Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Tune of the Month => Topic started by: Clive Williams on June 30, 2019, 08:14:59 AM
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Hello all - this month's tune is...
Mazurka Des Ecoliers De Saint Genest (to give it it's full title) - Here's a nice 'straight' version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3SsHrdytq0 of this wonderful tune by Gilles Chabanat. I think I missed the link off the poll, so to show what can be done with a crazy amount of talent, Cyrille Brotto's version goes a little like this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHq3GcWjY3s
Be interesting to see what people come up with on this one; I think the versions I'm seen on youtube are typically played on G/C, but in E minor. Using a similar fingering system on a D/G would put you in B minor, but I think it should probably play in Em on a D/G fairly simply too. Off to give it a go...
ABC and music notation for a few different versions can be found on The Session, here: https://thesession.org/tunes/7854 along with a very, very dull discussion as to whether it's in 3/4 or 9/8. Personally, I think 9/8 rather better describes the tertiary nature of the tune (3 sub beats to each beat if that makes any sense) but there you go!
Cheers,
Clive
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The more observant amongst you will have noticed it's not July 1st yet. Oops! Calendar and brain malfunction - never mind; off we go!
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Had a quick go in Em on a D/G... it fitted way better than I expected. Much easier than the Bm fingering...
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Apart from the astonishing playing of Brotto, and what a great sounding box too (this video was an inspiration to play - I noticed I commented on the video 4 years ago) - his version has a different ending to both sections - in E minor the chords and melody in the session.org versions both end with a D chord for the turnaround (perhaps being a substitution for B minor not available on a GC box). Brotto just plays the melody and chord to end on Em for both sections. That's probably what I'll end up doing as that is the version I first heard. I'm already working on it, but have a cut on the tip of my RH first finger which is a right pain. Nothing wrong with the version that repeats after a D chord - it leaves it hanging in a nice way, but I might go for the squarer version.
Seems like a good tune to practise right hand chords to.
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Can't belive I'm first on this...
https://youtu.be/8U6BIvlKYEE
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Franglais I'm afraid, but fun to try. Once through melody on a one row in F, then a couple of times each on a G/C and a D/G.
https://youtu.be/8y78kgk0qtk
All the best
Bill
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Thought I'd do a quick take with some ideas I may develop over time. Not the finished article, hopefully.
Also - watch volume levels - recorded very close to the camera as there's a tent in our living room, and can't edit the volume - lastly, piano is playing in background, but didn't want to stop my son playing...
An early post means that I can listen to others (I try to avoid this until I've decided how to play it etc. and also because if the thread is full of good versions I find it hard to take the risk.
Here it is. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh-vlo3aMUI)
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=un3pYiL-0j4
Here is my version, warts, fluffs, clanks and all. Salty is definitely due for a service !
Pretty straight, as I've played it for quite some while.
Julian
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Thought I'd do a quick take with some ideas I may develop over time. Not the finished article, hopefully.
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Here it is. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh-vlo3aMUI)
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After your earlier comment about possibilities for RH harmony, I wondered what you had in mind.
Those chromatic RH runs are great (and very French!)
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=un3pYiL-0j4
Here is my version, warts, fluffs, clanks and all. Salty is definitely due for a service !
Pretty straight, as I've played it for quite some while.
Julian
Great rendition. It shows that you have played it for quite some time already. Not much to improve here but if I may comment on the rhythm, I'd say that you could try to focus more on the two and three in each beat. That would give it a bit of a "lighter" tone and the melody can shine even brighter.
Thought I'd do a quick take with some ideas I may develop over time. Not the finished article, hopefully.
Here it is. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh-vlo3aMUI)
Oh I love those runs down the scale that you did with your right hand. Will definitely look into incorporating these in my own playing of the tune.
Franglais I'm afraid, but fun to try. Once through melody on a one row in F, then a couple of times each on a G/C and a D/G.
https://youtu.be/8y78kgk0qtk
All the best
Bill
The version on the G/C pokerwork seems interesting to me. What exactly did you modify to have the tune sound like that? It gets a bit of a major feel to it (instead of the minor feel it definitely has in most renditions I've heard so far).
Oh, and here's my version:
Two versions of this tune (bundled in a Soundcloud playlist), both played a bit differently.
I couldn't decide which one I liked more so I opted for option C and uploaded both.
Take 2 is a bit faster and guides you through the melody.
Take 3 is a bit slower and takes its time to breath.
https://soundcloud.com/laubblaeser/sets/mazurka-des-ecoliers-de-saint-genest
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Looks like FolkBluesBeyond's GC version is in C major, and F major for section B, rather than the A minor and D minor that you might expect for that melody. It definitely gives it a different feel.
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Looks like FolkBluesBeyond's GC version is in C major, and F major for section B, rather than the A minor and D minor that you might expect for that melody. It definitely gives it a different feel.
