Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection  (Read 7536 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« on: September 05, 2013, 06:47:58 PM »

These videos were mainly collected in August 2013 at Fete Embraud (la Chavannée) and Grand Bal de l'Europe St Gervais. I am adding other links as they appear on FB and look useful. I used a mobile phone in 2013 and apologise for having to upload the early videos to Facebook - these videos there may need Flash installed.  The collection was intended to inform some of the .. shall we say 'different' .. versions of these dance rhythms heard in UK pub sessions. The general focus on the dancers and their movement is intentional. If your play of a melody "informs the feet" .. it is probably about right! I will add other good videos eg on youtube "as I find them" [Edit May 2014] If you like these videos then visit Greg Dyke's site which has further videos, together with an interesting essay on "trad" v "progressive" folk.

Basic French Waltz (played faster and smoother than English waltz)
 
  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12836.0.html

Scottiche (note "skip")

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12853.0.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNq6_E_AURk  - delightfully light - Accordzéâm

Mazurka: current "Bal" style (generally 9/8)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12887.0.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z771OLveQsM - Accordzéâm  - great accordeon solo!

Mazurka: Morvan style "simple, straight" (3/4)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12872.msg158187.html

The basic French polka (played smoother and faster than English, more varied in the dance step)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12880.0.html
 [ed] something wrong. video looks like a schottiche en carrée :|bl

Circassian circle - same as UK - sometimes even to the same tunes!

 http://youtu.be/ScK94NzWFEA - German group, showing dancers
 http://youtu.be/vd9uPLlZgfY - Duo Thébaut - more for the music/arrangement

Medley of various dances (Lucas Thébaut says this set was made up = non Trad)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCUQH_QaSac
 
Bourées

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12880.0.html

Bourrée du centre - Grande Bourbonnaise (the main line bourrée, 4/4 rhythm)

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12858.0.html

Bourrée de l’Auvergne (fast 3/8 rhythm) Auvergne = Massif Central

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12839.0.html
 http://youtu.be/B86gm-fgn0s fast bourree with variation - St Gervais BIG dance!!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cdyp9CD2mY ... "Komred" at Embraud - watch those feet!!

Bourrée du Morvan (simpler, 3/8) Morvan is the hilly part of Burgundy

Berrichon "bourée a quatre" village dances

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12869.0.html

Fast 3/8 circle bourrée - duo Thébault are from Charantes, so "Poitou" style?

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nchAZ3xS2c#t=112

Bretons

Breton: Rond St Vincent - a very simple village dance that has become a standard

  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12861.0.html

Breton: Andro (An Dro = "the turn)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12871.0.html (variations)
 http://youtu.be/e3YyvhH0wO0 - Accordzéâm  Wild at the end!

Breton Tricot (mixed An Dro, and Hanter Dro)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12866.0.html

Breton: Plinn

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12858.0.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHhggfE5tCs - Accordzéâm 

Suite Plinn - same rhythm - couple dance with slow and fast parts

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igD97-6wup8

Breton: "standard" Gavotte (danced as a suite, speed varies)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12882.0.html

Breton: Gavotte de l'Aven - small valley in Cornouaille with
it's own "dreamy sway" style - this is just part of a 'suite gavotte'

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12881.0.html
 (another: Gennetines 2014) http://youtu.be/26MYV8K-VdQ

Breton: la Ridée

 6/8 method  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12860.0.html


Breton dance is often done in lines,
traditionally snaking round the floor
intertwining, and "meeting people"

Other Regional Dances

Auverne (+ other mountain areas): Rigaudon

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12837.0.html

Basque Country - the Fandango

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12870.0.html

Basque Country: la Saute

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12838.0.html

Corrèze : la Sautière a men's dance 

   https://youtu.be/OLi4OnoRb2s

Flanders: scottiche a quarré

 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200459281711144

Gascony: Gascon Rondo - done in pairs in a big circle

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12840.0.html

Aquitaine:  Ronde de Quercy (one of several, there are also bourrées etc)

 http://youtu.be/aNuyXX-mbAM

Alsace: asymmetric Waltzes (5/8, 8/8, 11/8)

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12855.0.html

  This one has an 11/8 rhythm
  http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,13089.msg187853.html#msg187853

Vendée/Poitou:  - la Mariachine

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12854.0.html

Imports

Swedish polska

 http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,12868.0.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4bYvk-YWXM

That's all I had - please PM me wrt any errors - or other web videos worth including - Chris
« Last Edit: February 11, 2021, 04:47:24 PM by Chris Ryall »
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Bobtheboat

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 556
  • 'On the cut' near Lichfield, UK
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2013, 12:17:19 AM »

Hi Chris,
I wonder if you'd be willing to take the time to upload your videos to YouTube?
I think they could prove to be a big help in my 'learning journey' but the ones on Facebook are unavailable for me and any other refuseniks. An onerous task I'm sure but I for one would be very grateful. Bob
Logged
'Rowbotham Erika Extraordinaire' (12 bass + stop G/C/acc), Hohner Liliput Bb-Eb. Castagnari Rik G/C/acc

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2013, 10:07:33 AM »

They no longer exist other than on FB servers. I had an iPad, unsuitable for the dance floor but thought I might use its memory. Believe it or not, phone and pad won't wi-fi or bluetooth connect. 'Blocked' it seems, have to use the cloud, that was slow and … didn't work. sadly I didn't have "doc3row"s youtube password to hand and was unsure of method from a phone. Facebook did work (usually) and I needed to dump 6Gb of video somewhere?

