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Author Topic: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)  (Read 7567 times)

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Prestidigitator

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An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« on: August 04, 2009, 10:51:49 AM »

Does anyone have any suggestions about avoiding "I want to play this" overload?

There's so much good stuff flooding in from all over the place that I think I need a 25 hour day solidly learning and playing just to keep up.

I'm inclined to blame it on Youtube and people like that Rees Wesson putting tunes such as "Zuppa Inglese" on it. When I heard it, I knew I just had to learn it. The only trouble is that a couple of other Andy Cutting pieces grabbed my attention at the same time. Much more of this and I'll be in the Zuppa big time!
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Theo

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2009, 11:26:07 AM »

There is no cure, the only consolation is that the more you learn the easier it gets, but then you start forgetting the ones you learned a while ago.
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mikesamwild

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2009, 01:23:06 PM »

I'm forgetting more than I learn, the names at least.  The tunes do just pop out unbidden.  they say if you know the names of all the tunes you play you don't know enough!
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Mike in Sheffield

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ganderbox

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2009, 01:34:27 PM »

The problem is, all the tunes I want to learn are difficult ones, and even when I've worked them out it takes forever to actually be able to play them through without totally falling apart. Even when I can do that, it takes a long time before I have the courage to play them outside the safety of my own home, and some of them never see the light of day at all.
It therefore seems that my "useable" repertoire grows at a pitifully slow rate, and when I go to sessions I end up churning out the same old stuff I was playing years ago.
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Pauline from Cornwall

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Tamba

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2009, 05:31:48 PM »

I've read this thread with interest as lately I've been trying to play everything/anything I like the sound of on Youtube. To answer your question Prestidigitator I think the best thing to do is lay off Youtube for a month, don't learn any new tunes and just play through the ones you have learnt until you can play them like yourself. This is what I intend to do. I agree with Ganderbox, some of the tunes you spend time learning never become part of your repertiore as maybe they are a bit too tricky in the first place (or maybe just don't suit your natural style of playing). Although it is good to push yourself I think it's probably better to play tunes that you are comfortable with and that you can put a bit of yourself into. I'm not knocking Youtube, it is a fantastic resource but it can lead to all sorts of melodeon envy!

So I'll ban myself from learning new tunes for a month and let you know how it goes (or at least I will when I have finished learning this fantastic Mexican mazurka played by a Polish guy on an Australian box, living in Thailand !)  ;)
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Hasse

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2009, 08:12:05 PM »

The easiest answer would be to concentrate on the real ear catchers, the tunes that sticks to your brain, these tunes are often easy and fast to learn because you already got them in your system. The other thing you can do is simply to explore the musical traditions  were ever you live at the moment. Bring some recording device to session, dance or whatever they do when playing music. Not always the easiest way to learn new tunes, but certainly the most inspiration and fun!

So simply: stay away from youtube for awhile, explore new tunes - ear catchers from the traditions that are alive around you, learn some new tunes and finally post these tunes on youtube  - keep the circle unbroken  ;)
« Last Edit: August 04, 2009, 08:31:04 PM by Hasse »
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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2009, 08:52:30 AM »

Thanks for the sage words on this topic.

I think I'll follow the advice and stay away from Youtube (and Myspace too), at least for the while. I've got a motley list of tunes I'm keen on at the moment (a Breton gavotte, Sir Thomas Fairfax's March (a C17th jig), and some more contemporary pieces - including "Zuppa") which together make a varied and interesting set.

Best I buckle down and learn them properly, as they're stuffed with lovely but difficult twiddly bits.

However, I bet (myself) that I find my finger straying toward the Youtube Bookmark button at some point, especially if I just happen to notice an interesting link posted in the "Tunes" section of the Forum.
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mikesamwild

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2009, 12:36:52 PM »

Interesting discussion.  Traditional musicians often had a smallish local repertoire and played tunes through a lot longer (I wonder if the 78 record was seen as the YouTube of the day- ' Now boy keep off them newfangled shellacs and play what we've allus played round these parts! Nooe likes a smartarse'


Although I read that Irish musicians often used to go round to a music reader's for a play and get new tunes for The Book ie O'Neill's, and from 78s. These then got into the local tradition after the famine and emigration reduced the number of musicians around.


I wonder whether Scottish tunes got into Morris this way, or just from travelling musicians..
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Mike in Sheffield

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ganderbox

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2009, 12:59:09 PM »

There's so much good stuff flooding in from all over the place that I think I need a 25 hour day solidly learning and playing just to keep up.


This is the problem...to much information. Not only are there new tunes all over the place, but we can look them all up on websites to get the dots or ABC and end up with bulging folders of music that we will never get round to learning. Then we can find out about how to play in different styles with Irish ornamentation or French cross-rowing and practice all that, then we need the right boxes to play them on, and so on.....it never ends.

