what it sounds like on a wet day.
Slip and Slide (https://youtu.be/f5Fu9Nribxg)
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In an attempt to avoid the same chord sequences, and to learn where that Bb really lives, here's a piece in Dm (for GC). In what I imagine the Karelian style, and in honour of their traditions.
Karelian Wish
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Should have mentioned that the A section is slow, the B section is fast, and the C section moderato (as if the C section is the real tempo, the A section exaggerated dance movements, the B section the virtuoso dancing).
I haven't sorted out running out of air yet in playing it, as both the high frequency of F and Bb means a lot has to be done on the pull.
I'll still do a video soon.
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Here's a Beguine for the late nighter.
Time To Go Home
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Here's a run through of Time to Go Home (https://youtu.be/8OrYcK2Njp4)
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Here's Karelian Wish (https://youtu.be/8oUhn7q2TuU)
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Here's another. Delicq's Boots
Audio to follow - though it might be a week or so - massive coursework marking load these next two weeks.
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Decided not to finish the marking. So here's a run through of Delicq's Boots (https://youtu.be/YdQceGPMHA8)
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A more uplifting call-to-arms song, Stand Tall. I'm Spartacus.
I've put a video up, but it is disappointingly dull, so I'm making it an unlisted link here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgpWbp4NqJU).
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I knew there was a reason why 3, 3, 2 works as an 8 time waltz, I found out by trying a 3, 2, 3 rhythm - much harder to find places to put your musical feet up.
Here it is for GC and DG.
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A jolly ditty in honour of the coursework deadlines passing. Everything marked and passed out of my hands now, so a celebration tune.
Diaholic.
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Here's a rough draft of Diaholic (https://youtu.be/lnRj50K6qxk). I just recorded it quickly after 323, and as it's a bit lumpy I've only put a link here, so it's unlisted.
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Here's 323 (https://youtu.be/OagHjvoPTf8).
For some reason (probably just to get going) I started this recording with the B section. And chose to end it in C. Could easily end elsewhere, and end in A minor. I don't really mind what people do with these tunes.
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Here's another little tune. After a very pleasant email exchange with a French melodeon player, and with a potential swap of instruments - nothing confirmed yet, I felt a tune nagging. So here it is L'Entente Accordeonale.
The A section is supposed to be more French, the B section more English, whilst trying to stay within one style.
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Here's a piece in honour of Saturday's North East Melodeon playgroup.
Ebchester Rodeo.
I'm not trying to suggest it should appear as a piece there, just a little celebration. I'll try to get along if at all possible to one of these events soon.
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Here's a play-through of L'Entente Accordionale (https://youtu.be/xGz6whB74gI)
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And a play through of Ebchester Rodeo (https://youtu.be/CmpgJnpCTQk). On a GC.
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An old fashioned waltz for an American friend. For Martha
Works nicely on an LMM DG.
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Here's fastish twister, in 3. Skipping Games. I don't know what dance genre it might fit...too fast for a waltz perhaps... any ideas? Audio to follow soon.
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Here's Skipping Games (https://youtu.be/eSN3xR0AR2I). It has a short A1 section before the B section- and it might work to big up the B section as that is the bigger melody. But combinations of any sections are good by me.
Unlike 323 which was a triangle from a square, this is a square from a triangle.
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Here's a play-through of L'Entente Accordionale (https://youtu.be/xGz6whB74gI)
Very nice, I also like your En temps by Delicq. I play it a bit too punchy, I learned from you to hold that natural "punchiness" of a diatonic back sometimes.
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Sometimes I lack punch. One man's meat...
Here's another, using some double stops in thirds in a punchier rhythm.
Canard - partly because it is a bit quacky, but also because it's not easy!
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Here's another. Tried writing one in F earlier today, but just found that the chords I wanted weren't available and needed too many compromises, so - back to the usual keys.
This was written purposely for the DG, but I've included both (GC and DG) as usual. I realise there's another tune by the same name, but the name is embedded into the tune, so I can't really call it anything else.
Geordie Girl
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Here's a Soundcloud version of Geordie Girl (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/geordie-girl-dg-melodeon). There's also a GC version (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/geordie-girl-gc) there too, both quick recordings, no editing. (You can even hear my wife washing up in the GC version - sorry).
