Topic: Theme of the Month for November 2011: 32 Bar Reels and Polkas (Read 13920 times)

Clive Williams · « **on:** November 01, 2011, 01:13:01 AM »

It's back!

Many of us play/have played/will play in ceilidh/dance bands/sides, and if you're like me, it's always hard to find nice tunes to play. So, how about, as an occasional series every couple of months or so, we cover the various types of tunes you're likely to need/want, 32 bar jigs, 48 bar jigs, 32 bar reels, polkas, waltzes, and on the euro front, mazurkas, 2 and 3 time bourrees, 5-time waltzes, andro's/laride's, etc... and so on. It might take a while, but in a year or two we should have a nice little repertoire library!

So, this month we're going to do one of the staple tune types for ceilidh; 32 bar reels and polkas. Do you have a set of them you particularly like? Or even try writing a new one; and with our readership, it'll have a good chance of other people and bands hearing it, playing it and perhaps in time it'll take off and become a new classic?!

Cheers,

Clive

folkbluesnbeyond · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2011, 10:49:37 AM »

A rainy Saturday morning and a mini selection. Description is in the notes on YT but if anyone can identify the first tune, and/or the composer of Traveller's Joy please post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyf-sjldK4g

All the best from soggy Suffolk

Bill

sqwzboxstudent · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2011, 12:31:43 PM »

dunno how many bars this has but i havent done much TOTM stuff lately!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpi-cDRwkkc

pikey · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2011, 05:20:02 PM »

A few to go at here, all played on the Dino Baffetti Black Pearl III:

Two tunes from the Yorkshire Dales, Buttered Peas, and another one (I can't remember what it's called!). Cracking tunes for the dance called Buttered Peas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTHZQ9g902E

Next a set put together by D0r. Jim Sharpe, Golden Slippers and Year of Jubilo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zUexx8i5sY

Followed by a Yorkshire tune written by a German, and a German tune not written by a Yorkshireman : Huntsmans Chorus, from Buckden in the Yorkshire Dales, based on a tune from an opera by Weber, then Beethovens 9th choral (commonly known as 'Beethovens')!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IULiaFfCH_o

And now a three tune set, useful for Circasssian Circle : Jenny Lind (the Swedish Nightingale), Down The Road (an old music hall song) and Bacup (from the Bacup coconut dancers).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2VEODB6Z3c

And finally, a set of two Irish polkas, Tralee Gaol, and Maggie in the Wood (the 2-part version).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYVhSkaqz6U

Enjoy!

Pikey

JohnA · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2011, 05:55:14 PM »

Eeeh grand stuff Pikey - you're making me quite nostalgic - I remember Jim playing them ALL those years ago.

Cheers John

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #5 on:** November 05, 2011, 06:00:43 PM »

Quote from: pikey on November 05, 2011, 05:20:02 PM

A few to go at here, all played on the Dino Baffetti Black Pearl III:

Two tunes from the Yorkshire Dales, Buttered Peas, and another one (I can't remember what it's called!). Cracking tunes for the dance called Buttered Peas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTHZQ9g902E

Nice, jolly playing!

In case you've got the order muddled in your head, Buttered Peas is actually the second tune in your set. Of the first tune: the A music is from one of a set of polkas called simply "the Kerry polkas", although someone else might know a less prosaic name. However, the B music of that first tune doesn't go with the A music; it seems to be a variant of the B music of 'The Flowers of Edinburgh'.

Anahata · « **Reply #6 on:** November 08, 2011, 11:29:16 PM »

Here are Foul Weather Call and Beatrice Hill's (again) this time played on a 1 row in C.
In the band we do them in D and I play a D/G two row, but these are both good tunes on a 1 row.
In fact I think Beatrice may have come off a bit better on this one, despite a few wrong notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU8nuTsKDOQ

Anahata · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2011, 10:32:25 PM »

And two more: Jack Robinson and Mount Hills

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ-roEdB43c

Hugh Taylor · « **Reply #8 on:** November 11, 2011, 12:25:59 PM »

Anahata · « **Reply #9 on:** November 11, 2011, 01:03:21 PM »

Quote from: Hugh Taylor on November 11, 2011, 12:25:59 PM

Errr...am I missing something here, as I have always thought that a polka was different to a reel?

Can of worms alert!
There seems to be considerable confusion. In the South of England, reels almost became extinct, helped no doubt by Old Swan Band releasing an album titled "No Reels", part of a campaign to bring back English music to an "English dance" scene that was getting dominated by American reels and Irish music. Now when a caller asks for reels or polkas they seem to be considered interchangeable (yes, dancers who know their steps will dance them differently, of course)

The North of England has never had a problem with reels, it seems, and maybe never had quite the same problem with its dance music being overrun with foreign influences. The North and South have different ideas on how to play and dance rants too, it seems.

