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Discussions => Tune of the Month => Topic started by: Clive Williams on October 01, 2011, 12:23:23 AM

Title: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on October 01, 2011, 12:23:23 AM
Well, that An Dro missed the TOTM poll by the smallest of margins, so I think we'll do Tunes from Brittany this month. Brittany is of course a region of Northwest france, but it has evolved its own tradition and music, There are lots of great tunes from this region - even if many of them are unnamed - looking forward to hearing your favourites!

Cheers,

Clive
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on October 01, 2011, 02:51:02 PM
I should probably add that if you haven't the faintest clue what a Breton tune sounds like, you might like to visit Bernard Loffet's helpful page of tunes (abc's and midis) here: http://www.diato.org/tablat.htm (there's a few scottish and irish tunes there too).

If searching youtube, you should find plenty of examples if you look for 'an dro', 'gavotte', 'laride', 'plinn', 'hanter dro', etc, etc. Pick one you like the sound of and learn it :-)

Cheers,

Clive
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Lester on October 01, 2011, 08:25:12 PM
Great theme.
I'm working on a version of Baby One More Time.

That was going to be my joke  :(
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: ladydetemps on October 01, 2011, 10:35:08 PM
I prefered 'you drive me crazy' as a track. ;)
(I actualy own a copy of her debut album...)
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on October 02, 2011, 09:00:05 AM
Here is one I prepared earlier  :D

http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/hanter-dro
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Chris Brimley on October 03, 2011, 11:56:38 AM
My contribution to this theme:

http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=67859

I know very little about the origins of these tunes, having learned them from two other friends' sheets of dots many years ago.  I assume they're Breton dances from the titles, and from the fact that Nevez is the name of a village near Pont-Aven.  I understand that Alan Stivell played (and wrote?) the first tune with the interesting structure on his 1973 album 'Chemins de Terre' - if he wrote it, many thanks to him, I hope he won't mind my playing it.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tyker on October 03, 2011, 01:25:07 PM
An Dro Nevez is a tune I'll never tire of. Have , or had , 2 copies of Chemin de Terre, one of which I won in the raffle at Harrogate Folk Club .
Nicely played , Chris
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on October 03, 2011, 01:30:12 PM
I posted this on the Tunes from France thread, and said, "We ought to have a breton ThoTM!"  And here it is.  That's service!

http://accordeonaire.blogspot.com/2011/09/ridee-bannielou-lambaol.html

Played on a G/C Saltarelle Pastourelle
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Mcgrooger on October 03, 2011, 08:24:36 PM
Here's my attempt. Once again, I'm indebted to my good friend Hugh Taylor from whose playing I learnt the tune. I hope I learnt the right one and that this is indeed an An Dro. I don't know if it has any more specific name. I play it in Em on my Saltarelle L'Elfique whereas Hughie normally plays it in Am where it requires an 'F' chord. Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Cooper on October 03, 2011, 11:28:36 PM
Here is one I prepared earlier  :D

http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/hanter-dro

nice. Only the last one is a hanterdro, though, the first one is (played as) an andro i think.
W
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on October 04, 2011, 12:16:14 AM
Here is one I prepared earlier  :D

http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/hanter-dro

nice. Only the last one is a hanterdro, though, the first one is (played as) an andro i think.
W
Quite right, two Breton tunes: "An dro j'ai une bonne amie/Hanter dro de Languidig".
 

