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[pete /acorn]

1 Week left

Acorn Instruments will be with you again this year although sadly Jill not well enough so you will have to put up with just me.
I will be there for the Friday session ,Saturday and be leaving late morning Sunday.

If there is an instrument  you want to try on Friday evening no problem.

If you are not taking part in the playgroup but want to try  any of the instruments this is not a problem,we use our motorhome as a mobile showroom also so you will not be disturbing anyone.

See you all, Friday

Pete

www.acorninstruments.co.uk

[Winston Smith]

Not that I'll ever be likely to be in a position to buy a new melodeon, but if my ancient mother ever won the Lottery I'd go to Acorn before anyone else. From what I've read on here, I cannot imagine a more accommodating outfit. God bless 'em!

[Lister]

Quick question about a tune please, that perhaps Julie or Nigel can help with?

EDIT: Sorry! As Lester points out, tune name missing from post - Should be Rattlin' Bog!

We have been trying to be good (!) and seeing it on the list of Belle D'Vain tunes we have been trying to learn a version, and the one we pulled out was in G.

Now, however it appears as one of Mel's potential tunes, but the version on the web-site is in D.

Could someone please clarify what key Belle D'Vain use, before we try to learn two versions of the same tune.

Thanks.

[Lester]

Quick question about a tune please, that perhaps Julie or Nigel can help with?

We have been trying to be good (!) and seeing it on the list of Belle D'Vain tunes we have been trying to learn a version, and the one we pulled out was in G.

Now, however it appears as one of Mel's potential tunes, but the version on the web-site is in D.

Could someone please clarify what key Belle D'Vain use, before we try to learn two versions of the same tune.

Thanks.

Which tune?

[MelonBox]

Hi All!

If you've already downloaded the sheet music for my workshops from the resources page on the website, there was a little error in my communication to the web elf and the wrong versions were shared in the links.

These links are being corrected but in the meantime, the correct files are attached below. NB I do the opposite to Bob in that I represent a bass with A CAPITAL LETTER and a chord with a lower case one. I kinda think the BASS IS A BIG SOUND and the chord is a small sound. One day there'll be a universal way to demonstrate melodeon notation... melodeon tab... or something...

Also, if you read music or you like to have the dots for comfort, then please do your own printing and bring it along. I will have a few spares but not enough for everyone. Mainly I will be teaching by ear and I encourage you to have the faith and trust in me to go ahead and take the plunge! I promise, it's not as scary as you think to step away from the dots!

Seems from the responses to my survey posted a few days ago (here if you've not done it yet: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LQYDLMT ) seem to show a trend towards people wanting to know more about the mysteries of the left hand basses. So I'm leaning more towards that for the afternoon workshop :-)

Mx 

[Lister]

Quick question about a tune please, that perhaps Julie or Nigel can help with?

We have been trying to be good (!) and seeing it on the list of Belle D'Vain tunes we have been trying to learn a version, and the one we pulled out was in G.

Now, however it appears as one of Mel's potential tunes, but the version on the web-site is in D.

Could someone please clarify what key Belle D'Vain use, before we try to learn two versions of the same tune.

Thanks.

Which tune?

Oops!

"Rattlin' Bog", should have been the name that was in the post!

[Anahata]

I do the opposite to Bob in that I represent a bass with A CAPITAL LETTER and a chord with a lower case one. I kinda think the BASS IS A BIG SOUND and the chord is a small sound.

I'm glad to discover I'm not the only one who's always thought that way

[Bob Ellis]

The way that bass notation was explained to me when I was first learning was that fundamentals are represented by lower case letters because they are single notes and chords are represented by upper case letters because they contain several notes and are therefore 'bigger'. It seemed logical to me and I have used it ever since.

It seems that almost every tutorial book has a different system of notation, which is not particularly helpful to beginners. However, if it ever occurred that a standard notation were adopted (unlikely, I know!) and the consensus view differed from mine (even more unlikely ), then I would be happy to change. Until then, I like the logic of an upper case letter signifying a chord because there are more notes in it than in a fundamental, so I'll stick to the system to which I have become accustomed.

[Steve_freereeder]

I also use the convention of capital letter for bass notes and lower case letter for chords in my teaching material, my logic being the same as Mel's and Anahata's.

I've also seen the same convention adopted in some tune books, although the only one I have to hand at the moment is Alexandra Browne's 'Diatonic Liaisons'.
See attached PDFs for a potentially useful example of a tune which might become TotM and an extract from Alex's key/legend pages at the beginning of her book.

[Steve_freereeder]

Further to my previous post...

I see that on Bernard Loffet's website where he gives lots of tablature examples, the well-known French Universal Tablature system (système C.A.D.B) employs capital letters for bass notes and lower case letters for chords.

