Topic: Tune of the Month for February 2015: En Avant Blonde (Read 25196 times)

Helena Handcart · « **Reply #20 on:** February 07, 2015, 03:36:59 PM »

Quote from: baz parkes on February 07, 2015, 02:01:22 PM

Quote from: Rees on February 07, 2015, 12:51:55 PM
It doesn't strike me as Cajun at all. John Adams or Pete Coe would know.

Johnny doesn't...I asked him about six months ago when I started playing it again...

I just asked Pete Coe and as far as he knows it is a Breton tune. At least that's where NVB got it from

rees · « **Reply #21 on:** February 07, 2015, 07:36:11 PM »

Aha, so at least we're back in the land of Loffet.

hustler_asano · « **Reply #22 on:** February 08, 2015, 09:11:23 AM »

Here's my YouTube.
http://youtu.be/wUjt3Zg-CWI

Sebastian · « **Reply #23 on:** February 08, 2015, 10:29:38 AM »

Quote from: hustler_asano on February 08, 2015, 09:11:23 AM

Here's my YouTube.
http://youtu.be/wUjt3Zg-CWI

I love the steady tempo throughout. I seem unable to do this (not even with a metronome).

Fsamuel · « **Reply #24 on:** February 08, 2015, 08:02:40 PM »

https://soundcloud.com/fsamuel100/en-avant-blonde

my version, unfortunately the melodeon seems to have a few wrong notes which became evident when I put the other instruments on top

penn · « **Reply #25 on:** February 09, 2015, 10:39:26 PM »

En Avant Blonde, coupled with Dedans La Ville de Bordeaux learnt from the singing of Michael Kerbouef.
http://youtu.be/EpbuKkIx_2E
The latter reminded me of the totm so I gratuitously appended it.
I rather spoiled the the cross rowing in the B section of En Avant Blonde – just couldn't get the hang of twiddly bit so I threw in a changes of direction instead. Whoops.
Steve

jorden · « **Reply #26 on:** February 11, 2015, 07:13:07 PM »

Hello all,

I've been playing for about a month on an old hohner piccola C/F I have on loan from my aunt. It is tuned in the old german way. I'm also new to the forum, so this is also an introduction. I'm from Holland, teach history at a school and my favourite youtube clip of the moment is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8ITsaDSl_w (Duo Brotto and Lopez with Dejol pont de Lion).

And my En avant blonde: https://soundcloud.com/jschuddeboom/en-avant-blonde-totm-february-2015
Any tips/criticism is ofcourse highly appreciated!

Jorden

robotmay · « **Reply #27 on:** February 11, 2015, 08:20:42 PM »

Welcome Jorden! :)

That's a great first contribution to the TotM. It certainly took me a lot longer than that to get the hang of playing to waltz time

And Duo Brotto Lopez is a new one on me and has given me some new stuff to check out on YouTube, so thanks for that!

Clive Williams · « **Reply #28 on:** February 13, 2015, 09:23:53 AM »

OK folks, here we go, En Avant Blonde as a mazurka:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLKIOjzd37s

I put it to the floor that just about any waltz can be 'improved' (musically, anyway) by playing it as a mazurka; it gives you more space to do stuff and work with the tune. You can't dance a waltz to it any more, but hey. (You should listen the Sextet a Claques album where *every* tune is a mazurka, magic stuff, but I digress).

Played on the Streb so I can try out alternative tunings for the 3rd row - I'm about to have a 3 row Van der Aa tuned to my taste, so this time I thought it would be sensible to try a few alternatives out. This layout seems pretty good to me; all accidentals in (what I would consider to be) the right direction and matching with the basses (the design of the row is heavily influenced by the basses of course), and as a bonus the inside row is great for semitone leadin notes to stuff on the outside row.

Cheers,

Clive

fc diato · « **Reply #29 on:** February 13, 2015, 10:34:40 PM »

Quote from: Clive Williams on February 13, 2015, 09:23:53 AM

OK folks, here we go, En Avant Blonde as a mazurka:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLKIOjzd37s

This rendition is a real AH-HA moment for me!
I had been trying to apply the advice read somewhere else in here that if you find a tune boring, then make it interesting. I had been trying all sorts of ever more clumsy variations .... still could not connect. Why did I not think of changing the rhythm? duh!
Thanks Clive!

