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[The Oul' Boy]

Hi all,

I thought it was time to revisit Dave Mallinson's lesson in his Absolute Beginners book on adding drone bass to tunes (playing Speed the Plough, which I can play with oom-pah already). The instructions he gives are clear enough, and it will just take practice to get timings right, but the main problem I'm having is that when I drone a bass on my Pokerwork, it sounds like a fog-horn or cantankerous (if somewhat tuneful) goose, and totally dominates everything, whereas the 'snappy off-beat chords' sound quiet in comparison. Of course on Dave Mallinson's accompanying CD, it sounds fine, like a nice little 'toot' that blends in perfectly (of course, he's not playing a Pokerwork). Can anyone offer any thoughts on this experience?

Thanks,

Warren.

[Theo]

Agreed Hohner basses are not the best for drones. You could try just using the chords, though I find that works best if you have no thirds in your chords.

[The Oul' Boy]

Agreed Hohner basses are not the best for drones. You could try just using the chords, though I find that works best if you have no thirds in your chords.

I've tried with chords, but it doesn't harmonise as well, perhaps as you say because of the thirds. I think I'll just learn the technique anyway so that I know how to do it when I play something more subtle!

(ps. I'll be in touch at some point again about getting the box fettled; I've been ill with Covid for several months, so it's not been a priority, but I still would like to get those fixes done)

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Just wondering, How do you drone tunes which require lots of changes in bellows direction?

Be careful. This is how MADness starts.

[Julian S]

2.something box with reversals...g chord on pull as well, cross row...(but there's always notes missing !)
I've also got an Em push chord not that I'm smug...

J

[The Oul' Boy]

Just wondering, How do you drone tunes which require lots of changes in bellows direction?

Be careful. This is how MADness starts.

In this case just short drones over several notes in the same direction, which of course isn't possible in many cases.

[bellowpin]

(ps. I'll be in touch at some point again about getting the box fettled; I've been ill with Covid for several months, so it's not been a priority, but I still would like to get those fixes done)

    glad to hear that you are back from brink. we all seem to be getting vulnerable age wise. get well and stay lucky.
      as for droning push/pull,   the "C"  bass looks like the first choice. I wonder if  the thirds were taped up on one side. you could have both options.   all the best brian.. 

[The Oul' Boy]

    glad to hear that you are back from brink. we all seem to be getting vulnerable age wise. get well and stay lucky.
      as for droning push/pull,   the "C"  bass looks like the first choice. I wonder if  the thirds were taped up on one side. you could have both options.   all the best brian..

Thanks Brian! I'll chat to Theo about possible options, as I need various other fixes done.

[george garside]

drone when it sounds ok- don't when it doesn't!
george

[The Oul' Boy]

drone when it sounds ok- don't when it doesn't!

Unfortunately it's mostly sounding not OK! Like, Dave Mallinson suggests trying out a quick drone on the A fundamental in the 2nd bar of Constant Billy along with the A-B-C note sequence, which sounds great on his recording but sounds like a honk on my Pokerwork.

[Lester]

You can use the C chord as a drone over some tunes, like Theo said best without the 3rds.
https://youtu.be/EF2M3BUajsI?t=111

[Theo]

You can use a D drone too, but you have to swap buttons when change bellows direction.   Andy Cutting does a drone thing where he does a D drone with a chord sequence of D A D G one chord per bar.   Of course you need the right tune to go with that, but its fun as an exercise, and it does sound best when the chords have thirds.

[Tone Dumb Greg]

You can use the C chord as a drone over some tunes, like Theo said best without the 3rds.
https://youtu.be/EF2M3BUajsI?t=111

I know that works a treat with Bagpipers, but are there any other suggestions for tunes that you can  drone C to?

[The Oul' Boy]

Just for avoidance of doubt, I'm not asking about droning for prolonged periods, but just short bursts of sustained fundamental over a several notes, rather than oom-pahing.

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Just for avoidance of doubt, I'm not asking about droning for prolonged periods, but just short bursts of sustained fundamental over a several notes, rather than oom-pahing.

More like block chords?

[The Oul' Boy]

Well, little blocks of the fundamental button, not the chord button.

[Peadar]

Well, little blocks of the fundamental button, not the chord button.

A wee suggetion...
Try Winstter Gallop ( I would say on the D row ) just use the fundemental and chord buttons..... Di Dah Di Dah (Gaelic version of Oom Pah !) for the first four notes and then just hold down the fundemental (Di) for the rest of the tune. I think you might be pleasantly surprised by the result.



 

[Thrupenny Bit]

Glad to hear you're on the up Oul' Boy.
Just to say... oom pah is not obligatory!
You can ooom a bit, pahh a bit, mirror the melody for a phrase on the basses and everything in between.
Essentially, play around a bit and have fun!
You never know where it'll end, and you'll probably have made a discovery on the way
Go for it 
Q

[The Oul' Boy]

Glad to hear you're on the up Oul' Boy.
Just to say... oom pah is not obligatory!
You can ooom a bit, pahh a bit, mirror the melody for a phrase on the basses and everything in between.
Essentially, play around a bit and have fun!
You never know where it'll end, and you'll probably have made a discovery on the way
Go for it 
Q

Thanks Q! Indeed, it is moving away from oom-pah that has highlighted this issue. The bass fundamentals are so loud and dominating that doing anything with them other than a quick oom doesn't sound particularly good (so far...).

[Thrupenny Bit]

I think I might of said already somewhere....
My very good ( excellent player ) friend who strongly recommended I learn both ends at once then said ' and once you can um pah, don't! '
You have an almost octave of basses bar an F#, so putting in a little bass run is quite fun.
Lester of this parish has several tunes that are playable on the left hand. Great fun, and something to noodle around with. It gets your left hand moving, expands the brain and gets you thinking about other things. I like finding bass runs!
If as you say your fundamental notes are dominant, why not try chords only for part of the tune that gets lost?
I frequently use block bass/chords, playing both together too, and occasionally I um pah!!!
.... and in the privacy of your own home no one can hear if it all goes wrong. Experimentation is the key.
Good luck!
Q