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Discussions => Teaching and Learning => Topic started by: Schnorbitz on September 13, 2018, 11:34:29 PM

Title: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 13, 2018, 11:34:29 PM
Hi

I’m interested in any recommended French music teaching resources out there for the box. All the better if they have English translation (but not essential, my French always benefits otherwise).

Many thanks

Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Maggie on September 14, 2018, 10:17:24 PM
Hi
I started learning with the book “Méthode d’accordéon diatonique”, volume 1 by Norman Pignol and Stéphane Milleret.  It is presented in French and English and I think it is a useful and practical tutor book for a beginner. 
For finding French tunes, there are some excellent online resources, I have copied a couple of links here:
http://musiquedumorvan.free.fr/bonus.php
http://www.vitrifolk.fr/partitions-2/partitions-france.html

Trad magazine have a series of sheet music books for accordéon - their “Hors serie Tablatures”.  All tunes have suggested fingering for a G/C accordéon and in the first volume 106 tunes are graded for difficulty.  A mix of traditional and compositions.  They have several volumes available.  I buy mine at traditional music festivals here in France, but I am sure they will be available online.

Hope this is helpful
Maggie  :|||:
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Roger Howard on September 15, 2018, 09:24:36 AM
If it's teaching resources you're after, there's a wide range of material available fairly readily, all aimed at GC boxes. As Maggie says, the Norbert Pignol/Stéphane Milleret books are thorough and methodical (and bilingual), taking you from first steps on a two row through to advanced work on a three row, though the full set (I-IV, plus a book on reading music for the diatonic accordion) is quite pricey. It includes CDs, and there are also teaching videos by Pignol and Milleret, as well as the L'air et le geste DVD.You can see them at http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/90-methodes-instrumentales, though they're available elsewhere. There are others by Yann Dour (https://www.editions-caruhel.com/methodes) which is bilingual, and Florence Pinvidic (https://diouflo.com/francais/methode_pour_apprendre_accordeon_diatonique.php) which is partly so. There's also this: http://diato.orlulas.fr/cours; and an on-line course at http://cctheater.free.fr/apprendre.htm.

And, of course, there's a vast range of music easily available online, though I think the late Bernard Loffet's collection of tunes is still an excellent place to start: http://diato.org/tablat.htm.

Hope that's enough to get you started!  (:)
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 15, 2018, 09:30:28 AM
Thanks Maggie and Roger, some excellent links to resources there. I'll sit down tomorrow and work through the links. All good stuff.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Tufty on September 15, 2018, 09:34:32 AM
I would also advise listening to the tunes played for dancing as much as possible. I have been in sessions where people have played tunes learned from print and have missed the "feel" of the music, even though all the notes were right! In England where I am there is not a lot of French dance, so utube comes to the rescue!
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Tone Dumb Greg on September 15, 2018, 09:36:14 AM
I would also advise listening to the tunes played for dancing as much as possible. I have been in sessions where people have played tunes learned from print and have missed the "feel" of the music, even though all the notes were right! In England where I am there is not a lot of French dance, so utube comes to the rescue!

Good advice. That applies to any music, though.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 15, 2018, 01:05:17 PM
Totally agree re the listening to the tunes when played for dance. I’m lucky to spend time with Breton musicians a couple of times a year at various festivals so get to see, hear and dance to the music being played. Certainly gives a better perspective on Breton music.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Julian S on September 15, 2018, 04:21:10 PM
And also a good idea to learn at least some of the dances as well...

J
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 15, 2018, 05:10:10 PM
Julian, absolutely. That applies regardless of the music or tradition.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: tom f on September 15, 2018, 08:45:06 PM
You might also be interested in Yann Dour's Accordeon Diatonique series which come in French and English, with a CD.  Aimed at the G/C and with a much better range and quantity of tunes than the M&P volumes.  See the website www.editions.caruhel.com for further info.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: tom f on September 15, 2018, 08:47:12 PM
Sorry.  Website is www.editions-caruhel.com 
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: -Y- on September 16, 2018, 10:17:50 PM
Following the advice on the Milleret and Pignol method, they also have an online courses series :
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/164-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-first-season.html
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/183-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-second-season.html
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/216-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-third-season.html

The first two seasons explore repertoire from the Folk genre (mainly compositions from the Mustradem artists), the third is more technical. You'll see the info on the website, but it's aimed at people with more experience than total beginners, I don't know what your technical level is.

Tablature sites are great but do not allow for grasping the style and other characteristics that are constitutive to the French kinds of music.

I should also point out that French music is a pretty wide notion (not necessarily relevant, btw), and it encompasses many styles that have not so much in common with each other. There are for instance as many differences between music from the Western part of Brittany and from the Berry region than between music from Berry and Irish music. Also, in the case of the Mustradem material, they present a musical style of its own, being not that close to the traditional style (in the sense that it relies heavily on tonal and modal harmony, which is not as much the case for more "traditional" styles). I'm not sure I'm being clear if not, do not hesitate to ask for precisions.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Chris Ryall on September 17, 2018, 11:37:03 AM
French music is very regional … suppose British is too ? (:)

The Grenoble clique (Milleret, Pignol, + many others) are very eclectic in their play but are fond of Bretons, Bourées, and Mazurkas. They are solidly grounded in dance, and like to improvise (quite a lot). Stef's videos tend to offer ryhthm break variations - something he worked on hard in the 1990's. But you get a playable tune from each one. English subtitles in years 1+2.  Not sure about the 3rd one … but that is plenty to be going on with.

