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Author Topic: Help understanding song sheets  (Read 2360 times)

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Yvonne

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Help understanding song sheets
« on: June 29, 2017, 01:17:33 PM »

Hello Fellow Musicians

Not been able to find anyone local to meet up with and jam, so therefore there has been no one locally to answer some of the questions I have, such as what does this mean ie
X  T T  M   L  Q etc.,
obviously i have worked out the first letter T = Title


X:1
T:Waterman's Hornpipe
T:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey
M:5/2
L:1/4
Q:1/2=96
K:G
P:A
G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 | G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 |
M:2/2


Many thanks Yvonne
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2017, 01:26:22 PM »

Hi Yvonne,
Off our main Home page is this.... http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/page,abc.html

It has links to the best thing that has helped me understand the notation
here to Steve Mansfield's page....
http://www.lesession.co.uk/abc/abc_notation.htm

the basics are what you need to read up and it'll all become clear!
good luck
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

george garside

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2017, 01:26:48 PM »

hi Yvonne.  It might facilitate you meeting up with someone local if we had a clue as to your whereabouts?!  Country/Town , no need for details of address.

The notation you have posted is whats known as ABC about which I know very little , but there are many experts on the forum who no doubt will give you a detailed answer

george
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george garside

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2017, 01:31:57 PM »

Sorry Yvonne , have just read you old posts and discovered you are in Merseyside.  There is, I think, a monthly pub session in Southport details probably under Bothy Folk Club website. I think there is also one in Billinge and possible one in Chorley which somebody should be able to provide info on.
George.
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2017, 01:43:37 PM »

the first link given from the Home page is a brief resume of what abc notation is all about - a shorthand in simple text of a tune.
If that abc text is copied and pasted into a abc app programme such as easyabc or abcexplorer, ( both free programmes ) then it miraculously changes it into a musical score and with it a mid file that enables you to listen to the tune as well.
It took me a while to use abc but it is great for what we do - try and play simple tunes used in the folk world.
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2017, 02:11:34 PM »

Hello Fellow Musicians

Not been able to find anyone local to meet up with and jam, so therefore there has been no one locally to answer some of the questions I have, such as what does this mean ie
X  T T  M   L  Q etc.,
obviously i have worked out the first letter T = Title

...and a direct answer to your question, as put. Check out Steve Mansfield's page, though. It is very good.

X:1................................................................................The ID number of the tune allocated by the person who notated the abc.
T:Waterman's Hornpipe......................................................The main title of the tune
T:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey......................The first subtitle (you can add more with T:   )
M:5/2.............................................................................The meter of the tune. 5/2 is unusual. 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 etc are more common
L:1/4..............................................................................The default length of a note (how long it is if you don't add anything
Q:1/2=96.........................................................................The tempo. This would be 96 minims (half notes) a minute
K:G.................................................................................The key. Here it is G major
P:A.................................................................................Part. This is the A part, P:B would be the B part, etc.
G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 | G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 |.................The tune itself. 
M:2/2..............................................................................A change in the meter to 2/2
« Last Edit: June 30, 2017, 10:50:03 AM by Tone Dumb Greg »
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2017, 02:54:24 PM »

thanks Greg for explaining, I was involved in something else so didn't have time to go into detail.
Yes, Steve's pages are excellent and worth reading.
cheers
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Pete Dunk

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #7 on: July 02, 2017, 08:11:02 PM »

The full ABC:

X:1
T:Waterman's Hornpipe
T:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey
M:5/2
L:1/4
Q:1/2=96
K:G
P:A
G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 | G>A BB d/B/A/B/ GD D2 |
M:2/2
D/E/=F/G/ AD | D/E/=F/G/ AD | D/E/=F/G/ Ad/c/ | BA B2|
G>A B>c | dG G2 | e2 ed | dB/c/ dB | gB A2 | d>c BA/B/ |
G>A BB | d/BA/ BB | d/BA/ BB | d/BA/ BG |[M:3/2]cB A2 G2||
M:2/2
P:B
gB gB | A>G FE/D/ | E>F A/G/F/E/ | DA A2 |
E>F E>F | GD D2 |E>F E/F/E/F/ | GD D2 | B>c BA/B/ |GD D2 |
D/E/=F/G/ AD | D/E/=F/G/ AD | D/E/=F/G/ Ad/c/ | BA B2|
G>A B>c | dG G2 | e2 ed | dB/c/ dB | gB A2 | d>c BA/B/ |
G>A BB | d/BA/ BB | d/BA/ BB | d/BA/ BG |[M:3/2]cB A2 G2|]
W:
W:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey on Topic Records:
W:"The Complete Brass Monkey" TSCD 467.
W:From the sleeve notes:
W:One of several unusual and compelling tunes taken from the playing of John Stickle,
W:the Shetland fiddler, who was recorded in 1947 by Patrick Shuldham Shaw.
W:A selection of Stickle's music was published in the Journal of the
W:English Folk Dance and Song Society in 1968.

There is a PDF copy of the tune here: Waterman's Hornpipe

We have an ABC sub-forum if you have more questions or want to find free software to use with ABC code.