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Pauline from Cornwall

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ladydetemps

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2009, 01:03:48 PM »

Oh I have lots and lots I'd love to learn....but 99.9% I can't play. So I just get fustrated.

george garside

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #10 on: August 05, 2009, 01:10:34 PM »

The problem with 'tune chasing' (which we all do) is that  some never give themselves the chance to learn to play the box!  Learning how to work the box like a well oiled machine i.e. developing the manual dexterity & skill required to get the best out of it irrespective of tune and also honing listening skills actually facilitates playing more tunes as you only have the new tune to worry about rather than the 'how do I do this with the box'

Perhaps a good compromise is to develop a relatively small number of 'sunday best' tunes  & keep going back to improve them whilst still trying new stuff.

george
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Bill the Farmer

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #11 on: August 05, 2009, 05:52:51 PM »

If you play for a morris side and go to local sessions, you build up a repertoire of tunes you have to learn for morris, and tunes you learn to keep your head above water at the sessions. Eventually you will build up a small collection of tunes you are confident enough in to lead at a session, and tunes you can play well enough to play on your own for morris. As well there will be a whole load of tunes that you can play along with at a session, possibly missing a few bits, provided someone else is leading it. When you hear a tune you really like, you learn it if you can.
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TomB-R

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #12 on: August 05, 2009, 06:05:59 PM »

There's a wonderful piece on Marc Savoy's site (Maker of "Acadian" Cajun boxes.)

The URL doesn't change but the site is
http://www.savoymusiccenter.com/
Follow the links to "Writings" and "Helpful Hints for Learning Songs and Playing Your Accordion"
(though everything he says is worth reading.)

In essence Marc is saying (IMHO) "the music has to be in you, instruments and technique are just a way of getting it out."  When you can "sing" the tune (in your head if need be,) pick up the instrument and you can play it.

Or as Shetland fiddler Tom Anderson said "You should never learn a tune you don't know!"
(Sorry to be boring, I've quoted that here before.)
Tom (But not Anderson, he's deid, "mair's the pity!")


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ladydetemps

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2009, 06:32:15 PM »

Thats silly. I have lots of songs that get stuck in my head couldnt play them if my life depended on it.

Andy Cutting

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2009, 08:13:06 PM »

Hello. My two pennith would be to be (very) choosy about tunes to learn. When first starting out the wish to play everything is great but just too daunting. find a player you like and preferably know and start with their repertoire. I did this with Ian Dedic (of this board). I started off with only one or two tunes and after six months or so. Having learnt one or two tunes a week I had a very complete range of tunes for playing in sessions. Practice on just the tunes of the week focused my learning.
Andy
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TomB-R

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #15 on: August 05, 2009, 11:33:51 PM »

Thats silly. I have lots of songs that get stuck in my head couldnt play them if my life depended on it.

Well, that all depends doesn't it?
If it works for some people, (as it does) might there be an angle worthy of not immediate dismissal?
 ::)  ::)  ::)  ;D
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Prestidigitator

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2009, 08:12:46 AM »

Hello. My two pennith would be to be (very) choosy about tunes to learn. When first starting out the wish to play everything is great but just too daunting. find a player you like and preferably know and start with their repertoire. I did this with Ian Dedic (of this board). I started off with only one or two tunes and after six months or so. Having learnt one or two tunes a week I had a very complete range of tunes for playing in sessions. Practice on just the tunes of the week focused my learning.
Andy
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ladydetemps

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #17 on: August 06, 2009, 09:04:47 AM »

Thats silly. I have lots of songs that get stuck in my head couldnt play them if my life depended on it.

Well, that all depends doesn't it?
If it works for some people, (as it does) might there be an angle worthy of not immediate dismissal?
 ::)  ::)  ::)  ;D

I know shouldn't have said silly (although if you have a instrument not capeable of playing all the notes in the tune in your head...technically you couldn't play it no matter how hard you tried)...but I'm plateauing...and its making me angry and fustrated and I'm lashing out. I hate being so musically stupid.
 I'm going to go bash my head against a wall now...
« Last Edit: August 06, 2009, 09:14:57 AM by ladydetemps »
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jb

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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #18 on: August 06, 2009, 09:14:58 AM »

actually i'm with ladydetemps on this. The idea, if accurately cited, that if you can (mentally) sing a tune then you can play it, clearly is silly. Yes, silly.
For a start, as she points out, your voice (and your head) can do things that your instrument almost certainly can't.
As it happens I think that singing a tune can be a valuable part of figuring out how best to play it, but certainly not sufficient.

[edit:]  i suppose that a gifted player who had reached a level of being at one with his/her instrument might be able to play almost immediately anything that s/he could sing. But that kind of ability is rare in my experience, and in any case would make the idea more an aspiration than a general prescription or method.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2009, 09:36:13 AM by jb »
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Re: An embarassment of riches (tunes to learn, that is)
« Reply #19 on: August 06, 2009, 09:24:18 AM »

Time for a parable...

The Young and the old Bull looked down the hill to the herd of cows below... let's run down and grab one says the young'un...

I'd rather walk down and get them all says the old'un....

..... :|||:


patience is a virtue, desired by many, possessed by few ;D
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