Topic: Bass Accompaniment? (Read 2875 times)

Jude · « **on:** February 03, 2014, 01:11:46 AM »

I have learned The Beer Barrel Polka MELODY...right hand...on my Weltmeister. But now I am attempting to learn the bass. Is there a trick to choose which buttons to play, and when? I have been playing a note, on the melody, and then going up the bass buttons to find which one sounds good with the note I am playing on the right hand side. Any ideas as how to choose which bass chord to play and when?
Thanks, Liz

Stiamh · « **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2014, 01:56:03 AM »

On B/C, unfortunately, it is considerably more difficult to find out by trial and error what chords will fit against a melody than it is on a D/G, G/C or similar system.

It's too late on a Sunday night for me to attempt a coherent explanation of why this is so, but it just is.

Partly because B/C allows you to play in many more keys, and partly because the chords on a modern B/C are not designed with playing along the rows in mind.

What really helps is to know what key you are playing in, what basic chords go along with that key, what notes you are playing at any moment, and what basses and chords you have.

E.g. if you know you are playing in D major, then the main chords you need are likely to be D, G and A. And if you know that you are playing a sequence of notes in which, say, D and A or F# fall on the beat, then a D chord is likely to fit, whereas if you had G and B and/or D falling on the beat, a G chord is likely to fit.

I don't know if anyone else can sum up the situation less discouragingly. I hope so.

Ranzo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2014, 07:04:54 AM »

Liz,
Are you playing it in the key of C? Play it in C, and mash the bass buttons on the outer row, bottom!

At least...that's what I would do!

Jude · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2014, 04:39:47 PM »

Hi Ranzo,
Ok, so I am starting on a "G" then playing F#,then G then E. I guess this is in a C right? I am not at all familiar with "keys" I only play by ear and play what sounds like what I have heard on YouTube or CD's. I only know I can play exact as I have heard. But not famIliar with what key I am in...oh, oh, problem huh? Lol

Ranzo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2014, 08:39:15 PM »

Liz, yes, you're playing in C!

I don't know B/C accordion...but since no one else is chiming in...

As I understand it (!) the C chord (which is the first bass/chord you want to play) is the bottom outside pair of buttons, on the push. The G chord (which is the the second bass/chord you'll play) is the same buttons on the pull. As Steve said, the other chord you'll want in addition to that is F...which if I'm reading the charts correctly is the inside bottom pair, on the push. The first two chord will get you through most of the song (if you stay in one key... it is customary to change keys in this song, but I think you can cross that bridge when it comes!).

deltasalmon · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:23:38 PM »

Quote from: Jude on February 04, 2014, 04:39:47 PM

Hi Ranzo,
Ok, so I am starting on a "G" then playing F#,then G then E. I guess this is in a C right? I am not at all familiar with "keys" I only play by ear and play what sounds like what I have heard on YouTube or CD's. I only know I can play exact as I have heard. But not famIliar with what key I am in...oh, oh, problem huh? Lol

G F♯ G E. Those are the notes you're playing? If there's an F# then it can't be in C. With F♯ and G♮ it could be in D or G or one of their related modes.

If you play all on the inside row (F# is on the outside row of the B/C) then you can do like others mentioned and just bang away at the pair of bass/chords outside and towards your knee. If you're playing cross-row it gets more complicated.

Stiamh · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:27:15 PM »

Quote from: deltasalmon on February 04, 2014, 09:23:38 PM

G F♯ G E. Those are the notes you're playing? If there's an F# then it can't be in C. With F♯ and G♮ it could be in D or G or one of their related modes.

That was my first thought too, Sean. But I thought I should look at the tune first

The F# is an accidental...

http://thesession.org/tunes/12114

deltasalmon · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:30:28 PM »

Quote from: Steve Jones on February 04, 2014, 09:27:15 PM

Quote from: deltasalmon on February 04, 2014, 09:23:38 PM
G F♯ G E. Those are the notes you're playing? If there's an F# then it can't be in C. With F♯ and G♮ it could be in D or G or one of their related modes.

That was my first thought too, Sean. But I thought I should look at the tune first The F# is an accidental...

http://thesession.org/tunes/12114

I suppose I also should have looked at the tune...
I'm also out of advice. I haven't tried playing bass accompaniment to a tune with that many accidentals.

Ranzo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2014, 09:59:26 PM »

You guys don't know the "Beer Barrel Polka" tune?

....

Yeah, the F# is just a quick accidental. It's "in between" the beats, so it doesn't interfere with bass/chords.

I have to be honest though, I never envisioned this piece being played on 2-row diatonic accordion. In fact, my vision is more like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbh1ep36vjY

Ranzo · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2014, 10:08:25 PM »

Quote from: Ranzo on February 04, 2014, 09:59:26 PM

You guys don't know the "Beer Barrel Polka" tune? .... Yeah, the F# is just a quick accidental. It's "in between" the beats, so it doesn't interfere with bass/chords.