Here's an example: Valse à Bruno.

[playandteach]

See attached PDFs for a potentially useful example of a tune which might become TotM and an extract from Alex's key/legend pages at the beginning of her book.

Steve, there's a hint that the History Man pdf might have a page 2 ('cont'd') - if so, would you mind posting it?
Thanks for the pdf.

[Lester]

Would all this stuff especially History Man be better off somewhere other than the Melodeon Playgroup thread

[malcolmbebb]

Thank you Lester.

[Steve_freereeder]

Would all this stuff especially History Man be better off somewhere other than the Melodeon Playgroup thread

Thank you Lester.

Several of us have responded to the current query about the notation of basses and chords, which IS relevant to the the thread because of the way the tutors' music is being prepared for the Playgroup. I merely used The History Man notation (as an attachment, not in the body of the message) as one example which I happened to have handy.

[Steve_freereeder]

See attached PDFs for a potentially useful example of a tune which might become TotM and an extract from Alex's key/legend pages at the beginning of her book.

Steve, there's a hint that the History Man pdf might have a page 2 ('cont'd') - if so, would you mind posting it?
Thanks for the pdf.

PM sent

[malcolmbebb]

Steve,
accept your comments and the response was not aimed at you personally. However, you know as well as the rest of us how easily - and how far - a thread can wander off topic and lose all resemblance to the original topic.

Since we are now within a week of the start, I would prefer to keep this this thread relevant to the event itself in case we need to post any last minute information.

Equally, it is perfectly reasonable for people to want clarification of the specific tutor material and I don't want to stop anyone doing that. But it would be better have a separate thread, maybe something like "Melodeon Playgroup 2016 - Tutor resource queries" to avoid confusing the two aspects. 

[malcolmbebb]

Here is some additional information about the workshops. I have started another thread for discussion of resources, etc, (see above) but I am duplicating the following. It may help a bit with beginners' peace of mind 

For Melanie's workshops, she has posted both dots and videos. Please note that Mel will teach the tunes from the beginning during the workshop, you don't need to learn or practice them beforehand.  But:
Mel has also put the tunes on YouTube. Please listen to the tunes a few times so you at least know what they sound like and how they go - you will find that helps a lot.
If you want the sheet music at the workshop, that's fine. But to keep our costs and Mel's down, please print your own copies and bring them along.

Bob's music is also posed on the website. He has asked that improvers practice the tunes a little beforehand. Please use the fingering he suggests, because that has been designed to fit in with the basses he will teach.
I think Bob will be providing handouts, but it wouldn't hurt to print and bring along your own copy.
Music for the learning-by-ear workshop will not be available before the workshop. 

[Dunny]

Quick question about a tune please, that perhaps Julie or Nigel can help with?

We have been trying to be good (!) and seeing it on the list of Belle D'Vain tunes we have been trying to learn a version, and the one we pulled out was in G.

Now, however it appears as one of Mel's potential tunes, but the version on the web-site is in D.

Could someone please clarify what key Belle D'Vain use, before we try to learn two versions of the same tune.

Thanks.

Which tune?

Oops!

"Rattlin' Bog", should have been the name that was in the post!

Hi Lister
Looks like Mel is playing the tune in D on the upper octave.
We play the tune in G on the lower octave!

I'd suggest that you don't try to learn it as we do, but to stick to Mel's version as that is what she will be teaching. Also BDV may not dance that one on the day!

Cheers
Nigel

[Lister]

Oops!

"Rattlin' Bog", should have been the name that was in the post!

Hi Lister
Looks like Mel is playing the tune in D on the upper octave.
We play the tune in G on the lower octave!

I'd suggest that you don't try to learn it as we do, but to stick to Mel's version as that is what she will be teaching. Also BDV may not dance that one on the day!

Cheers
Nigel

Thank you Nigel.

I'm very much a beginner, but the G version was something I had been trying before Mel came up with her version in D.

I will now concentrate, if I find time, on the one that Mel may teach.

There's quite a lot to take in - not enough time to do it, I fear.  However, I'm full of anticipation now though - I've attended 3 Play Groups on the sidelines just accompanying my wife Cath who has attended the previous ones, but since she persuaded me to start learning myself about 6 months ago, this will be my first as a student.

Alan

[malcolmbebb]

I will now concentrate, if I find time, on the one that Mel may teach.

Hi Alan,

I would suggest that you don't work too hard on it, but listen to Mel's video a few times so you have the tune in your head rather than in your fingers. There is an icon like a little cog wheel that will let you speed it up, if you want.

The reason is that you will tend to learn it one way, and Mel might want to teach it another way. Then you will have to unlearn it and re-learn it, which is hard to do especially at a workshop.