If you feel emotional about facebook… your choice. If you join, or even dip regularly they have fiendishly clever advert placing … too clever when it offered me life insurance 5 weeks into last year's radiotherapy :o But the videos are simple, public domain. You should be able to dip them easily.
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

DaveD

  • Good talker
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 81
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2013, 10:30:05 AM »

Very good collection and source for different styles and rhythms, add this to my favorites for ease of access.

Dave
Logged

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2013, 10:36:29 AM »

If anyone has really good example please offer here, or by PM. Subject to editorial judgement I can add them to the index. Grand scheme is to show the music in its proper "dance" context.

Does anyone fancy a parallel project for English, or (dare I say) Irish dance tunes? >:E
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2013, 11:57:10 AM »

Updates couple more items added, eg the fast circle bourrée, assumed to be Poitou style, 'cos it ain't Berrichon!
              and a medley(!) of various couple dances
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Jack Humphreys

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 680
    • tunesbyjackhumphreys
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #6 on: October 18, 2013, 10:19:09 AM »

Hi Chris
I hope you are feeling well. Thanks so much for your reference collection. It has inspired me to do something similar, but avoiding facebook, as some people don't/can't access that.
I've made a start on the "DANCES"  page of our new sesion website which is   www.bathfrenchsession.wordpress.com
It's fun to trawl through yt to find examples which are either informative (i.e. you can see their feet) or inspirational.  I had to leave out some of the more explicitly smoochy belgian mazurkas in case it frightened off shy beginners.
Those knees!!!  Next stage is to find suitable vids for a few Breton favourites.So I'll be checking your suggestions for that. 
I'd also welcome any melnetters suggestions for  key videos  to inspire or instruct the various dances. There is a marvelous mazurka instruction video from italy I think,  which I've seen in the past, but can't find now.
A bientot

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #7 on: October 18, 2013, 12:31:08 PM »

Yup, a "fit" note in my pocket this morning, ink still wet! Thanks for the heads up. If you can let me have the URLs of your own videos I can simply copy them into the reference set here with appropriate little graphics, folk can take their pick. It'd be good to have a confederate, a good dancer to boot, and the ones that made it back to Blighty went via doc3row's youtube a/c anyway. But these were never intended as educational, more a bal folk français «as she is actually dansée» rhythms (particularly) facility for the Anglo French melodeonistas.

With you (?) I'd take opportunity to scandi, Québec, (dare I say irish?) aficionados to do something similar in their own genre as a lot of these tunes do get murdered in sessions. Separate "own" threads though as we are trying not to mix the traditions in this.

Smoochy Belgians! Surely not? I'll keep my eyes skinned in Ghent next month though ;)
« Last Edit: October 18, 2013, 12:36:16 PM by Chris Ryall »
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Rog

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2295
  • Repair and tuning in Hants
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2013, 10:23:00 PM »

These are great. Thanks!

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #9 on: June 07, 2014, 06:34:24 PM »

Ronde du Quercy added (6/8 version)
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2014, 05:30:29 PM »

This just appeared from the Lancaster anglo-french people, video'd at St Gervais (sorry, another FB video). It's technically italian, sounds Calabrian (anyone know?) and sounds as played on organetto.

The dance is billed as a salterelle des marches. Anyway this is what is danced to that fast italian 6/8 stuff. Not French, but they are very eclectic …

   https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10204386664737920&id=1569529847

note: FB permissions are a mystery to me, good luck!
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Matt (Kings Norton)

  • Respected Sage
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 304
  • West Midlands, UK
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2014, 07:39:19 PM »

It's a saltarello, well you know that already, they are normally bellows one bar in one bar out rather than the two bars in two bars out that you would typically get with a Calabrian tarantella and the dancers jump about more instead of doing the wary sinister scuttling thing that goes with the tarantella.  You do hear saltarellos in Calabria I think (never been there but one is used as a signature tune on a Calabrian radio station) but I think saltarellos are most associated with Abruzzo most of all, also Molise, Marche, Lazio (I've never been to any of them either).  The tune is a version of what is sometimes called Saltarello Abruzzese, but I think the title you give translates as saltarello from Marche, just north of Abruzzo.  Please anyone do feel free to correct if I have got this wrong.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 09:39:40 AM by matt vrs »
Logged

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Contemporary French bal folk: asymmetric waltzes
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2014, 09:49:24 AM »

