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Author Topic: Tune of the Month for March 2010 - The Plane Tree/Mominette  (Read 67644 times)

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zubz

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Here's an attempt of the Schottische version ... from one of the "mere mortals" of this parish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTYWUbynF7A

Chris
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juker

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Here's an attempt of the Schottische version ... from one of the "mere mortals" of this parish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTYWUbynF7A

Chris
Oh, well done mere mortal! You do a very relaxed version of the schottische. What a dilemma this month, to attempt the jig or schottische. I wish I knew something about dancing.
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Clive Williams

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Here's an attempt of the Schottische version ... from one of the "mere mortals" of this parish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTYWUbynF7A

Chris

Hang on, I think that's really rather good! The main difference between your version and mine [thanks for the kind comments everyone by the way] is the speed - if you playing for a french schottische dancing, you're a little quick. A good way to get the speed right is to whistle the tune in your head (or even play it if you can, but I can't!), while dancing it. As Chris says, it's step to the left (left-right-left), step to the right (right-left-right) (each of those is 1 bar), then spin with your partner for 2 bars and repeat (hopefully you end up in the same direction as when you started that spin!). So the whole dance only lasts 4 bars, and you'd have done it 8 times by the time you've played 2A and 2B musics.

In musical terms, in an almost hop-steppy way, you can think of it like...

1-2-3-and-1-2-3-and-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-and; 1-2-3-and-1-2-3-and-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-and (that's one A music; repeat for the second A music, and twice more for the B music's)

Try playing the tune, and deliberately miss a note and put a gap where I've written 'and' and see how that changes how it feels.  Then as you play it, you can put the notes back, but consider them as almost grace notes - they lead you into the next phrase, but aren't really important in their own right. 

... unless of course you're not playing for a dance in which case your version is great! I loved the variation in the A music towards the end - I shall of course steal that.

Cheers,

Clive

PS: Anahata, loved your jig version by the way! I do like flexible tunes like this.

zubz

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... unless of course you're not playing for a dance in which case your version is great! I loved the variation in the A music towards the end - I shall of course steal that.

Cheers,
Clive


Clive, you're a gentleman ... thank you for your comments, and for taking the time to explain so clearly.

I know ... I know ... it's too fast. I tried it with a metronome and it became clear where I'm running away with it. Somehow it didn't make it better when the metronome was back in its box! I think it's just still early days for me on the box and I'm too conscious of learning the mechanics ... but your version made it crystal clear - it's not the mechanics that matter, it's the musicality. (Of course, your "mechanics" are flawless! - but you get my point.)

I don't play for dance, so that's bound to be one of the contributory reasons for the pace. A band I'm in plays E European tunes & songs (for no other reason than we like them!) - they tend to be in 5/8, 7/8 or 15/8 time, so a bit more of a challenge for dance! ... but they also commonly pick up pace as the piece goes on ... done right, it's exciting.

But for this type of tune ... well, your own version makes it abundantly clear ... bouncy, but controlled is the way.
I shall print out and study your guidelines and see what difference that makes - thank you!

Cheers
Chris

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zubz

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What a dilemma this month, to attempt the jig or schottische.

Both!!  :||:   :|||:
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ladydetemps

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What is a schottische? Sounds like someone trying to say scottish while sneezing.  ;)

zubz

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What is a schottische? Sounds like someone trying to say scottish while sneezing.  ;)

erm ... as per your post in another thread ...

Quote
anyone got a dictionary? *shakes head* I'm sure its in english but can't understand....is it some kind of secret code?

 ;)
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Lester

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What is a schottische? Sounds like someone trying to say scottish while sneezing.  ;)

michik

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Roland Carson

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What is a schottische? Sounds like someone trying to say scottish while sneezing.  ;)

Now that's opened the proverbial can of worms I think ;o)

Roland
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Ellie

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Wow, some fab versions already. Numerous takes later, here's my offering with a smaller smattering of mistakes than the other versions! The Plane Tree, originally learned at a folk camp weekend last summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HYoULrd9fw.  Next to learn it as a schottische...and to learn to count to two  ::)
« Last Edit: March 05, 2010, 10:44:34 PM by Ellie »
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Pete Dunk

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Ellie, along with other interpretations posted here this reminds me greatly of a half remembered Huw & Tony Williams recording that I think was the first track on the Rosemary's Sister album - something to do with dragons if memory serves. Lovely bouncy rhythm and well played. Mistakes? yep, but we all make them and you didn't let it throw you. Proper troubadour stuff that.