I actually like this tune (even though nobody has looked at the music yet - oh well), but please don't judge it on my playing.
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I really like the tremolo balance of your accordion. It's a nice sounding instrument, rich sounding without too heavy of a waver.
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Thanks, I like the sound too.
Here's another tune - a slightly longer arrangement this time to represent the constant interplay on the bird feeders - jackdaws and sparrows mainly, but also some pigeons doing that weird turn around walk as they pick up the scraps on the floor.
This one was written on the DG box first. It does go high, but that isn't too big a deal on my box - especially as it's about birds. A third lower voice might help if you don't like the altitude.
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Here's another. Tried writing one in F earlier today, but just found that the chords I wanted weren't available and needed too many compromises, so - back to the usual keys.
This was written purposely for the DG, but I've included both (GC and DG) as usual. I realise there's another tune by the same name, but the name is embedded into the tune, so I can't really call it anything else.
Geordie Girl
Is there at least a nod in this direction? One of the phrase intervals, probably coincidence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsIbfYEizLk
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Absolutely. The start of the second section - 1st 3 notes and chords. That was my intention.
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Here's another couple of tunes, both conceived and played outside. First one is Al Fresco, 2nd is English Rose, as I'd just planted A Shropshire Lad - a David Austin climbing rose.
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Here's a couple of tunes written for pairs of players. There is an A and a B section, but they are then repeated as a variation or contrechant (C and D sections) which will fit over the original sections.
Small World Café and Two in a Bed
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Thought I'd carry on the Contrechant idea - if indeed they are contrechants rather than harmony lines. So here is a Loffet piece with an added contrechant
Valse a Sylvie
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And here's one for Marianne too.
B section should be repeated.
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Here's a tune I wrote yesterday, trying to get more conflict between melody and chords - of course it has ended up being Latin infused.
I met a nice young man yesterday evening (Samuel) at the Newcastle playgroup, and as he is also a GC player we shared some ideas. So in honour of the mutual learning process this tune is called Sambiotic. Of course I enjoyed meeting the others equally, my heart is still a fifth lower though.
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Here's a Contrechant for Valse Triste. It strikes me that having two separate lines is useful for differentiation in a playgroup, so it is something I'm spending some time on.
I'll come back to record them and upload DG keys too.
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Here are a couple of recordings - GC version of Marianne (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/marianne). DG version of Valse Triste (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/valse-triste). Both with countermelodies.
The playing is very square, just to get the parts to fit with limited technology.
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Not my tune - I think it's an old Russian one, and most of the arrangement was something I found by Gilbert Poirier.
Danse Lente Des Femmes.
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Here's Two in a Bed (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/two-in-a-bed), played on the 3 voice setting DG. First time through by itself, then A part against B part, then the other way round (which of course sounds the same).
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Here's Small World Café (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/small-world-cafe)with both sections played against eachother. Shouldn't have recorded the left hand in both parts - or someone needs to give me a recording lesson or two.
Anyway, it gives an idea of how it sounds.
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Here's a great tune, not by me, but I've added a Contrechant (someone please tell me if I'm not using that word appropriately).
The DG version works better with a low voice added.
Adieu Ma Dedee
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Here's Mon Amant de St Jean - by Emile Carrara, with an added contrechant.
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Here's Le Petit Bal de la Marine in Am with Contrechant added.
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Here's a Tango - Tango Caupenne, written this evening, but once on paper I found that it had a lot in common with Tango Suedois. I don't know how close is too close, but seeing that Tangos are often greatly similar I thought I'd still put it up here.
EDIT
Just tidied up a couple of points.
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Here's tune I found on the net where all the parts work together.
I'll create a separate thread for tunes where parts can be combined so that people can add tunes from their own collections.
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Here's another one of my own. I'm in Caupenne in Landes, France. The owners of the Gite are next door and charming. The wife is called Malou, so I decided to write a tune with the title first - dodgy. Skip 2, Malou, the premise being that every 4 bars (it's a waltz in 5) I'd skip 2 beats.
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That would make it a 23 time Waltz. Innovative.
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I'm hoping the time changes sound organic. I'll try recording it while I'm here.
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Here's another from Caupenne.
French speaker's help sought for title as I'll leave a copy behind for the owners and don't want to make a hash of the title.