Focus on rhythm in playing for French dance - the actual notes are less important and are not uncommomnly improvised after theme has been stated. A Brit played the deux frères, Naragonia's Gavotte de l'Aven at Whitby, right tune, right key (Bb!) but …the slight pause to allow the right leg to swing back wasn't there. Rondo's … lilt. Other dance styles are much more regular

A wonderful resource is t'Internet, youtube, or tune of the month of thie parish, if you play by ear.

"Trad" ceased publishing early this year

Je te souhais un trajet agreable.  :D
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Lyra on September 18, 2018, 06:19:21 AM
The Book of Face has a closed group "Accordéon diatonique pour et par des débutants" which has resources for beginners and where people post attempts for comment and suggestion. It's in French but people are happy for posts in English.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Julian S on September 19, 2018, 05:40:52 PM
Chris' comments about the importance of rhythm very much strike a chord with me, particularly after listening to Naragonia play Les Deux Freres last Saturday at C# House. Having the music to work from is one thing, but really learning the nuances of the tune - including the vital phrasing is quite another matter.
I'm currently learning one or two of their tunes, and I'm thinking it'll take quite a while to master them (if I ever do)...and a lot of listening and playing along with recordings.

J
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: ursamyna on September 19, 2018, 11:42:43 PM
Which method of tablature do the various resources/books use, the CADB  or the Corgeron system?  I have seen on the Bernard Loffet site the free tabs are CADB,  and the Caruhel website states its publications also use CADB tabs. 
At the moment I find the Corgeron approach easier (it is similar to what I have seen in English tutor books) but I expect I should make the effort to learn CADB  for the Breton dance music tabs.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Roger Howard on September 20, 2018, 09:15:44 AM
I think you'll find that you'll very quickly be able to use all the different tablatures - the differences are really fairly superficial. Enjoy the music!  (:)

Roger
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 22, 2018, 02:13:26 PM
Quote
Following the advice on the Milleret and Pignol method, they also have an online courses series :
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/164-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-first-season.html
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/183-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-second-season.html
http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/216-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-the-complete-third-season.html

-Y- thanks very much for these links. Just what I was after. It was clumsy question in that I am aware that the music played across France varies considerably. But in the same way that I do not play the music from one region in Britain, I have already found myself bouncing around youtube finding music by French or Northern European box players that I like and then learning it by ear. I am however, interested in some of the techniques that I sometimes see / hear. These are sometimes difficult to break down from a Youtube video. The links you posted are perfect.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 22, 2018, 02:21:47 PM
Quote
A wonderful resource is t'Internet, youtube, or tune of the month of this parish, if you play by ear.

Absolutely Chris. I'll happily learn by ear. But I'm also very aware, as you say, of ensuring that the correct rhythm is there is vital. It was a clumsy question, as per my answer to  the post by -Y-, what I am really looking for is a more in depth understanding of some of the techniques employed by continental players. Learning a tune is the easy bit. Playing it right is the hard part  (:)
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Chris Ryall on September 22, 2018, 02:47:21 PM
Quote
A wonderful resource is t'Internet, youtube, or tune of the month of this parish, if you play by ear.

Absolutely Chris. I'll happily learn by ear. But I'm also very aware, as you say, of ensuring that the correct rhythm is there is vital. It was a clumsy question, as per my answer to  the post by -Y-, what I am really looking for is a more in depth understanding of some of the techniques employed by continental players. Learning a tune is the easy bit. Playing it right is the hard part  (:)

Then I would suggest enrolling on the Stef Milleret courses. There are now 20 online for the recent 2 years, with year 1 now discounted and episode one available as a taster.  Stef is absolutely full of little tips for French tunes ball and fest noz, also is expert on Balkan with the odd swedish tune thrown in e.g. playing extended chords by simply laying a finger across 2 rows to get that major or minor7th. Or playing a note on wrong row .. because it simplifies what is coming next. How to roll triplets. When to slip in a cut or mordant. Alternative left hand sequences

I did the subtitles for the first 2 years and can recommend them all. My quid pro quo was several days down in Grenoble, 1 on 1 lessons with a view to sorting out my playing for song, it HAS to be a project. Stef is an utter craftsman, and also one of the best teachers in SW France. And I now have the skill of arranging for song  (:) The videos are all dance music based.

http://mustradem.com/boutique/en/diatonic-accordion/158-online-teaching-videos-melodeon-season-1-episode-1.html

Patrick Reboud does a similar course for Continental Button Accordeon, if anyone is interested. Not seen those but he is also a good egg
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 23, 2018, 08:25:07 AM
Thanks Chris

That is brilliant,I will give Stef Milleret's lessons a spin! They sounds absolutely perfect.
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Chris Ryall on September 23, 2018, 11:14:03 AM
If  you are a traveller then they also run two 6 day courses (stages) annually  :|glug

 o Stage d' Improvisation is 3rd/4th week in February.  Theory of scales, relationship to the
   chords, blues, the improvised line, the importance of rhythm and 'space between notes', etc

 o Stage de musiques traditionelles is 3rd/4th week in August and is what it says on the tin
    tAccordéon is taught at 3 levels, 4-5 tutors  with a fair bit more improvisation in the 3rd dan.
    This course is BIG and teaches many instruments, bass clarinet, bagpipes, song, even sound desk!
    As such it works well for couples with different interests, and might be linked to a festival trip

This is not 'mustradem': but is the same people https://www.stagemydriase.fr/stage-musiques-traditionnelles/
Title: Re: Recommended French Music. Teaching Resources
Post by: Schnorbitz on September 23, 2018, 03:45:32 PM
Thanks Chris


I'll keep those in mind. For now I'll look forward to spending some time with Monsieur Milleret.
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