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brianread

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #8 on: July 03, 2017, 07:24:57 AM »

Sorry Yvonne , have just read you old posts and discovered you are in Merseyside.  There is, I think, a monthly pub session in Southport details probably under Bothy Folk Club website. I think there is also one in Billinge and possible one in Chorley which somebody should be able to provide info on.
George.

Southport is at the "Guest House" 3rd Monday night every month.

Billinge is every Thurs - "The Masons Arms"

Chorley is a "Slow and Steady" session  - 1st Saturday afternoon every month - see http://chorleytradmusicsessions.org.uk

« Last Edit: July 03, 2017, 08:28:04 AM by brianread »
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #9 on: July 03, 2017, 07:28:42 AM »

With reference to the tune:
I've recently started playing it on box, as it's a long time favourite of mine and I used to play it on English Concertina which has all the notes.
The unusual bit is in the third bar, a run up through D > E > Fnat > G and is the 'special' bit in the tune that really stands out.
On my 2 row DG I haven't a low Fnat.
Steve Freereeder on the forum suggests playing it in the key of D, using the third voice if you have a 3 voice box to 'lower' the sound a bit.
In the key of D the run becomes A > B > Cnat > D and you have that on a normal 2 row DG.
Hope that is of some help and not confusing!
cheers
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Steve_freereeder

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #10 on: July 03, 2017, 07:49:45 AM »

The unusual bit is in the third bar, a run up through D > E > Fnat > G and is the 'special' bit in the tune that really stands out.
On my 2 row DG I haven't a low Fnat.
Steve Freereeder on the forum suggests playing it in the key of D, using the third voice if you have a 3 voice box to 'lower' the sound a bit.
In the key of D the run becomes A > B > Cnat > D and you have that on a normal 2 row DG.

Yes, quite right Q! I normally play the tune in D for just the reason you've stated. That little run in bar 3 is a fragment of a D minor scale and is definitely once of the 'hooks' which make the tune memorable. I made the original transcription into ABC, I think following a request from Ollie King on this forum, but I stuck to the original key of G on the Topic recording.

Here's a transposed version in D which means the little scale run is in A minor and easily playable on a D/G box.

X:2
T:Waterman's Hornpipe
T:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey
T:Version in D suitable for D/G melodeon
N:Transcribed by Steve Dumpleton
M:5/2
L:1/4
Q:1/2=96
K:Dmaj
P:A
d>e ff a/2f/2e/2f/2 dA A2 | d>e ff a/2f/2e/2f/2 dA A2 |
M:2/2
A/2B/2=c/2d/2 eA | A/2B/2=c/2d/2 eA | A/2B/2=c/2d/2 ea/2g/2 | fe f2|
d>e f>g | ad d2 | b2 ba | af/2g/2 af | d'f e2 | a>g fe/2f/2 |
d>e ff | a/2fe/2 ff | a/2fe/2 ff | a/2fe/2 fd |[M:3/2]gf e2 d2 ||
M:2/2
P:B
d'f d'f | e>d cB/2A/2 | B>c e/2d/2c/2B/2 | Ae e2 |
B>c B>c | dA A2 |B>c B/2c/2B/2c/2 | dA A2 | f>g fe/2f/2 | dA A2 |
A/2B/2=c/2d/2 eA | A/2B/2=c/2d/2 eA | A/2B/2=c/2d/2 ea/2g/2 | fe f2 |
d>e f>g | ad d2 | b2 ba | af/2g/2 af | d'f e2 | a>g fe/2f/2 |
d>e ff | a/2fe/2 ff | a/2fe/2 ff | a/2fe/2 fd |[M:3/2] gf e2 d2 |]
W:
W:Transcribed from the playing of Brass Monkey on Topic Records:
W:"The Complete Brass Monkey" TSCD 467.
W:From the sleeve notes:
W:One of several unusual and compelling tunes taken from the playing of John Stickle,
W:the Shetland fiddler, who was recorded in 1947 by Patrick Shuldham Shaw.
W:A selection of Stickle's music was published in the Journal of the
W:English Folk Dance and Song Society in 1968.
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2017, 08:08:49 AM »

Thanks Steve.
I find playing up the scale in D really does need a low third voice to 'bring it down' a bit and make it sound less squeaky.
That pesky Fnat is the only note I miss on a 2 row box.

I am just learning a new tune with a similar - but not the same -  run and in that instance I can transpose the bar up an octave to use the higher Fnat accidental at the chin end and it sounds ok. The entry and exit notes of the bar allow it to work, if that makes sense.
I don't think it works here.....
cheers
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Anahata

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2017, 08:17:49 AM »

I find playing up the scale in D really does need a low third voice to 'bring it down' a bit and make it sound less squeaky.

Playing it in the same position on a G/C box will bring it back to the usual pitch in G.

(just in case you needed an excuse to buy a G/C...  >:E )
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Help understanding song sheets
« Reply #13 on: July 03, 2017, 10:06:11 AM »

Thank you Anahata......  good advice but I think I've pushed my  luck enough lately!
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!
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