I want it to say Reflections on Caupenne, at the moment I've called it Les Pensees sur Caupenne (with an acute accent on the first E). I don't know if that is the right way to express it, so please suggest improvements.
It starts with a wandering intro, and is in 12/4 - though others may feel this is slightly unnecessary, it helps me convey the gentle nature.
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I am sure there will be more expert advice than mine but I would suggest that the French would say: "Souvenirs de Caupenne".
Bonne route!
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Thanks a lot for the quick response Arty.
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Both "Pensees sur C." (without the article "les") and "Souvenirs de C" are absolutely fine and correct. The first is closest to "reflections", the second to "remembrances". The first, I find, has a slightly warmer ring; the second can be associated with tacky tourist trinkets. But again, both are perfectly fine.
(oh, and yes, I am native French speaker)
Sweet and original parting gift!
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Thanks both. I'll go with Pensees. I've written a group of 3 pieces - after all they've had to listen to me writing them, the house is fantastic for a holiday, unless we break anything else (one cup and one glass so far) we should part on good terms.
If anyone is looking for a Gite in a rural region (maize and sunflowers everywhere), then I can recommend it.
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And the last of the Caupenne period pieces, a veritable suite.
It reflects the household chickens, and hopefully also the proximity to Spain (this is intended in the chord relationships G, F and Em). There's also a passing reference to Mahler's 1st symphony which is bucolic at the place this one bar references. Mahler is one of my great regrets from my career change.
Or maybe all you need to know is that it is a piece in 5/4, a metre which I find increasingly flexible.
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Here's a kitchen sink video of Pensees de Caupenne (https://youtu.be/SpVnLtkAS6Q).
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Here's the last of the holiday pieces.
Written in Messanges (whilst stopping traffic).
What I imagine is a Scottisch / Waltz - the A and B section fit together (maybe one to try with your concertina pal, Arty?)
Messanges is therefore the name.
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Here's a kitchen sink recording of Les Poulets de Caupenne (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cna-4BX_zX0&feature=youtu.be). These birds were lucky, this is Foie Gras country.
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"Here's a kitchen sink recording of Les Poulets de Caupenne. These birds were lucky, this is Foie Gras country."
nice work P&T!
JM
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Nice to have signs of life on this thread. Thanks for the support.
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Here's a kitchen sink version of Skip 2, Malou (https://youtu.be/EPpryOtmhPk). I decided that I can't really get a good recording whatever set up I try, so I might as well do it straight to camera.
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Here's one in honour of our visiting vocal group from America, Northern Harmony. Looking forward to seeing them and (if I'm let out of a lesson) singing with them again. They'll finish the day with a Ceilidh local to Hexham if anyone's in the area on Friday 15th September. Give me a shout and I'll find the exact venue. Last year it was in one of the surrounding villages.
So this is called Northern Lights.
I've added a second line - either to be played as a variation or better still as 2 parts together.
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And here's another straight to camera version of Tango Caupenne (https://youtu.be/H9cMZoh9ylg)- my wife makes an unexpected entrance which I didn't notice was on camera until it was too late. She displays considerable patience seeing that I'm at her desk (my son was at my desk, my daughter was at my son's desk...) and I was banned from the kitchen.
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Here's another kitchen sink performance, this is Northern Lights (https://youtu.be/Opo7PjmT-D8)- I can actually imagine people dancing to this - the last section has some potential for dainty partner work (in my head at least).
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And the remaining ones -
If you need Sciatica or Indianna for D/G it may have to wait a while.
Plodding my way through the intricacies of The Last Schmaltz in G. It's certainly making me work hard with all the cross row stuff to get the bellows going in the right direction. Is there any easy look-up place for Am/Em and the C/B, C/A, E/D chords? Such a lovely tune. Bars 1-9 done.....
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Let me see if I've got time to put a quick video up of chords for this tune.
Just had a quick look and some of the / chords are really only the bass notes, it's a code I used to remind me that only the bass note mattered - so you can try that to start with.
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Here's a longer one, called Circulation
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For Eggy
The A min chord (if you have 3rds on your instrument, it will give a major chord) is played by the pull bass A note, plus the C chord (from the C pair of buttons) - I usually use my index finger for the bass A, and my ring finger (or could be middle finger) for the chord button - which is obviously on the inside row.