Asymmetric waltzes are not uncommon in French bal, in my experience all with a "3n+2" metre. So that's 5/8, 11/8, or 8 time played as 123,123,12 or similar

    http://youtu.be/D1N5dx-l5-Y

This 11/8 played by Parasol at 2014 Gennetines is fairly typical, and shows the associated dance style. I do it by getting in as many 123 waltz steps in as necessary, then a quick 12 bringing you back onto same foot. This means you set of opposite direction on 5/8 or 11/8 and same direction if it's an 8 timer. You'll see various patterns in the video. Some will sway the dance, others step it out, though thats to move toward the German Zweifacher pivot waltz style? The dance is nearly always on the "brisk" side. You enjoy it a lot more if you can dance without counting ;)
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 09:12:34 PM by Chris Ryall »
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Cooper

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 695
  • Gaillrd G/C/#,Casta Allain8 GC,Lofft CF, giord ad
    • Cooper's homepage
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: asymmetric waltzes
« Reply #13 on: August 16, 2014, 07:31:01 PM »

Asymmetric waltzes are not uncommon in French bal, in my experience all with a "3n+1" metre. So that's 5/8, 11/8, or 8 time played as 123,123,12 or similar
That would be 3n+2 :-)
W
Logged
Please correct my English, it's been a while, and i like to learn.
And don't be so polite! I know i must be typing tons of stuff that a native speaker would say differently...please enlighten me.

www.wouterkuyper.nl
www.lirio.nl
www.trekzakacademie.nl

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2017, 10:30:54 PM »

Just to remind anyone into French dance of the existence of this "field trip" material of the major French «bal folk» styles.

I came back in, looking for a strange Gascon dulcimer ….no luck. But these videos (mixed Youtube and FB) ain't bad, and do reflect the pleasures of the French summer festivals.  I was recovering from some chemo brain damage at the time; nice to be still here! I think it was the Gamay/Cav. Sauvignon house wine at my favourite lunch spot that finally cured me :|glug but playing melodeons by a lake is always very therapeutic  (:)
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #15 on: September 23, 2020, 10:20:01 AM »

Another bump for what I hope is a good reference for melodeonistas interested in modern French bal traditionelle.

This is the “real thing”
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

GBbox

  • Respected Sage
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 404
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #16 on: September 24, 2020, 05:46:25 PM »

@ Matt

About the saltarello, you won't find it in calabria.And you forgot Umbria and Toscana. Please note than in Toscana and Molise the dance in general is called saltarella. For the emglish native speakers: in Italy a finale "o" means male, a final "a" means female.
Logged

GBbox

  • Respected Sage
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 404
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #17 on: September 24, 2020, 05:59:27 PM »

@ Chris

A rewarding selection of videos.

Yet, you really can't tell that the  bourrée deux temps - that in fact isn't called  boureée quatre temps! - is in 4/4. The rhythm is definitely binary, and as a rule the transcriptions are in 2/4 time.

The  accent isn't on one of the two beats, but like for the bourrée trois temps falls, for the dancers, on the last step of the bar.

The standard left hand pattern for the bourréee deux temp  on the melodeon in France isn't the bass/chord/bass/chord pattern that's used for the scottisch and for the polka, but bass/rest/chord/chord, eventually with the bass lasting for the whole first beat without any rest if the bellows allow it, and the accent goes on the second/last chord. That's called a dactylic rhythm, by the way.
As an alternative the French melodeon players play bass/chord/rest/chord, althought I've never heard such a pattern used over a whole tune, or even bass/rest/rest/chord.

Just for the record...
Logged

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2020, 08:10:33 AM »

Go for it 👍 Ithink you are right, but the skips and lilts in French bal rhythms, other than Waltz, seem to be critical to playing them properly.

I always try to go to source in music. Didn’t have any real handle at all on Blues until I saw BB King play in Memphis 18 years back.
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

-Y-

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 749
  • Handry 18 (G/C), Mélodie (D), Club IIb (A/D)
    • a database of 400 or more melodeons here
Re: Contemporary French bal folk: reference collection
« Reply #19 on: September 25, 2020, 08:47:03 AM »

I don't think it really matters that you write it in 4/4 or 2/4, the ideas of accents and such associated with time signature is somewhat of a classical music convention, we don't really care for traditional music.

Not an expert of dancing the bourrée, but the assertion that the accent is on the last step of the bar may be true (and I think it would still be an exaggeration) only for the Morvan bourrées, it's more on the last step of the phrase than anything, really (here, a beautiful clip of Morvan bourrée dancers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI1LTtYbnpM).
True, people are doing frappés sometimes at the end of musical phrases, but it's not a rule. As I said on the other thread about bourrées, for the dance too it's more of a one-time dance than anything else.

Two introductory videos on bourrée deux temps and trois temps, in English, made by Gregory Dyke :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A186jBMs6sE (trois temps, Auvergne)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDCbfE0p3_Q (deux temps, Berry/Bourbonnais)

I'll post them on the other thread too.
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal