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[Roger Hare]

I might be playing (with my fellow band members) at an Anglo-German social evening in October.

Can anyone recommend a few German dance tunes which might be suitable for such an event? I have
a file of German tunes in ABC format, but just don't know which of them are likely to be well-known
and/or suitable for such an event.

I already know 'Vedder Michel', but a couple more might be a good idea...

Ta.

[Matthew B]

This is an excellent source for German, Bavarian, and Austrian folk-dance tunes https://www.stammtischmusik.at/.  I'm not sure which are the most popular, but some names seem to crop up fairly frequently.  For example there is Boxhamerisch Zwiefach, one of the zweifacher-style tunes that switch between 3/4 and 2/4 time.  They're fun to play, and if anyone knows the dance steps they're really entertaining to watch. 

[smiley]

A couple of my favourite old German 3/4 tunes that suit the D/G box are the Schnee Waltz and Du, du liegst mir im Herzen.
They'd be very familiar to those from older generations. I've attached the sheet music for both.

[Roger Hare]

This is an excellent source for German, Bavarian, and Austrian folk-dance tunes https://www.stammtischmusik.at/.
I'm not sure which are the most popular, but some names seem to crop up fairly frequently.  For example there is
Boxhamerisch Zwiefach, one of the zweifacher-style tunes that switch between 3/4 and 2/4 time.  They're fun to
play, and if anyone knows the dance steps they're really entertaining to watch.

Ooh goodie! That looks really good. I'll have to download some of the sheet music (for the real
musicians in the group) and transcribe it to ABC (for me - I don't sight-read). I already clocked
a couple of tunes which sound very much like what I'm looking for.

Thanks you very much indeed - the file of tunes I already have looks a bit suspect - for example,
it includes such tunes as 'Trip to Broadford' - which I'm a little doubtful about...

Roger.

5 minutes later: Hm! I can't see a search window on that site, but I found Die Alte Kath elsewhere
which claims to be the same as Boxhamerisch Zwiefach. I'll give that a go...

[Roger Hare]

A couple of my favourite old German 3/4 tunes that suit the D/G box are the Schnee Waltz and Du, du liegst mir im Herzen.
They'd be very familiar to those from older generations. I've attached the sheet music for both.

Great stuff! Thank you very much. I'll try and work 'em out later today.
Roger

Oops! I said '3/4 tunes', by which I meant 'a few' - unintentionally confusing! I edited my OP...

[Tone Dumb Greg]

How about Lilly Marlene?

[Fred]

"Die alte Kath" is also spelled "Die oide Kath" in Bavarian (same song, different name). It's a very nice and simple song to play. Have a listen here: https://soundcloud.com/laubblaeser/oide-kath-take-1 I've recorded it roughly a year ago but mind you, I've played it fairly fast. Most dancers probably wouldn't like it as fast as this. ;-)

"Zwiefacher" is a dance which has its roots in southern Germany, especially Bavaria, and Austria. It's not very hard to dance.
In its simplest form you have two bars 3/4 and two bars 2/4. This means that you will dance two bars Waltz and two bars two-step.

You can find a nice instructional video of the Bayrischer Rundfunk (Bavarian television) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfHcrsAygmU
Mind you, it's in German. The dancing steps should be self-explanatory though.

If you want to listen to some more Zwiefache to get a feeling for them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLd1Noxyneo

And if you're able to understand German, here's a little documentary about Zwiefache and where they came from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9aa7qdPW8M

Best wishes, Fred

[TomBom]

Boxhamerisch Zwiefach = Oide Kath = Alte Kath = Die alte Kath. It's one tune
Probably the Zwiefacher everyone knows - an easy one because 3/4 and 2/4 alternate regularly.

I think Smiley's tunes are excellent.

From northern Germany: https://www.dancilla.com/wiki/index.php/Lott_is_dood
Sternpolka: https://www.volksmusik.cc/volkstanz/sternpolka.htm

[Roger Hare]

How about Lilly Marlene?

Aah, great tune - good thought. I've added it to the list. My only problem is that when playing it
(I can, just), I always find myself singing the words of 'D-Day Dodgers'...

[Roger Hare]

Fred, TomBom, thanks for those extra resources - I'm ABC'ing one of 'em right now,
and the videos are a blast. I'm beginning to gather together a respectable little list.
Thank you both.