The E minor chord is got by playing the E bass (middle finger, inside row) with the G chord (index finger, outside row).
The other one you might need is a B minor pairing, which is exactly the same as the E minor, but on the push rather than the pull.
I think in GC terms, so I might have slipped a mistake in transposing this in my mind - so if it doesn't work, ask again.
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For Eggy
The A min chord (if you have 3rds on your instrument, it will give a major chord) is played by the pull bass A note, plus the C chord (from the C pair of buttons) - I usually use my index finger for the bass A, and my ring finger (or could be middle finger) for the chord button - which is obviously on the inside row.
The E minor chord is got by playing the E bass (middle finger, inside row) with the G chord (index finger, outside row).
The other one you might need is a B minor pairing, which is exactly the same as the E minor, but on the push rather than the pull.
I think in GC terms, so I might have slipped a mistake in transposing this in my mind - so if it doesn't work, ask again.
Pete:
For a D/G melodeon (which I think Little Eggy has) this isn't right.
E minor: there is a ready-made bass and chord on the pull - LH side, inside row of buttons, the pair nearest the ceiling.
B minor - best played as Bm7: LH side, inside row 2nd from top = B bass, plus outside row, top button = D chord. Play both together on the push.
Also see attached D/G chord chart (two pages)
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Thanks, Steve. I should have had an instrument handy when I answered.
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Here's a run through of Circulation (https://youtu.be/_WH8CAO0aJo). It does have a splice in the middle - my hand was getting sore (I think I may have broken something tiny or strained it with excessive golf practice).
I can of course put forward lots of excuses, but as usual I'm really only interested in the video supporting the sheet music on this thread. I will ask those who are tempted to put a thumbs down - there's frequently one. Please don't, just don't bother looking at the video.
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Here's a run through of Circulation (https://youtu.be/_WH8CAO0aJo). It does have a splice in the middle - my hand was getting sore (I think I may have broken something tiny or strained it with excessive gold practice).
I can of course put forward lots of excuses, but as usual I'm really only interested in the video supporting the sheet music on this thread. I will ask those who are tempted to put a thumbs down - there's frequently one. Please don't, just don't bother looking at the video.
Lovely playing! I don't know how anyone but an imbecile could put a thumbs down on this.
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Thanks, Steve. I wasn't fishing for compliments - 'Lovely' is a little too generous of you. I'm aware it's a bit out of control, and brash. But I do really appreciate the supportive comments (and the advice over the last few years). I did put up a video as unlisted, and that did get a thumbs down, which limits where that could have come from, so I was a bit sore, I guess. It was around the same time someone else was feeling sensitive about responses to sharing youtube finds.
It also might stop others from risking uploads.
Maybe I should grow a thicker skin. I think people know I'm trying to put the tunes out rather than impress with my playing.
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Here's a more conventional one. I set myself limits - no changes of time signature, limited chords, DG friendly. I did then have to rewrite a bit, because I broke a rule about metre change to throw the tune into full tipsy mode. Then I hung my head in shame, and rewrote that bit.
Tipshee
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Here's another in my new line of simplicity.
Marionette - it has a harmony line / countermelody too.
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Here's one for Steve Freereeder.
Tin Tin Tin
It's for GC. But could work on a 3 voice DG
Files replaced to correct spelling! Notes are the same, dedication is corrected.
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Here's one for Steve Freereeder.
Tin Tin Tin
It's for GC. But could work on a 3 voice DG
Ey-up - I'm right chuffed! Thank you! :|bl
Can't help wondering why you chose the title and tune for me particularly? I'd better learn it now!
(Actually there's a 'p' in my name, not a 'b', but we'll not let that stand in the way....)
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I was under the impression that Tin Tin Tin was a Sheffield self-aimed joke that outsiders wouldn't understand them when they say 'It isn't in the tin'.
That's the title explained.The piece has a couple of classical music references (to Bach Badinerie and Mahler 1). And I also wondered whether it might work on a 1 row. I also thought I could write a countermelody for Vicky too. I did include some metrical displacement in the A section too, thinking you might appreciate the device.
So not just an afterthought!
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Here's another. Trying for simpler melodic shape and fewer chords, more regular phrasing - but allowed myself an irregular time signature.