Yes, exactly what I thought but wasn't quite sure (and was too lazy to test it out). Thanks for confirming, will definitely have to relearn it in a major key and re-record it to give a third impression on how to play the tune. (:)
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To be honest, I just had a quick look at his left hand. A bit like the bit in Indianna Jones when he shoots the guy with the sword, sometimes the easy option is just too easy to overlook.
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Hi all - here's my take on this, played as is my way at the moment, on a Bb/Eb Hohner Preciosa.
https://youtu.be/GIFJcbQn-8A
I'm using "E minor" fingering, rather than the "B minor", so I end up playing in C minor here.
I seem to have forgotten how to play french-style mazurkas properly - they come out a bit lumpy, so I'm *trying* to put a bit of feel into it, but to be honest, I think I've got a long, long way to go. Actually, now I think about it, I think the issue may be more that the style of bal mazurka has changed since I first started playing French music - when I was learning, bands like La Chavannee ruled supreme, but then bands like Naragonia et al came along and changed the game with a rather more laid back style. Still haven't fully got my head around it, but am trying :-)
Cheers,
Clive
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https://youtu.be/MmiGUSaQE8g
I was sure this one would take me the whole month again, as these have tended to do. But something passable fell together with surprising promptness.
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Nicely done. Very secure, and the box sounds lovely too.
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I'm really enjoying this lot of contributions. Thanks to everyone who's posted.
I don't really have any recording facilities apart from my phone, but if I get a chance I'll have go at his.
I played solo last night and realised just how badly my newly found stage fright affects me these days. Having the opportunity of a retake is such a calming factor.
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I've found solace in uploading recordings that are deliberately less than perfect as it takes away the stress. I don't mean that I mess up on purpose, but rather just say it is work in progress and not edit at all.
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I'm really enjoying this lot of contributions. Thanks to everyone who's posted.
I don't really have any recording facilities apart from my phone, but if I get a chance I'll have go at his.
I played solo last night and realised just how badly my newly found stage fright affects me these days. Having the opportunity of a retake is such a calming factor.
Recording yourself is, for me, a very ... unsettling thing to do. I am always surprised at the differenc e between the way I think I sound and the way I really sound. It can be very humbling but it is, in the end, very worth while. The feedback you give yourself really does improve your playing. The think is, as P&T says, don't go for perfect. Go for a recording that expresses what you're trying to do. We all know what happens as soon as we turn the recorder on.
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Could not agree more with the last two posts. That said, I decided to have a go. It’s been a while since I posted a video to youtube, something I usually only do when I have had a few as was the case last night. It’s far from perfect.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpJyfnVHGY
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I've found solace in uploading recordings that are deliberately less than perfect as it takes away the stress. I don't mean that I mess up on purpose, but rather just say it is work in progress and not edit at all.
Aye, I can only suffer through so many takes.
Also, on the (un)fortunate event that anyone watching my videos will meet me in person, they will have low expectations which I should be able to exceed.
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"anyone watching my videos will meet me in person, they will have low expectations which I should be able to exceed."
I wish I could say that!
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That said, I decided to have a go. It’s been a while since I posted a video to youtube, something I usually only do when I have had a few as was the case last night.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KnpJyfnVHGY
That cheered me up. Great sounding box too of course. Maybe we should have a Theme of the Month when we have to record after taking some Dutch courage. I also liked that you added an intro and outro. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks Play and Teach! Of course it sounded better the night of, but I think with some work on the timing and the basses (which of course go hand in hand) that I could take this one somewhere...
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The box by the way was purchased some years ago second hand at a good price and I am only know beginning to come to terms with it. It is a lovely sounding HIGHLY responsive box- it can be unforgiving in its precision.
Also a “Dutch courage” theme of the month may end up eliciting 100s of videos from myself and those who like me enjoy a glass or two....
Could crash melnet as I sense I am not alone!
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That said, I decided to have a go. It’s been a while since I posted a video to youtube, something I usually only do when I have had a few as was the case last night.
Very nice. Lovely sounding box, if frighteningly complex looking.
Your setting is utterley different to the way mine is working out.
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It is a lovely sounding HIGHLY responsive box- it can be unforgiving in its precision.
Also a “Dutch courage” theme of the month may end up eliciting 100s of videos from myself and those who like me enjoy a glass or two....
Could crash melnet as I sense I am not alone!
That precision is exactly what I want. Apart from anything else you can't improve without feedback, and responsiveness is great feedback.
I'm going to take a week off the wine, but after that I'll raise a glass to you.
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Here's a version played in Dm on Sandpiper Curlew C/F. I was lucky enough to hear played by Gilles Chabenat when his trio 'Tondo'
visited the Les Batons French dance club in Hollingbourne, Kent earlier this year- was great to dance to!
https://youtu.be/cQ4YB7lwFhI
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Very nice. Lovely sounding box, if frighteningly complex looking.
Your setting is utterley different to the way mine is working out.