[TomBom]

Code: [Select]

X: 3
T:Boxhamerisch Zwiefach
T:Unser alte Kath
M:3/4
L:1/8
K:Dmaj
|:"D"A3G FG|A4d2 |[M:2/4]"A7"c2e2|"D"d2f2|[M:3/4]A3G FG|A4d2|[M:2/4]"A7"c2e2|"D"d4 :|
|:[M:3/4]"G"B2gfg2|"D"A2fef2|[M:2/4]"A7"c2e2 | d2f2|[M:3/4]"G"B2gfg2|"D"A2 fe f2|[M:2/4]"A7"c2e2|"D"d4:|

Roger, you can download .cap files on volksmusik.cc. If you are using Musescore you can play the files and transpose etc. Just click on "Capella-prof-Datei downloaden".

[Sebastian]

I might be playing (with my fellow band members) at an Anglo-German social evening in October.

Are they from Germany or from Bavaria?

(How old will the visitors be? Do they have a "folky" background or do you search for normal popular music?)

Besides the Schneewalzer, maybe Herr Schmidt? https://youtu.be/pvApyf95UFA

In Hamburg und in Altona: https://youtu.be/CorhbA22FsY

Very well known should be the Kreuzpolka: https://youtu.be/TAkWCEgc37c

[smiley]

Are they from Germany or from Bavaria?

One of Sebastian's video links led me to a wonderful resource called TradTanzMusik

I'd wondered about the lack of recorded examples of traditional dance music from the german-speaking regions (besides beerhall lederhosen stuff) but a quick listen through some of the TradTanzMusik videos shows the wealth of lovely traditional tunes to be found in German manuscripts etc.

Thanks for opening my eyes and ears to another great folk music tradition. I'd like to play some of these tunes on a 1920s german lute-guitar that's been handed down to me.

[Roger Hare]

1 Are they from Germany or from Bavaria?

2 (How old will the visitors be? Do they have a "folky" background or do you search for normal popular music?)

3 Very well known should be the Kreuzpolka: https://youtu.be/TAkWCEgc37c

1 &2 Not sure, good point, I''ll check. (A bit like the question 'Are they from France or from Brittany' )
Later: They are from North-Rhine/Westphalia...

3 I had sort of thought that Kreuzpolka are/is Swiss, but I now see it's probably not so tightly defined...

Ta

[Sebastian]

a wonderful resource called TradTanzMusik

The copies and transcriptions of the manuscripts, they use, you will find at: http://tanzmusikarchiv.de/?page_id=12 and http://tanzmusikarchiv.de/archiv/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Quellenverzeichnis_Tanzmusik.pdf

[Roger Hare]

a wonderful resource called TradTanzMusik

The copies and transcriptions of the manuscripts, they use, you will find at: http://tanzmusikarchiv.de/?page_id=12 and http://tanzmusikarchiv.de/archiv/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Quellenverzeichnis_Tanzmusik.pdf

Aah! Thank you. Meat-and-drink to me, this sort of stuff, at the moment. I will look at these MSS as soon as I get a chance.
Thanks again.

[Matthew B]

This is an excellent source for German, Bavarian, and Austrian folk-dance tunes https://www.stammtischmusik.at/.

I can't see a search window on that site

No search window, just an epic list.  Click on "Noten" and then explore the tabs. "Notenschrift" gives notes.  Other tabs give. . . . tabs (tablature).  If you use google to search "https://www.stammtischmusik.at" + Zweifach it brings you to a long list of Zweifachers: https://www.stammtischmusik.at/noten/adventstuecke.shtml/noten/adventstuecke.shtml

If you click on a title you get the sheet music..  And if you click on the image of the sheet music you get a midi file downloaded to your computer.

[smiley]

...  it brings you to a long list of Zweifachers: ....

all this talk of  "Zweifachers"  is affecting my delicate sensitivities ...

[Matthew B]

all this talk of  "Zweifachers"  is affecting my delicate sensitivities ...

See you.

Raise you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SEQU_aQ60M

[Roger Hare]

...No search window, just an epic list.  Click on "Noten" and then explore the tabs. "Notenschrift" gives notes

Got it! I assumed Noten meant notes, as in footnotes, rather than notes as in staff notation.
Ta.