7 Ate 9
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Here it is with some chordal accompaniment - or to use as a middle section.
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Here's a version of 7 Ate 9 (https://youtu.be/KYHmcpDFIpg). It's a bit clumsy, but it won't get any better until my hand strain has improved, so I'll leave it at that for now.
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Here's one for Steve Freereeder.
Tin Tin Tin
It's for GC. But could work on a 3 voice DG
(Actually there's a 'p' in my name, not a 'b', but we'll not let that stand in the way....)
Blooming heck Steve, that's tiny print. Didn't spot it. I'll amend it and re-upload.
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Just spotted a couple of clangers when joining countermelody and tune of Bonny at Morn, which is a shame because I quite like the countermelody.
I'll rejig it. It's a simple enough fix harmonically, but I don't want to lose too much of the character of the bit I added.
Ok, this should work better now. Sorry if you didn't get to play it, Arty (or worse, played it and wondered how I could think that it worked in a couple of places).
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I went to my first session with a box on Thursday, followed by a village band rehearsal this morning. Lots of kind people looking after me. They even did a tune on purpose that no-one knew, and threw in a French one to keep me happy.
So I wrote them a tune.
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Here's a great tune, not by me, but I've added a Contrechant (someone please tell me if I'm not using that word appropriately).
The DG version works better with a low voice added.
Adieu Ma Dedee
Hi Pete - my concertina friend and I are enjoying playing this lovely arrangement very much indeed, so thank you for the contrechant, which works really well. I play the melody and the concertina plays the contrechant.
Now that I have buttered you up(!), I am going to be really cheeky ;) A very competent penny whistle player is going to join us for our Sunday practice sessions and we thought that a (not sure what to call it) descant line would be rather good, hanging over the melody of this tune. What do you think? I know that you are a very busy man but I thought I would pluck up the courage to ask if you could help with some ideas.
Don't worry if you don't have time, I understand and I hope you don't mind me asking.
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Without knowing his skill level, or choice of whistles I decided to add a flute part which will need adapting to the comfortable octave depending on his own range. The top F is in any case likely to be missing on most D whistles - so feel free to adapt - or get back in touch when you've had a go and know his boundaries. I can't auralise how piercing the top notes would be on a whistle, they'd sound gentle enough on a flute.
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Oh Pete, that’s so generous and so quick! What can I say?
I’ll let you know how we get on! Thank you, thank you (:)
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Here's a link to a computer generated recording. Naturally it will sound clumsy with the balance etc. not being musical.
https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/adieu-ma-dedee-for-midi/s-IdxiN
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That is going to sound fantastic! I can’t thank you enough Pete. We haven’t played together today but hopefully next Sunday. I’ll let you know how we get on 😊
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An elderly clarinet player collapsed with the cold in the Hexham Village Band open air Christmas market performance yesterday. So here's a tune for when he's recovered. Written for DG
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I've been fascinated by a brilliant tune called 'A Simmer Tree' that playandteach composed, but never thought I'd ever learn to play it. His recording sounds so smooth and suits his G/C box so well. Thanks to Pete's kind help (via video) I've persevered with the tune on a standard D/G box and here's my version:
https://soundcloud.com/dogbox/a-simmer-tree (https://soundcloud.com/dogbox/a-simmer-tree)
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Here's an off the cuff audio only recording of One Man's Beat (https://soundcloud.com/playandteach/one-mans-beat)on the GC Serafini. The mic is away from the bass, which makes the actual switch in metre less obvious. I'll do a video sometime.
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And here's a quick video of One Man's Beat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-kyZdJMj9E)
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Here's a new tune that I haven't got round to typing up yet.
It's supposed to have some sort of Scandinavian / Icelandic vibe, but probably doesn't ring any bells to true followers of those traditions. I do like the way the sun comes out during the video, putting everything into darkness except the melodeon.
Lament (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RDoSPOaw38)
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Haven't been playing recently, but had a sick day today and wrote a couple of simple tunes. GC boxes. If any is interested enough I'll put them in DG speak.
Ian
Pavane (with variation) - best perhaps if the lower notes in first section are only played on the last time.
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Here's a recording of Pavane. It is just done directly to camera, no editing, (and I didn't spot that you couldn't see my right hand until too late - so it's pretty boring to watch). It does however show how the tune goes.