PS: Re the laments that not enough people post to TOTM: even if some of us hang out at the margins (no camera yet), does not mean we don't find it incredibly useful. So thanks to all who do post!

IanD · « **Reply #30 on:** February 14, 2015, 04:42:09 PM »

I'm surprised that most (all?) of the versions posted stay in the minor (Em on a D/G box) for the second part, I feel that shifting to the major (G) gives a much better musical contrast with the A music (especially the chords) and makes the tune more interesting. But I don't expect everyone to agree...

Clive Williams · « **Reply #31 on:** February 15, 2015, 12:04:39 AM »

Quote from: fc diato on February 13, 2015, 10:34:40 PM

Thanks Clive!

Glad to be of service :-) Thanks for your comments!

Clive Williams · « **Reply #32 on:** February 15, 2015, 12:05:08 AM »

Quote from: IanD on February 14, 2015, 04:42:09 PM

I'm surprised that most (all?) of the versions posted stay in the minor (Em on a D/G box) for the second part, I feel that shifting to the major (G) gives a much better musical contrast with the A music (especially the chords) and makes the tune more interesting. But I don't expect everyone to agree...

Interesting - never crossed my mind, but it does work very well, doesn't it?

Anahata · « **Reply #33 on:** February 15, 2015, 08:12:35 AM »

It doesn't work for me because the tune has a strategically-placed E that prevents it from properly changing key. You could have G chord for one bar and then E the next, but it's not really going anywhere. Or G3 | G2C | D3 ... sounds too forced. But the counterargument of "anything to relieve the tedium of all that E minor" is quite tempting too...

IanD · « **Reply #34 on:** February 15, 2015, 05:59:59 PM »

Quote from: Anahata on February 15, 2015, 08:12:35 AM

It doesn't work for me because the tune has a strategically-placed E that prevents it from properly changing key. You could have G chord for one bar and then E the next, but it's not really going anywhere. Or G3 | G2C | D3 ... sounds too forced. But the counterargument of "anything to relieve the tedium of all that E minor" is quite tempting too...

Which probably means the version we've been playing for twenty years or so has been "folk processed"...

howard mitchell · « **Reply #35 on:** February 19, 2015, 04:40:05 PM »

Here's my contribution. http://youtu.be/1AFtKpuDFJA
This version learnt from The New Victory Band on their LP One More Dance and Then.

Mitch

butimba · « **Reply #36 on:** February 20, 2015, 03:03:38 PM »

I wasn't going to bother with this tune at first, but I thought I might as well give it a go, and then once I'd learnt it I couldn't help but mess around with a bit of right-hand harmony stuff...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3jDPJmv7w&feature=youtu.be

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #37 on:** February 20, 2015, 05:17:59 PM »

Quote from: butimba on February 20, 2015, 03:03:38 PM

I wasn't going to bother with this tune at first, but I thought I might as well give it a go, and then once I'd learnt it I couldn't help but mess around with a bit of right-hand harmony stuff...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3jDPJmv7w&feature=youtu.be

Really, really nice!

You have admirably demonstrated what can be done with what, at first sight, seems a simple tune.
I like it that you are using the upper half of the D/G keyboard; so many D/G players neglect this, thinking it's merely squeakiness and dog-whistle territory. Not so, as you indeed prove. Well done!

Have you heard/seen Tony Hall's playing? If not, definitely worth seeking out, for he is an absolute master of RH harmony and counter-melody.

Anahata · « **Reply #38 on:** February 20, 2015, 06:03:47 PM »

Quote from: butimba on February 20, 2015, 03:03:38 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3jDPJmv7w&feature=youtu.be

Super, and all the things Steve said!

I even tried that long notes descant thing you did (I've done that before, with other tunes) but couldn't make it work to my satisfaction. But you have...

butimba · « **Reply #39 on:** February 20, 2015, 10:24:10 PM »

Steve and Anahata, thank you very much! Your comments mean a lot to me

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on February 20, 2015, 05:17:59 PM

Have you heard/seen Tony Hall's playing? If not, definitely worth seeking out, for he is an absolute master of RH harmony and counter-melody.

I've heard of him before but haven't really listened to much of his stuff... but this reminds me that I probably should!

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Author Topic: Tune of the Month for February 2015: En Avant Blonde (Read 25196 times)