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Author Topic: Variations for a beginner  (Read 4788 times)

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JM

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Variations for a beginner
« on: April 29, 2016, 12:44:29 AM »

While I am still a relative beginner, I have been learning some french tunes that have really motivated my learning.  For one of those tunes (Le Revenant) I also have the tabs or dots for about 6 variations.  Learning both the original and some variations has been extremely helpful in seeing how one might create variations on other tunes.  It also helps me be able to play a song more than 40 seconds long! 

To build on this, I was wondering if anyone be willing to share a tune or two that they also have the tabs/dots for some variations?   

My current ability is able to play:

La Mal Aimable
Valse a Ollu
Mon Amant de St Jean
Valse a Mary
Loubov
and others

Many thanks!

JM
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Pete Dunk

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2016, 11:41:01 PM »

I have lots of variation sets but all are Northumbrian or to a lesser extent Scottish in origin not French. These are .abc files but could be made into PDFs

What keys are your box tuned to? Is your interest French music only?
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2016, 09:05:35 AM »

Not sure "variations" should be written down as they are in a sense part of what makes your play unique. improvisation even more so, but that's a much longer journey.

Listen to everyone you can hear play. Borrow what sounds good to you. Listen again, and realise that many tricks eg breaking the chord rhythm, can be applied in one of your pieces in the same way.

Listen more and find "universals" like note sequence inversions, or replacing tune with a chord arpeggio (learn the useful right end chords). Listen to yourself, refine what you did last month.

This is as much about listening as learning as you have to train sensibilities as much as your fingers.

Is also as much about one's journey as the destination.
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Sebastian

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2016, 11:39:52 AM »

Not sure "variations" should be written down as they are in a sense part of what makes your play unique. improvisation even more so, but that's a much longer journey.
To me it is helpfull for more detailed analysing to have the notation in addition. It is an additional source of information.
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Jack Campin

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2016, 12:16:19 PM »

Like Pete, I have lots of variation sets from the north end of Britain, but they were all intended for the flute, pipes or violin and would probably be a pig to play on the melodeon.  Look at my "Old Scottish Flute Music" pages for a few:

http://www.campin.me.uk/Flute/Webrelease/Flute/Flute.htm

Is there a French tradition of anything comparable?  If there is I've never encountered it.
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Mike Hirst

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2016, 12:26:03 PM »

Not sure "variations" should be written down

There are many from Renaissance to Reich who would disagree:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variation_%28music%29

Variation sets and improvisation are not necessarily the same thing. It is well documented that both Mozart and Beethoven where accomplished improvisers, yet both published Variation Sets. To liken the Goldberg Variations to Coltrane would be a complete misunderstanding of intention, form and style. The same is true of notated Northumbrian variation sets for pipes, fiddle or keyboard. Although extemporisation is possible within the form it is not necessary for the music and effective. The most successful variation sets develop a simple theme through harmony, modal shifts, and changing note lengths. On accordion Will Starr was a master of this stylistic technique. A good example of this would be his recording of the Bluebells of Scotland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkpfOu3GmIM
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JM

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2016, 04:56:26 PM »

Thanks so much for all of the thoughts so far. 

Yes, my interests go to many types of music, but what originally drew me to the melodeon (well, 'accordion' here in the states) was French music.  I have a GC two row, and it has been amazing.

I totally understand that the act of variations often comes from personal re-tooling of a song, and even improvisation, so writing these down does somewhat goes against the thought of them.  But as a new learner, I find it incredibly helpful to see it written down what kinds of choices people have made to change a tune, while still keeping the relative spirit of the song.  I don't envision needing written versions of variations for all future songs, but have enjoyed un-packing how others have re-tooled the tune to fit their own variations.  I think this gives me a broad scope of what is even possible (Since I dont have a deep musical background before my recent foray into melodeon, I have no theory to lead me along these decisions) 

I'm open to a lot of styles, mostly just something I can practice over and over and ultimately expand with variations to last more than 40 seconds!

Thanks Jack for those variations!  And Pete, I'll take anything you are willing to share (no need to send a ton, just enough to keep me going!)



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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2016, 07:02:39 PM »

I know exactly what you mean, and have no problem with them being written down. I would try these tunes which develop organically rather than have specific variations:
Valse Des Chevaux de Bois
La Femme de Marbre (harder)
Scottish a L'Amante (5 sections)
These are all Delicq tunes

Sous les toits de la Rue Tiquetonne (pretty hard), think it's a Denecheau tune,
Les Dames, which has inbuilt parts that fit together or run on from eachother - don't know who it's by.
When I'm on a different computer I'll attach copies - what key box are you using?
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Grape Ape

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2016, 10:39:35 PM »

Here's a video displaying multiple variations on the same tune, if you haven't seen it.  Some are easier than others, and it isn't written, but definitely shows a nice of example of the same tune being played many different ways.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BKrwe9J5y1g
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2016, 11:23:36 PM »

