Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Tunes => Topic started by: Phil Howard on June 07, 2018, 04:20:32 PM
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I’ve downloaded the dots for Princess Royal Bampton (jig) from the Ring website (https://themorrisring.org/tradition/bampton) where it’s given in G minor.
If I transpose to E minor, I lack the lowest note (G) on my Lily, or both the low G&B on my Pressedwood; playing at the dusty end of the keyboard to get round this both instruments lack the top note (A).
(As an aside, I was surprised to find the highest buttons are set up to the same note in both directions on the Pressedwood: E on the outside row and F# on the inside).
If I transpose to A minor, I lack the high D on my 1 row in C.
Short of having an instrument retuned (or buying another one!) does anyone have any thoughts/tips/a workaround? I’m not massively keen on the idea of B minor…
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Seems an odd key. to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_P-ufuFs0
SJ
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Seems an odd key. to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_P-ufuFs0
SJ
Good video ;)
But neither are Princess Royal from Bampton
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I have the attached version in my abc library. It is transposed to Em and amended to suit D/G melodeon although I appreciate it probably includes notes you don't have. I can't actaully play it through to check 'cos it's so close to the Longborough in the B and I *can't* afford to get them confused:
X: 1
T:Princess Royal, Bampton (Em)
Q:120
M:2/2
L:1/8
A:Bampton
P:AAB(CB)2
K:EMin
P:A
BA|"eE"G2"dD"F2 "eE"E2"Em"BA|G2FG E2GB|"C"c2A2 ABcA|"Em"B2BA GFGB|
"dD"A2 G2 "bB"F2""E2|"D"DEDB, "bB"B2"-----------"BA|"Em"G2FE "dD"D2"bB"B2|"Em"E4 "Em"E4||
P:B
"Em"g2g2 g2fg|"D"a2d2 d4|"C"gfed "Am"cBAG|"D"FAD2 "Bm"D4|
"Em"E2EF GFGA|B2B2 "C"e3e|"G"d2B2 "Am"c3c |"Em"B2E2 "Bm"A4|
"Em"BAGF EFGA|B2E2 E2BA|"C"G2FE "Bm"D2B2|"Em"E4 E4||
P:C
M:2/4
B3A|\
M:4/4
L:1/8
G3A F3G|E4 B3A|G3A F3G|E4 B4|c4 A4|A2B2 c2A2|B4 G4|
M:2/4
GFGB|\
M:4/4
L:1/8
A2G2 F2E2|DEDB, G,2BA|G2FE D2B2|E4 E4||
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There's some discussion of this tune in http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php?topic=2986.260. It's a long thread, though! ;)
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Nice version by Mitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtK2CUnyrQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtK2CUnyrQ)
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Mally's Cotswold Morris volume 2 has this in a version suitable for D/G melodeon (probably in E Minor). I'm not home now and won't be able to check it until tomorrow. I presume he tweaked the melody to get it to fit into the melodeon's range.
I like the original Gm version you posted but I suspect it's better suited for the fiddle.
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I've always played it starting on a B (on a D/G), which I think corresponds to Helena version above.
Never really thought about what key it was in!
Now I think about it I am not sure if it is Em or Am.
It uses both my low A and B.
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Nice version by Mitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtK2CUnyrQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtK2CUnyrQ)
Thank you Rees, but I have the low notes to get that low B.
You could take bars 5 and 6 (or just bar 6) up an octave. A technique greatly favoured by Anglo concertina players to keep tunes on the right hand side.
Mitch
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Mally's Cotswold Morris volume 2 has this in a version suitable for D/G melodeon (probably in E Minor). I'm not home now and won't be able to check it until tomorrow. I presume he tweaked the melody to get it to fit into the melodeon's range.
I like the original Gm version you posted but I suspect it's better suited for the fiddle.
Pretty sure it's not the Bampton version unfortunately, there are many, many Princesses Royal from the various Cotswold traditions.
[Edit: a morris pedant writes... 29 variants in the black book across 13 traditions. There's a project in there somewhere]
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And that's before you consider the Irish versions and, of course, the Saucy Arethusa
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Mally's Cotswold Morris volume 2 has this in a version suitable for D/G melodeon (probably in E Minor). I'm not home now and won't be able to check it until tomorrow. I presume he tweaked the melody to get it to fit into the melodeon's range.