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Not at all complex: the box has two reeds octave tuned with switches to engage or disengage each reed. It is amazingly light weight. Not sure what you mean by “setting?”
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P&T, I am not sure I have received any feedback on my attempt other than the brutal honesty of my own recording which tells me I begin the song off tempo and that I should lighten up on the basses...
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Very nice. Lovely sounding box, if frighteningly complex looking.
Your setting is utterley different to the way mine is working out.
Not at all complex: the box has two reeds octave tuned with switches to engage or disengage each reed. It is amazingly light weight. Not sure what you mean by “setting?”
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Complex = what a lot buttons you have! Bass and treble. I've never tried anything bigger than a 2.4 12 bass.
Setting = (more or less) the way you're playing it.
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Not much different than a two and a half row. The extra basses are reversals great for drone effects, the full row as opposed to a half row just provides a few extra accidentals. With the lightness of the box I don’t think it would seem overly complex once it was in your hands.
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P&T, I am not sure I have received any feedback on my attempt other than the brutal honesty of my own recording which tells me I begin the song off tempo and that I should lighten up on the basses...
I mean feedback from the instrument. If you are finding it revealing, then it's doing everything you ask of it, and any bumps and slumps are player related. I think it's worse to have an instrument that responds with varying sensitivity. For example at modest air volumes my left hand chord notes don't always speak together, so I have to wait a bit or play louder.
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... For example at modest air volumes my left hand chord notes don't always speak together, so I have to wait a bit or play louder.
It could be that some of the valves are a bit curled so that some air is being used to close the valve before the reed speaks. But otherwise this is normally an indication that the reed tip gaps need adjusting. It should be possible to adjust the gap so that all the reeds speak together even under relatively low bellows pressure. Ask your friendly local box fettler to do this for you ;)
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It was Saturday night, and I was feelin’ alright, so I decided to have another go...
This time on the low reed and only one take....
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B618WqOp9OY&persist_app=1&app=m
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It was Saturday night, and I was feelin’ alright, so I decided to have another go...
This time on the low reed and only one take....
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B618WqOp9OY&persist_app=1&app=m
Very similar post which backs up why I feel that we shouldn't arrive to get the very best mistake free version. We are who we are and the difference between a straight forward version and our Sunday best is minimal.
I would suggest playing a straight oom pah pah version to check on some bars e.g. bar 2 of the phrase which has 4 beats in it occasionally. Hope that's ok to pass on.
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It was Saturday night, and I was feelin’ alright, so I decided to have another go...
This time on the low reed and only one take....
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B618WqOp9OY&persist_app=1&app=m
Nice playing, was an enjoyable watch. Your timing is a bit off here and there (could also call it free time signature but eh...), so maybe that's something you could work on.
Same suggestion as P&T's comes to mind: play a simple oom pah pah rhythm with your left hand and try not to go off time as often. Or use a metronome to train you to stay in time a bit more often.
On a sidenote: I dislike having to clear my browser cache every time I click on mobile youtube links (because youtube sets a cookie for clicking on a mobile link and then directs you to the mobile page every time). If somehow possible, please post desktop websites and no more mobile links. Thank you very much. :)
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Thanks for the feedback Fred and P&T. I appreciate it. I definitely know what you mean about the extra beat being thrown in... for some reason I really like to drag that note out and while I have fixed it while playing I always seem to return to the same mistake. I have found P&T’s remarks about not worrying about perfection to be somewhat liberating in posting videos.
Fred I am not a techy guy so I have no idea what you’re talking about in terms of browsers....
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Fred I am not a techy guy so I have no idea what you’re talking about in terms of browsers....
The links you post are in the format of "m.youtube.com" and that's the mobile website of youtube.
It would be better to use the normal website format "www.youtube.com" for desktop browsers.
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Got it. The real question is why the video I posted for theme of the month keeps starting a few seconds into the tune rather than at the beginning of the video....
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Got it. The real question is why the video I posted for theme of the month keeps starting a few seconds into the tune rather than at the beginning of the video....
Doesn't do it here...
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My best effort
https://soundcloud.com/greg-bradfield-smith/mazurka-des-ecoliers-de-st-genest-30071
I very nearly didn't post this month, as this tune is giving me an awful lot of bother.
I have been trying (and trying and trying and trying...) to play it with a syncopated left hand rhythm. Which sounds great for the odd few bars where I managed to get it right. In the end, I have given up on this and I've just done it with what came out of my fingers.
Twice through with some intended variations and some totally unintended ones. Second time through one of them went right and I was so surprised I stopped in my tracks for a few microseconds. Apologies but I post it for completeness.
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Sounds good. Lively and purposeful.
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Thanks for the welcome comment P&T.
It wasn't supposed to be a "take" It was tacked on at the end of my abortive attempts to record what I intended. I played this to remind myself of how the melody went and it sounded better than I expected when I listened back.
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Thanks all - we're onto onto the new(!) tune, so as usual please stick late contribs on the end of this thread as usual.