Pavane (https://youtu.be/nVjEhYCPPbg)
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Here's the tune I wrote for my father-in-law, Ian.
Sadly he died yesterday, so I thought I'd get a version up in his memory. He was a great enthusiast for music.
Ian (https://youtu.be/ySKoiIozz8k)
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Here's the tune I wrote for my father-in-law, Ian.
Sadly he died yesterday, so I thought I'd get a version up in his memory. He was a great enthusiast for music.
Ian (https://youtu.be/ySKoiIozz8k)
I'm sorry for your loss. My condolescence goes out to you and your family. Writing and recording this tune must have been quite an experience for you...
I have experienced the same situation about four months ago when my partner's father died and have also written a tune in his remembrance. He passed way too early at 62 years age because of rapidly spreading lymph gland cancer. Maybe one day I will find the power to play through it in one go and even record it. It is still hard to think about him and playing that tune definitely evokes fond memories.
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What a lovely thing to do in your time of sadness. And a nice tune to remember him by, God bless you!
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A lovely tune understandably played with feeling. Sorry to hear your news, Pete.
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Happy Birthday, Rid. One of my best mates. Currently a cellist in Covent Garden, but for nearly 20 years we played and toured together in the Philharmonia. Over the years, we've forgotten exactly which kids which of us (and our wives) are God parents for, because they're all equally important to all of us.
So he's made it to 60.
I've recently taken to writing 3 section tunes, trying for contrast between sections, and leaving out all the complex chords - really trying to capture something with the essence of pieces like Marianne, - based on melodies formed from triads. It's really getting away from trying to make the box more than it is, as it were.
I'm out of licence for Sibelius this week, so this is just on Muse score which I don't know very well.
Hence, each section (with both endings) should be played twice before moving on - effectively 4 x A, 4 x B, 4 x C.
Just to keep things tidy, here's a link to a recording.
Happy 60th Birthday, Rid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cGvpc82e9o&feature=youtu.be)
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Here's a couple more (Up the Octave is already on the TOTM page).
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Happy Birthday, Rid. One of my best mates. Currently a cellist in Covent Garden, but for nearly 20 years we played and toured together in the Philharmonia. Over the years, we've forgotten exactly which kids which of us (and our wives) are God parents for, because they're all equally important to all of us.
So he's made it to 60.
I've recently taken to writing 3 section tunes, trying for contrast between sections, and leaving out all the complex chords - really trying to capture something with the essence of pieces like Marianne, - based on melodies formed from triads. It's really getting away from trying to make the box more than it is, as it were.
I'm out of licence for Sibelius this week, so this is just on Muse score which I don't know very well.
Hence, each section (with both endings) should be played twice before moving on - effectively 4 x A, 4 x B, 4 x C.
Just to keep things tidy, here's a link to a recording.
Happy 60th Birthday, Rid (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cGvpc82e9o&feature=youtu.be)
That is a lovely tune. 2 row music at its best.
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Thanks for the supportive comments.
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Here's a couple more (Up the Octave is already on the TOTM page).
Here's one I wrote after thinking about Gena and her exploration of possible layouts.
I'm very happy to have inspired you! I must admit, I have no idea how to play a 5/4 tune though, so, I'm really looking forward to hearing a recording. Or at least a midi, as I can't audiate from a score. At the very least I appreciate that it uses almost all of the bass chords, and the forever juicy B major.
I actually got inspired recently, by an unusual scale some friends were talking about it, and realised that said scale with useful chords was available on my melodeon (4th mode of Melodic Minor, aka, "Melodic Major" aka "Mixolydian b6"). I ended up also writing a tune on the 9th of November (which happens to be my birthday) so it was a nice coincidence to see your post. It's been quite a nice theme this month and seems to be giving quite a few people a creative nudge people!
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I can play it in the lower octave fine. I can play it in the upper octave fine. But doing one after the other is a pig for me.
I'll try after a couple of beers.
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I can play it in the lower octave fine. I can play it in the upper octave fine. But doing one after the other is a pig for me.
I'll try after a couple of beers.
Well, then clearly isn't the answer to play it in both octaves at the same time?
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Well, then clearly isn't the answer to play it in both octaves at the same time?
And thus was born the LMM.