Pretty sure it's not the Bampton version unfortunately, there are many, many Princesses Royal from the various Cotswold traditions.
Well, it's labeled as Bampton at least on online table of contents listings. As I said, he's certainly moved things up or down an octave or otherwise adjusted the melody to fit it into the range of the D/G melodeon.
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For clarity, here is the Bampton Princess Royal double jig superbly danced and played at Dancing England last year - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAI0ut--gW4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAI0ut--gW4)
IMHO Moving tune sections up or down an octave, or changing the odd note or moving the key is fair game to the solo morris musician playing for a jig.
The challenge with the Ring website is it largely reproduces the 'Black Book' tune notations which reflect how a tune was collected a significant number of decades ago from typically a single musician.
[CAUTION] Thread drift imminent [/CAUTION]
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Thanks for the helpful suggestions (and interesting digressions).
I’ll have a look at moving bars up.
Mitch, I assume you have a low G too? Or do you pop up an octave for it? If only needing the B my Lilly can do it :-)
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Andy makes a very good point.
The Black Book gives a collected version, sometimes not accurately collected either, and many sides have used it as a start and adapted it into their style. Different sides will dance Bampton differently, and there are 3 different Bampton sides in Bampton who also dance differently!
We dance the Bampton version regularly. Frustratingly I can't immediately put my hands on the version my musicians play, but it's in a major key and sits on a 3rd button start melodeon.
Q
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Agreed, the black book and Ring website are good starting points but apart from the 'it's only what one man saw on one day and recorded' arguments so much of it is just isn't melodoen friendly. The Longborough Princess Royal has a D# in it. Well not when I'm playing it obvs, some note changing and octave jumping later and it sounds pretty good.
'tis the folk process my dears.
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Yep, absolutely Helena.
Just sat down and twiddled a rough version that sounds right as I dance it.
We play it in G, starting on the D note above 3rd button G.
It sits very happily on the box there, and allows some nice little bass runs reflecting a dropping melody C down to G. Well, I did twiddling!, go explore it, it's a lovely little tune!
Q
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Seems an odd key. to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn_P-ufuFs0
SJ
Great bass playing there.
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For clarity, here is the Bampton Princess Royal double jig superbly danced and played at Dancing England last year - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAI0ut--gW4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAI0ut--gW4)
[CAUTION] Thread drift imminent [/CAUTION]
But...but...it's being danced by Bampton...what do they know.... >:E
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Yes Baz.... But *which* Bampton side?
>:E >:E
Q
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OK, I'm back home and had a chance to see how Mally arranged this in his book. It is in Em, and for the 6th bar of the A part he offers both the "original" pitches plus an alternate an octave higher, with a note "The lower notes are those of the tune proper. If your instrument is without the low B and G, play the higher notes." It looks like the B part sits nicely in the D/G range without modification.
I like this Bampton version a lot; it's a bit more melancholy than the similar Adderbury version.
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There's your answer. ;)
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OK, I'm back home and had a chance to see how Mally arranged this in his book. It is in Em, and for the 6th bar of the A part he offers both the "original" pitches plus and alternate an octave higher, with a note "The lower notes are those of the tune proper. If your instrument is without the low B and G, play the higher notes." It looks like the B part sits nicely in the D/G range without modification.
I like this Bampton version a lot; it's a bit more melancholy than the similar Adderbury version.
and really beautiful played as a slowish air
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OK, I'm back home and had a chance to see how Mally arranged this in his book. It is in Em, and for the 6th bar of the A part he offers both the "original" pitches plus an alternate an octave higher, with a note "The lower notes are those of the tune proper. If your instrument is without the low B and G, play the higher notes." It looks like the B part sits nicely in the D/G range without modification.
Thanks, that doesn’t sound bad on my abc player: I’ll try it for real at a time that won’t disturb the family/neighbours!
I like this Bampton version a lot; it's a bit more melancholy than the similar Adderbury version.
Me too, just wish I could play it! (But give me a couple of weeks...)
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Yes Baz.... But *which* Bampton side?
>:E >:E
Q
That's the real question ... there are 3 traditional morris teams in Bampton!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAI0ut--gW4 is one
But I prefer Matt Green's authentic Bampton one ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb5c2sutirM
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Ah Squeezy's picked that one up!!!
Was wondering if anyone had noticed ;D
Q