Clive and Anahata left me stunned and I reckon Chris has done himself a disservice by describing himself as a 'mere mortal'. We're all mortal, it's just that some are more mortal than others, that might change with practice though.  ;D

I'm suddenly feeling dyslexic and can't remember the rules about practise and practice. Time for bed!
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Chris Ryall

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Danced in: Austria: Germany: Catalonia: Sweden

Fascinating, thanks. I'd done it with Swedes, rather like their demo but less arranged. Our present tune seems to arise from the anglo-french connection. I knew of a germanic tradition - but not that they'd invented it!

Anyone wanting to get a feel for the dance's general style - the German clip looks particularly clear. Er .... are you quite sure that third one, Xotis isn't a Catalonian line dance ???

[edit] Chris Ryall will approve of my terminology here  ;)

Right up Trumpington my street  ;) 
« Last Edit: March 06, 2010, 09:29:16 AM by Chris Ryall »
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Sandy

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Wow, some fab versions already. Numerous takes later, here's my offering with a smaller smattering of mistakes than the other versions! The Plane Tree, originally learned at a folk camp weekend last summer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HYoULrd9fw.  Next to learn it as a schottische...and to learn to count to two  ::)

It's nice to hear this tune done at a steady pace and I really love the bass pattern and the couple of sustained basses in the B part. Sorry I can't be more musically specific, I just like what I hear. I too had learnt the Plane tree but think I played it too fast and with an haphazard bass pattern.

Clive's schottische has blown me  away. It's jumped to the top of the list of 'try to learn'.

cheers

Sandy
 (:)

Alison Scott

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Fair chance everyone already knows this and I've just not been paying attention.
But this seems to source the title acquired by the scottische:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Accordeonaire#p/u/3/mp_12SA4NZc
as being given it by Gary Chapin.

I was just about to quote this. I don't know when Undine Hornby wrote The Plane Tree, but I'm starting to conclude that there may well be no 'French trad Scottiche' -- that what's happened is that the Plane Tree crossed the channel, got picked up in sessions, and everyone assumed it was traditional (sort of like Metro Waltz in reverse) -- and then it got this name attached to it rather arbitrarily.

I think I will certainly think very hard before attaching a name to a tune that people say "oh, it's trad but we don't know what it's called".

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Not sure I agree with them unless one equates 'country' with 'traditional. I've always stood opposite partner in a Coutry Dance. "Contre"

So the term "country dancing" may be nothing to do with an idyllic rural pastime, but a corruption of the word "contre" where you stand opposite your partner in a set, rather than beside them in circle or square, and would have applied to court dances rather than what farm workers supposedly danced in their barns. That would be where contra dancing gets it's name, too.
Interesting.


But still there is something about the tunes which suggests to me that the scottische came first - just a couple of places in the jig where the melody seems a bit forced.

Yes, I'd agree with that.
If you write a tune by just taking an existing tune and putting a new rhythm to it, can you really claim to have written it?
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Anahata

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Ellie:
Lovely bouncy rhythm

Wot 'e said. And what Sandy said about steady pace too.
I also liked the two bold long notes in the middle of the B music, and though my choice of harmony was different from yours I had wondered about playing a C chord  at the beginning of the B music,  and you have demonstrated that this works well.
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Ellie

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Quote from: sandy
I too had learnt the Plane tree but think I played it too fast and with an haphazard bass pattern.

I know - that's sort of how I learnt it too, hence making a specific effort to slow it down (which is somehow really quite hard!). Cheers everyone for the comments - it's really useful to hear what works for others and what doesn't  (:)

Quote
Clive's schottische has blown me  away. It's jumped to the top of the list of 'try to learn'.

The best advert yet I've seen for buying a C/F I think!

boblsturm

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This month I was able to get on top of the tune early. I think my Schottische sounds a bit Eastern European.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFycIghqBtg

Now I am going to learn Clive's version, and then try to put it in an odd measure.
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Chris Ryall

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It does. Something to do with the A minor key perhaps?  I suspect the odd B# leading note would really have put it on the Volga!

Quote
Clive's schottische has blown me  away. It's jumped to the top of the list of 'try to learn'.
The best advert yet I've seen for buying a C/F I think!

Y'know - I don't honestly think it has anything to do with C/F.    It was the way he played it.  :D



[edit]  Liked GBH's swung version too (bleow).  8) That old fella looks remakably like 'Old King Bruce' on Braveheart last night. OK - he has a few more fingers ....
« Last Edit: March 07, 2010, 03:53:15 PM by Chris Ryall »
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