Thanks - great example of the "flexible" approach

variation
1 - change octave
2 - counterpoint against  play arpeggios of its chords
       then more chording (sus) and rhythm change
3 arpeggio the tunes chords on the right end
    some nice chunks of "down the scale" in both 2 & 3
4 - rhythm change into 6/8 playing in straight chords
       cooling to an nice Am9 (index finger => B) at the end
5   improvised! Don't think he's done that way before
      But note - essentially a mix of the above?
6 - the rhythmic tricks are the same, switches to blues scale!
     chromatic run 2nd time. Rhythm is more important than notes

Superb. His left end chording doesn't change, and there are further oppotunities there? Great stuff, could you "really" write it down? Practice (as he clearly has) swapping these techniques (and they are techniques) flexibly and you've already got 100 "variations" Trust your ears …
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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #10 on: May 04, 2016, 12:27:28 AM »

Here's a video displaying multiple variations on the same tune, if you haven't seen it.  Some are easier than others, and it isn't written, but definitely shows a nice of example of the same tune being played many different ways.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BKrwe9J5y1g
Fantastic resource. Thanks - I shall revisit this clip, I'm sure.

This clip is obviously useful for the OP too.
On a wider point, I sometimes think that we might sometimes underestimate either the self-awareness of someone asking for specific resources, or impose our own way of thinking. If the OP wants written down variations, there are many good reasons why that approach might suit him very well. It makes me think of someone asking for a recipe for veggie bolognese, and we try to convince them that beef is the only way to go.
I've just noticed that he has said that he has a G/C so I'll attach the pieces I mentioned for that key (and sorry for accrediting Delicq for Chevaux de Bois - I think that's Denecheau).
Thanks again for the youtube clip. Wish I had more time.
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jack

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2016, 07:10:13 AM »

Here’s one I made earlier!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnAB3sCm7Bg

My system for the parallel 6ths is pairing fingers 2 and 4 and pairing fingers 3 and 5 and walking crab-like across the rows. However SD is clearly using his thumb to get that smoothness, so might have to give it another whirl!
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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2016, 07:45:01 AM »

 Thanks for this. I use my thumb too - find it straightforward enough - even copes with the dutch reversal. Thumbs are what separate us from lower species (shame I can't find a way to include PA players here). I still have a lovely Brandoni for sale...
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Pete Dunk

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2016, 01:27:15 PM »

Not sure "variations" should be written down as they are in a sense part of what makes your play unique. improvisation even more so, but that's a much longer journey.

Northumbrian pipers use variations somewhat differently of course as they are part of a formal repertoire that is used in order to grade playing skills and musical ability, rather like ABRSM grade exams. Some sound more like repetitive exercises than tunes although many are entertaining musical pieces in their own right. The attached PDF has one of the more entertaining sets of variations but like so many from this repertoire it's very busy in places! :o
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JM

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #14 on: May 04, 2016, 03:07:40 PM »

Such excellent thoughts.  Thanks so much to all of you.  Since I am still in later half of book 1 of the Milleret/Pignol, I suppose that is why I didn't know about arpeggios and even chord structures just yet.  But these make sense that they will be major steps to variations in the future.  Octave changes,, holding basses, and even adding some filler notes seem doable for now. 

Can't wait to get started on these resources! 

(Playandteach:  I don't see those attachments you mentioned, are others seeing them?)


Thanks again,

JM

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Grape Ape

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #15 on: May 04, 2016, 03:25:21 PM »

JM, also if you search "tablature diato" or "tablature accordeon diatonique" loads of tablatures will come up.  Bernard Loffet's and Erwan Tanguy's sites seem to be a couple of the best sources but there are others.  Many of the members here seem to have something against Tablature, though I use it frequently as I play on BbEbs, CFs, GCs, and now Ad and find that tablature makes switching between boxes easy.  I have not seen Tablatures that expressly show variations however.  For me, due to a deficient understanding of music theory and the different key boxes I play, it works well.
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #16 on: May 04, 2016, 05:01:19 PM »

(Playandteach:  I don't see those attachments you mentioned, are others seeing them?)

I don't think P&T has included any attachments so far in this thread - just names of tunes.
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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #17 on: May 04, 2016, 07:21:43 PM »

Might get to it tonight, when the kids are in bed - wife away and loaded with marking, and I need to access the computer they're stored on.
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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #18 on: May 05, 2016, 09:58:20 AM »

Sorry it's taken a while. Had to find the files and convert to pdfs.

« Last Edit: May 05, 2016, 10:02:22 AM by playandteach »
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playandteach

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Re: Variations for a beginner
« Reply #19 on: May 05, 2016, 10:02:51 AM »

Sorry Tiquetonne first upload is for D/G. The new one is for G/C and has a simple clarinet part (in C) I put in (in a hurry) for a pupil to try.
Sorry spotted a couple of mistakes - changed upload now.
« Last Edit: May 05, 2016, 02:19:51 PM by playandteach »
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