 
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Ellisteph on October 04, 2011, 07:57:55 AM
Here's my attempt. Once again, I'm indebted to my good friend Hugh Taylor from whose playing I learnt the tune. I hope I learnt the right one and that this is indeed an An Dro. I don't know if it has any more specific name. I play it in Em on my Saltarelle L'Elfique whereas Hughie normally plays it in Am where it requires an 'F' chord. Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk

That's a great tune McGrooger; I'm still hunting for one I'm happy with. In the meantime I'll learn this one.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tyker on October 04, 2011, 02:09:55 PM
Here's my attempt. Once again, I'm indebted to my good friend Hugh Taylor from whose playing I learnt the tune. I hope I learnt the right one and that this is indeed an An Dro. I don't know if it has any more specific name. I play it in Em on my Saltarelle L'Elfique whereas Hughie normally plays it in Am where it requires an 'F' chord. Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk

An An Dro/En Dro called Kerfank , I believe
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Bob Ellis on October 04, 2011, 02:42:27 PM
Here's my attempt. Once again, I'm indebted to my good friend Hugh Taylor from whose playing I learnt the tune. I hope I learnt the right one and that this is indeed an An Dro. I don't know if it has any more specific name. I play it in Em on my Saltarelle L'Elfique whereas Hughie normally plays it in Am where it requires an 'F' chord. Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk

An An Dro/En Dro called Kerfank , I believe

My understanding is that it is called Gweharall. I believe that the dots can be found on the internet under that name. I am hoping to post my interpretation of it along with the quite similar Thème Vannetais , if I can find the time.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on October 04, 2011, 05:34:41 PM
Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk
An An Dro/En Dro called Kerfank , I believe
My understanding is that it is called Gweharall. I believe that the dots can be found on the internet under that name. I am hoping to post my interpretation of it along with the quite similar Thème Vannetais , if I can find the time.
I do this one, but never knew the name, or that it had a name.  I'll get a video up soon.  Oh, it sounds great, by the way!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tyker on October 04, 2011, 06:15:22 PM
Here's my attempt. Once again, I'm indebted to my good friend Hugh Taylor from whose playing I learnt the tune. I hope I learnt the right one and that this is indeed an An Dro. I don't know if it has any more specific name. I play it in Em on my Saltarelle L'Elfique whereas Hughie normally plays it in Am where it requires an 'F' chord. Although I've got said chord on my 2 and a half row, it was proving to be a tricky blighter to play, and seemed a bit easier using the C chord. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqkNbtq4Lk

An An Dro/En Dro called Kerfank , I believe

My understanding is that it is called Gweharall. I believe that the dots can be found on the internet under that name. I am hoping to post my interpretation of it along with the quite similar Thème Vannetais , if I can find the time.


I think both names are for the same tune .
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on October 05, 2011, 11:18:34 AM
Another version of the same tune, not quite the same but this is how I remember hearing it at a dance. I am playing it on the C/F Lilliput, it just feels "right".
http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/gweharall
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Roland Carson on October 06, 2011, 09:21:32 PM
I have had a go at this one.
The first two are Hanter Dro de Languidic and En Dro which I recorded this afternoon and the second two are An Dros which The Cabin Band recorded whilst practicing to play at a Bal about four years ago....I found some nice pics to put on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTcOKtsgQMk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvyKxhuHkrI

Roland
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: pikey on October 07, 2011, 04:25:04 PM
Three Breton tunes, I don't know the titles of any of them, so let's call them Pikey Dro Une, Deux and Trois.....

I taped the first one from a La Bomboche broadcast in 1976 - it was a song air that went off into a jig using the notes . It's played on a Dino Baffetti special (not a Binci!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl0ura0OhM4&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

The second one was learned by osmosis (good name for a band?)  -  maybve of Fred Paris in La Chavannee? On the Special again.0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHFchpSAmOY

And the last one - taped from an Alan Stivell gig a long time ago..... This time on the Dino Baffetti Black Pig 3  ;) Apparently it's a 'pach pi'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BDo9VB3pvY
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Andy in Vermont on October 07, 2011, 05:39:44 PM
Here's one from the Yann Dour collection, can't recall the name (if it had one):
http://melodeonminutes.blogspot.com/2011/10/breton-tune-played-on-gcf-box.html (http://melodeonminutes.blogspot.com/2011/10/breton-tune-played-on-gcf-box.html)
Played on a Castagnari Jacky (G/C/F).
-Andy





Edited to correct the link.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Anahata on October 09, 2011, 01:33:57 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeAJrUlF5_U