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I can play it in the lower octave fine. I can play it in the upper octave fine. But doing one after the other is a pig for me.
I'll try after a couple of beers.
Well, then clearly isn't the answer to play it in both octaves at the same time?
I think the answer is more beers.
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Seriously though, I can just about play the single melody line in octaves, apart from cruddy finger choices - my hand seems to know when to go for wider finger-spaced octaves or narrow. But the two part harmony writing of course doesn't work simultaneously in both registers as I haven't got enough fingers. Well, not where I need them.
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Here's Carousel (https://youtu.be/x8iwpMOUIm4). Cold fingers didn't help. Summer seems a long time ago. Just as well Eshed has finished walking the wall.
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Quoting from ThotM:
Here's a rough version of Up the Octave (https://youtu.be/z9aDFass8Tc)- really haven't got much time at the moment, so please excuse the one hit recording.
Thanks for the recording! I've principally learnt the tune & worked out my fingering, but, I'm struggling with the 5/4 quite a bit, often falling into a waltz in the harmonised sections. I'm also feeling the tune a fair bit slower. Might yet make it by the end of the month...
Anyway, rather than just an update of that front, wanted to note in bar 32, an E note is played under a high D note, which obviously can't be done by us regular layout folk without access to some degree of reversals. This only affects this octave transition and not the former, and seems to work fine as the high D over an F#, as well as over a D bass, for this one beat, going back as written for the remainder of the bar.
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Perfectly ok slower - I tend to play faster than I did when I first conceived the tunes anyway.
You're right of course about combining D and E - maybe a plus for the reversals. I do it all the time.
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You won't find me singing any time soon. But here's a song, with words!
I Did, or didn't I. I think you'll need a 3 voice to play the tune low enough on DG, but no harm in just playing the chords to accompany yourself. I should point out that my wife is genuinely lovely and doesn't snore.
I might put up a GC version of the tune only (no singing) sometime.
SPOILER ALERT: In case the story's not clear, the song implies at the start that the old bloke is just losing his marbles, but it turns out that he's done those things on purpose to do away with his wife.
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Here's a new tune, written for DG.
A section is 6 bar phrases, B section 7 bar phrase, C section 8 bar phrases, hence the title. 6, 7. 8.
I'll try to get a recording uploaded in the next couple of days.
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Here's a quick bash at 6, 7, 8 (https://youtu.be/PQ98uKV0XW4)
And for reference to other threads, it is on an older Castagnari Sander (80s?), 3 voices, no 3rds.
I have got full reversals for D and E options both ways in middle and top register.
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Found this (in pencil manuscript) sitting on the music stand. No idea when I wrote it. It might even have been uploaded already if I've changed its name and forgotten about it, but I think it's just been sitting around.
Another fast-ish 5/4 waltz (about 150bpm)
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Found another pencilled tune on the back of an exercise book (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7FuAND5Us0&feature=youtu.be), again can't remember writing it and haven't given it a name yet. Annoyingly the best take had the air button stuck - surprisingly distracting. Just a quick blast. Sort of a march I guess.
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Does the world need another waltz tune in A minor? Maybe not, but here's one anyway. Haven't typed it up yet, but here's a bash through - a couple of lumps - but hey... Thought I'd write this for Vicky, so Waltz for Vicky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WESzQEVlg7s&feature=youtu.be) it is.
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...Thought I'd write this for Vicky, so Waltz for Vicky (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WESzQEVlg7s&feature=youtu.be) it is.
Truly beautifully written and beautifully played. I love your RH counter-melody technique and use of the thumb.
I should think Vicky will be very pleased. (:)
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What Steve said. Lovely and quite complex countermelody, not a single note of obvious melodeonistic compromise, and (perhaps because of that) you manage to make it look easy!
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Lovely tune and playing ! Great.
J
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Does the world need another waltz tune in A minor?
Yes, yes it definitely does! But then I might be a bit biased. ;)
I am very honoured and it has cheered me up no end after a bit of a rough time. It will go on my to learn list but I don’t expect to be able to play it as well as this lovely rendition!
Vicky
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Here's a copy of Waltz for Vicky
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Here's yet another 3/4 piece in A minor. Calling this Une Corde a mon Arc, as that's the closest I can get to One trick Pony. At least this one has a triplet variation.