Hornpipes are also sometimes played as slightly slower reels, apart from the ones that are played for step-hop dances in a dotted rhythm.

If anybody can explain all this properly I'll be very grateful!

Gandy · « **Reply #10 on:** November 11, 2011, 01:57:58 PM »

Thinking of the coarser sort of Scottish ceilidh (and short of leaping round the room humming Soldiers Joy to confirm) I "think" that a reel would be danced two steps per bar, and played with two strong beats to match. Very much two groups of four notes, rather than four groups of two.

pikey · « **Reply #11 on:** November 11, 2011, 03:31:54 PM »

Another Polka set:

Cooraclare Polka, followed by Dark Girl Dressed in Blue. Played on the Dino Special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzx-CTdf5r0

Chris Brimley · « **Reply #12 on:** November 11, 2011, 05:21:14 PM »

Quote

Errr...am I missing something here, as I have always thought that a polka was different to a reel?

Here's my take on this - I don't know if I've got it right, and I hope I'm not walking into a lion's den?:

I've always assumed it was all to do with slight differences in speed and emphasis of the 4/4 beats, in line with the rhythm of the dances, so that a reel would be quite a fast walk, with the first and third beat per bar being evenly emphasised , a polka would be slightly slower, with the characteristic 'dum bum bum, dum bum bum' rhythm or perhaps 'dum bm bum, dum bm bum', and a rant would be slightly slower still, with a 'b-dum bum bum, b-dum bum bum' or 'b-dumbm bum, b-dumbm bum' rhythm. (I know there are English regional variations in the rant step, but don't know what effects they have on the music itself.) I agree with Anahata that many tunes are interchangeable, and they can often be played with different beat emphasis to suit. There are I feel many tunes where the natural emphasis in the tune follows the polka rhythm so much that they fit those dances best. Undotted hornpipes seem to me to be the slowest of the tunes, and tend to have quite an even ('chugga chugga chugga chugga') beat which often fits well with rock-style percussion. It seems to me that these last tunes are often unsuccessful and lose their charm if you try to play them fast for the other dances, except that occasionally undotted hornpipes played fast will work as reels, and vice versa, presumably because they have the same evenness in rhythm.

(Crossing my fingers as I press the return key!)

forrest · « **Reply #13 on:** November 11, 2011, 11:04:41 PM »

Here's an offering for this theme, played on an old (20's or 30's) Supertone in Bb/Eb. This box is a project that I have been working at quite slowly due to heavy work schedule in the world of getting by. It's the Ballydesmond Polka #3, which makes a good set when played with #1. Would have done that, but my playing of #1 is not so good at the moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vhKR4EOKg1Y

smiley · « **Reply #14 on:** November 12, 2011, 02:55:07 AM »

Quote from: j.w.forrest on November 11, 2011, 11:04:41 PM

Here's an offering for this theme, played on an old (20's or 30's) Supertone in Bb/Eb.

That's a lovely sounding box, and your tasteful playing has turned an old tune I've taken for granted into something quite special. Great choice of bass chords.

Anahata · « **Reply #15 on:** November 12, 2011, 09:46:06 AM »

Quote from: dogbox on November 12, 2011, 02:55:07 AM

That's a lovely sounding box, and your tasteful playing has turned an old tune I've taken for granted into something quite special. Great choice of bass chords.

What he said - a gorgeous sound, and harmonies a little off the beaten track which still fit nicely.

Anahata · « **Reply #16 on:** November 12, 2011, 04:46:55 PM »

Another couple of band and session favourites, and a bit seasonal:

Fireside Polka and Albert Farmer's Bonfire Tune

tjsmithdog5 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 12, 2011, 05:10:57 PM »

Quote from: j.w.forrest on November 11, 2011, 11:04:41 PM

Here's an offering for this theme, played on an old (20's or 30's) Supertone in Bb/Eb. This box is a project that I have been working at quite slowly due to heavy work schedule

That's some project, Forrest. When those basses really get going around 1:15 I start looking around for the tuba. What a sound!

**DTN** · « **Reply #18 on:** November 12, 2011, 06:40:02 PM »

Nice!....

Chris Brimley · « **Reply #19 on:** November 12, 2011, 07:13:38 PM »

Great stuff from Anahata and j.w.forrest!

Here's my offering:

http://www.onmvoice.com/play.php?a=72655

A slightly spoof tune I wrote some years ago - 'My Love She's Fed on Lassie'.

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Author Topic: Theme of the Month for November 2011: 32 Bar Reels and Polkas (Read 13920 times)