An Dro picked at random from another YouTube video, transcribed and played from the music (I can't learn tunes to play from memory that quickly)
Another one on my new Dino Baffetti Binci special prototype (The Sloe was my first)

I don't play much Breton music, but I had fun with this!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on October 10, 2011, 01:17:34 AM
A Hanter Dro recorded in my back yard on a very sunny, windy Fall day in Maine.

http://accordeonaire.blogspot.com/2011/10/hanter-dro.html

Played on my Castagnari Nik (G/C)
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: pikey on October 10, 2011, 12:43:20 PM

An Dro picked at random from another YouTube video, transcribed and played from the music (I can't learn tunes to play from memory that quickly)
Another one on my new Dino Baffetti Binci special prototype (The Sloe was my first)

I don't play much Breton music, but I had fun with this!

How do you get the nice warm reverb effect when you record your videos? It sounds great!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Anahata on October 10, 2011, 02:57:58 PM
How do you get the nice warm reverb effect when you record your videos? It sounds great!
I hope I wasn't overdoing it!

I record the sound separately and process it though a DAW* which is there in the conservatory/studio for multi track recording. Then I recombine sound with video. Adding reverb is a simple addition to that process. The reverb plugin is actually the SR-2A from linuxdsp.co.uk (http://linuxdsp.co.uk). On the two I've just done I set it for quite a short reverb time but a long pre-delay, so it's more like a gentle slap-back echo, which is quite effective for rhythmic accordion music.

*Digital Audio Workstation (PC with software and hardware for recording)
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: folkbluesnbeyond on October 11, 2011, 05:34:04 PM

I almost didn't post this month...Sources all said Breton. First in two parts, (or the bellows would have been but a novelty to have a draw tune throughout), The second a chestnut the third sounds vaguely circle dance.

No idea about emphases, everything I play can sound like morris on a good/bad day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZJY368gl6c

All the best

Bill
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Bobtheboat on October 11, 2011, 05:39:30 PM
@ Anahata, that's a fantastic recording! What a great tune, well done! Bob. 
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: pikey on October 11, 2011, 10:06:07 PM
How do you get the nice warm reverb effect when you record your videos? It sounds great!
I hope I wasn't overdoing it!

I record the sound separately and process it though a DAW* which is there in the conservatory/studio for multi track recording. Then I recombine sound with video. Adding reverb is a simple addition to that process. The reverb plugin is actually the SR-2A from linuxdsp.co.uk (http://linuxdsp.co.uk). On the two I've just done I set it for quite a short reverb time but a long pre-delay, so it's more like a gentle slap-back echo, which is quite effective for rhythmic accordion music.

*Digital Audio Workstation (PC with software and hardware for recording)


WOW!  I just play in the echos of a wooden floor dining room!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on October 12, 2011, 01:02:31 AM
OK folks, here's my shot at this month's theme, 2 traditional Hanter Dro's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjL2OOV2kpE

I love the rhythm of the Hanter Dro - it's kind of 1-2-3-4-1-2-repeat forever; very catchy indeed. Oddly I find them all impossible to remember though; I had to learn these specially, and knowing me may well forget them in a couple of weeks if I don't watch it.

This is played on ... wait for it ... 2 Streb's  >:E (well, actually 1 Streb, multi-tracked) tuned as G/C boxes. Unisonoric basses to make life a bit easier, though you could probably play these fine with out them. And just to make things a little more complicated for my little brain, I thought I'd try and apply the stuff Emmanuel Pariselle and Christian Maes went over in their melodeon workshop in London recently; the treble end chordal stuff. Actually, I found this rather easier to apply to this tune than I've been finding the exercises! So that's what the second Streb is doing... the chordal stuff.

Where do the 2 tunes come from? Originally, who knows! But I learned the first off Steve Baughman's album, 'The Almost Whisky Waltz' (simplified, missing a couple of bits of his tune out), and the 2nd from sticking 'Hanter Dro' into the melodeon.net ABC library and seeing what came out! This one's the 'Clam No.2' Hanter Dro, whatever that is.