I have to be honest though, I never envisioned this piece being played on 2-row diatonic accordion. In fact, my vision is more like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbh1ep36vjY

EDIT: to say that my impression is that for Americans, this is the definitive "polka". Any event with polka bands...or even events with accordions!...will get request for it just like the call for "Freebird!" at rock concerts. But I realize now, of course, that it probably/possibly doesn't have much currency in other countries/regions. sorry!

Oh - And I also remember now this video with the Tejano player Valerio Longoria
http://youtu.be/ijTf9dtXB4I?t=54s
There - now I can envision it on diatonic!

Ebor_fiddler · « **Reply #10 on:** February 05, 2014, 12:18:51 AM »

"Roll Out The Barrel", I think is what we call it here in Great Britain. Am I right please?

Jude · « **Reply #11 on:** February 05, 2014, 01:11:36 AM »

Geeze, I looked up accidental note. I have always known it as a flat,or sharp lol so, yes, the F#'is an accidental I play it quickly between the first G I play, and then a quick F# then back to the G and then The same octave.
I have only heard the Beer Barrel Polka played on the accordion but I made. Up my mind the first song I would play on my new Melodion was the polka. ...well, I have done it, and with success. BUT as I said, now to accompany it with my left hand is difficult for me.so, I will,stay with the first two buttons then. I guess, most of the song will have to just be with my right hand tho correct? I guess when possible I will use the left.
I come from a BIG German family and when we get together we enjoy dancing and lots of beer,this was my desire to learn to play the polka. Lol
Thanks,you guys, you're the greatest!

Ranzo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 05, 2014, 10:48:43 PM »

It's a challenge! I've been thinking about how to play the entire polka on a 2-row, circle-of-fifths accordion, and it seems as though it would be very difficult—that is, if one wants the follow the customary key change that is a part of the piece. And even harder on B/C accordion. You need a 3-row, circle-of-fifths to do it up right... nearly all the players in the "polka" genre or German music would have at least 3 rows.

Besides the key change, the main challenge is playing the "suspension" notes, i.e. in the melody, which don't belong to the chord.

Matthew B · « **Reply #13 on:** February 06, 2014, 03:02:46 AM »

It falls pretty nicely under the fingers on a 30 button club box. The F# is handy on the short row, and you can get the key change in as well. In Jude's other thread I mentioned "El Barrelito" which is in C and F, so you can walk it right over to a club box from the three row original and even borrow a few bits of ornamentation as you go. And the basses are a snip.

Jude · « **Reply #14 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:18:33 AM »

I have the melody perfect. One of my brothers play the banjo so maybe I can ask him to play the background and I won't have to worry about the chords. Lol
Now on to the Chicken Dance and the Leichtensteiner Polka. Pretty good...German music on an Irish Melodion.

george garside · « **Reply #15 on:** February 06, 2014, 03:49:38 PM »

There is a you tube video of Sir jimmy Shand playing the beer barrel polka on the 3 row taken from the DVD 'Dancing with the Shands'

just put in 'youtube jimmy shand misissipi dip' Misissipi Dip being the name of the dance

There are several other youtube vids from the DVD.

george

Graham Spencer · « **Reply #16 on:** February 06, 2014, 04:26:32 PM »

Quote from: Ebor_fiddler on February 05, 2014, 12:18:51 AM

"Roll Out The Barrel", I think is what we call it here in Great Britain. Am I right please?

You are quite correct, sir! My Czech friends regard this as a Bohemian tune, not a German one - but I don't want to rake over history here.......

Graham

Ebor_fiddler · « **Reply #17 on:** February 06, 2014, 11:38:57 PM »

Ta Graham!

Here goes!

Jude · « **Reply #18 on:** February 07, 2014, 02:11:49 AM »

You're correct. It is Czech. I just looked it up on a Wiki. Thanks!

Ranzo · « **Reply #19 on:** February 07, 2014, 08:48:49 PM »

Quote from: GPS on February 06, 2014, 04:26:32 PM

Quote from: Ebor_fiddler on February 05, 2014, 12:18:51 AM
"Roll Out The Barrel", I think is what we call it here in Great Britain. Am I right please?

You are quite correct, sir! My Czech friends regard this as a Bohemian tune, not a German one - but I don't want to rake over history here.......

Graham

Ah, but is this 'germane' to the topic?

Sure, a Czech person composed the piece...but it's not like it sprang from the collective minds of Czech people, or was crafted and shaped over years by Czech vernacular musicians. The tune he composed became popular with so many people in groups with other profiles... like Germans, and so became, after popular milestones in USA, the perceived "heritage" too of German-Americans — incidentally the largest ethnic/descent group of USA, and a population rivaling the entire population of England and much bigger than the number of Czechs in the world

But I also won't rake over history!

Good choices on the other tune, Liz, by the way!

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Author Topic: Bass Accompaniment? (Read 2875 times)