No video this time, so I've stuck in a few photos of Brittany from here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ernohannink/with/5921520474/) instead.

Cheers,

Clive
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Cooper on October 12, 2011, 11:29:40 AM
OK folks, here's my shot at this month's theme, 2 traditional Hanter Dro's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjL2OOV2kpE

I love the rhythm of the Hanter Dro - it's kind of 1-2-3-4-1-2-repeat forever; very catchy indeed. Oddly I find them all impossible to remember though; I had to learn these specially, and knowing me may well forget them in a couple of weeks if I don't watch it.

This is played on ... wait for it ... 2 Streb's  >:E (well, actually 1 Streb, multi-tracked) tuned as G/C boxes. Unisonoric basses to make life a bit easier, though you could probably play these fine with out them. And just to make things a little more complicated for my little brain, I thought I'd try and apply the stuff Emmanuel Pariselle and Christian Maes went over in their melodeon workshop in London recently; the treble end chordal stuff. Actually, I found this rather easier to apply to this tune than I've been finding the exercises! So that's what the second Streb is doing... the chordal stuff.

Where do the 2 tunes come from? Originally, who knows! But I learned the first off Steve Baughman's album, 'The Almost Whisky Waltz' (simplified, missing a couple of bits of his tune out), and the 2nd from sticking 'Hanter Dro' into the melodeon.net ABC library and seeing what came out! This one's the 'Clam No.2' Hanter Dro, whatever that is.

No video this time, so I've stuck in a few photos of Brittany from here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ernohannink/with/5921520474/) instead.

Cheers,

Clive

Nicely played. At some point in your first tune you stress the 4thcount a bit with your chords. That is not something i would do in a Hanterdro easily, well,...not when playing for dancers. It sounds nice though :-)
W

in retrospect, after playing a couple i DO do that quite often actually,...but in some way that i cannot lay my finger on it sounds strange in the way you play it.
W
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Larry on October 12, 2011, 12:31:49 PM
Mr Williams, I found it absolutely fantastic and the photos
more than perfect for the music....
thanks!!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on October 12, 2011, 01:27:11 PM

Nicely played. At some point in your first tune you stress the 4thcount a bit with your chords. That is not something i would do in a Hanterdro easily, well,...not when playing for dancers. It sounds nice though :-)
W

in retrospect, after playing a couple i DO do that quite often actually,...but in some way that i cannot lay my finger on it sounds strange in the way you play it.
W

Thank you sir! I have to confess not having played a Hanter Dro for a dance for quite a few years, and even when I did, I had little idea of exactly where to stick the rhythm pulses, other than hearing other people / bands playing them. So it's done by instinct and old memory, plus a few slight timing issues caused by 'where's that chord gone; what's the next chord; etc'... I think it's probably the slightly inaccurate timing that's the main issue.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Mcgrooger on October 14, 2011, 12:33:43 PM
Clive, as always you've come up with a killer contribution for ThOTM and your playing is excellent as always. I was a bit surprised that you say that unisonic basses make playing a diatonic box easier.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on October 14, 2011, 01:03:17 PM
Clive, as always you've come up with a killer contribution for ThOTM and your playing is excellent as always. I was a bit surprised that you say that unisonic basses make playing a diatonic box easier.

Thank you! Unisonoric basses are definitely an acquired taste - but once you're used to them, they do two things:

1) You can do bass effects that would be impossible, or at least extremely difficult on a normal box - e.g. the modal D drone (A on a D/G) chord on the second tune, which you could do if you had a D chord on the push and pull on the normal G/C box, but you'd be forever switching bass buttons - and while I could do that, what it does to me is use up my attention, so I can't concentrate on twiddles on the melody or other things happening on the bass at the same time.

2) It makes treble fingering a lot simpler; for example, if you look at Anahata's excellent take at the Sloe, and mine, consider how much cross row stuff Anahata has to do to get those chords to work. I play mine entirely on one row, and again, whereas I could cross row if I had to, I have limited brain capacity when playing and freeing that brain power up means I can use it elsewhere.

Cheers,

Clive
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on October 16, 2011, 04:53:20 PM
Those interested in this sort of thing should check out this blog:

http://diatostage.blogspot.com/

It's in French, but a lot of it is self evident.  Sheet music.  Videos.  Etc.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Bobtheboat on October 16, 2011, 07:36:55 PM
That's great Gary,thanks! Bob.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: AndyShear on October 17, 2011, 03:04:28 PM
Hello
Heres a couple I've been having a go at

Hanter dro klamm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaioeTDY340

Gavotte du Bas Leon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leAf-ISxP6o

and then I got a bit carried away ........proberly not far enougth for the traditionalists amoung us but ho hum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Gua53o3R4

sure the timing and phrasing and everything is shot          smilie face lol and all that

Andy
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: student I on October 31, 2011, 03:41:53 PM
Melnet theme of the month Oct11! I don't know any Breton tunes that I can think of so I had a look on youtube. I found one tune that reminded me of this that I used to play a long time ago. What is it? Don't know where it's from but certainly south of Felixstowe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJ4VSr2vqo
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: docEdock on October 31, 2011, 10:37:25 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3lY1DIfLYw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3lY1DIfLYw) is my version of En Dro, from Yann Dour's volume 1. Many thanks to those who gave me advice about the rhythm. If it doesn't sound like an En Dro it's not for lack of melnet tutors.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Clive Williams on November 01, 2011, 01:07:56 AM
End of the month again folks; it's time for a new theme! As ever, all late submissions are very welcome; just keep posting to this thread!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on December 30, 2011, 12:58:34 PM
I have just learned this Hanter Dro from an old Alain Pennec recording. Does anyone have a name for it??? A number of the tunes on the LP seem to be played on a DG, is that common in Breton music?

http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/hanter-dro-a-pennec
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on January 01, 2012, 07:38:31 PM
Don't know the name, but you've done a great job with it!  It's also on "Another Setting," by the House Band ... that band was sort of my gateway drug to Breton music.  Chris Parkinson's in it, and the amazing John Skelton on flute and bombarde.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on January 02, 2012, 12:20:29 AM
Thanks! I have only recently found the "Accordeon Diatonique" album. Not sure when it was recorded but looking at the cover photo it must be 70s or early 80s. I am now working my way through, learning the tunes!
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on January 02, 2012, 02:00:08 AM
Thanks! I have only recently found the "Accordeon Diatonique" album. Not sure when it was recorded but looking at the cover photo it must be 70s or early 80s. I am now working my way through, learning the tunes!
If it's the one I'm thinking of, thats a great set.  I don't remember this tune being on that set, though.  There's a bit with a saxophonist that my purist friends tried to steer me away from, but I love it.  Really opened my eyes to what's possible with this music.  Another great set is in the "Idiots guide ..." series.  It's called "Fest Noz pour Nuls."  I wasn't very hopeful when given it, but it's genuinely fine.
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Tufty on January 02, 2012, 12:46:57 PM
This one is just A.P and his accordeon! I have struggled with Breton stuff so far but this album is certainly helping because it is just unadorned accordeon.
As I managed to avoid a New Year's hangover I spent yesterday learning another set from the LP :||:
Still work in progress and a bit too fast I think.

http://soundcloud.com/tuftyabc/scottish-du-pere-rouxel
Title: Re: Theme of the Month for October 2011: Tunes from Brittany
Post by: Gary P Chapin on January 06, 2012, 12:40:31 AM
This one is just A.P and his accordeon! I have struggled with Breton stuff so far but this album is certainly helping because it is just unadorned accordeon.
Great job, Tufty!

Here's my rendition of Pere Rouxel (on my Pastourelle III):

http://accordeonaire.blogspot.com/2012/01/scottish-du-pere-rouxel.html
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