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Tune Of The Month For June: La Luna Dins L'aiga


Jim Besser

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Better late than never, I suppose! Here's my contribution: https://soundcloud.com/jason-p-9/la-luna-dins-laiga

I have been hoping to try to do something in "French Cafe" style, or something that I would associate with that, anyway. This tune isn't really meant for that, but the title was French, so I thought I'd go for it. I had to learn a few different chord structures for some of the major sixths and sevenths, and I stuck with block chords in the bass line. This was partly because I'm still getting familiar with the chords and partly because I liked the fullness and little bit of dischord that they make. I don't like that they're hard to transition between, though. Overall, I feel it was a somewhat successful experiment because I feel like sitting down with some wine and cheese when I listen to it! Of course, that's probably not a fair measure, since I often feel like sitting down with a bottle of wine and some cheese.

Also, I "cheated" a little bit in that I had to electronically balance the melody from the accompaniment because of the big chords in the bass. I have a setup with two lavalier microphones mounted behind the handrests and plugged them straight into the two line inputs of the recorder. I'll post the details in the appropriate thread if anyone's interested. I also added a touch of reverb, since the placement of the microphones pretty much isolates the concertina from the room acoustics.

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Patrick wrote (the quoting thing isn't working right today):

 

The passing B note overlapped a B in the melody, so I passed the lead to the left hand for 2 notes hoping it would sound interesting.

Actually, I didn't notice the doubled B's until just now, but I was typing, not playing. Notice I don't do it in my recording.

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Patrick wrote (the quoting thing isn't working right today):

 

The passing B note overlapped a B in the melody, so I passed the lead to the left hand for 2 notes hoping it would sound interesting.

Actually, I didn't notice the doubled B's until just now, but I was typing, not playing. Notice I don't do it in my recording.

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Better late than never, I suppose! Here's my contribution: https://soundcloud.com/jason-p-9/la-luna-dins-laiga

Thanks for this! An interesting approach, different to what we've heard so far.

 

Now added to the Soundcloud set.

 

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Q: What instrument is this played on? A duet of some sort?

Edited by SqueezeCat
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ok, it's the last day in June, so after a successfull attack of last minute panic (just kidding), I eventually present my contribution:

 

http://www.ruediger-asche.de/tidbits/llda_6_30_13.mp3

Thanks for posting this! Is great to hear another duet contribution. (I'm presuming this is on your Lachenal Triumph/Crane Duet instrument?)

 

It's not the best I can do, but at this point (after perceived 2500 takes in 2 major sessions yesterday and today) it's the best I can present. I believe that one of the major drawbacks is that the bass overdominates the melody, so at times the melody notes come out weaker than they should. One way to fix this would be to focus on staccato on the left hand side so more air os left for the right. Other suggestions are very much appreciated!

 

Again, no cheating this time; both hands recorded in a single take in real time.

Yes! Best not to cheat!

 

In my limited experience, I find it can be a real challenge with duet instruments not to run into the problem of drowning out the melodic line. I've found that flexibility of the duet can encourage very full voicing of chords... to the detriment of the melody. Strangely enough, a number of period tutorial methods for duet do seem to aggravate the situation with thick, fully spelled chords for the left hand. Not sure why this is.

 

My approach to the problem has been to use shorter notes for the left hand, less full voicing and/or very widely spaced chords. (Whether I'm successful in my choices is another matter!)

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@Squeezecat: What the heck are you doing with the accompanying voice in the second part? This downward bass run is a killer, wow! Great version, I believe to hear a Morris touch to it?...

 

Thanks for the compliments.

 

Interesting for you to hear "a Morris touch". I did start out with the Anglo, so would say that much of my initial feeling as to how something could sound is related to my experience with the Anglo. Maybe another way of saying this is the Anglo "sounds like concertina" to me, and when playing the duet, I'd like to "sound like concertina".

 

Regarding the bass run, accompaniment, etc., with moving to the Wicki/Hayden I've been trying to take advantage of what the instrument can do "easily", that I'd find would be "much trouble" on my Anglo. To my ear, independent counter melodic lines really say "duet"... so have been looking to throw this sort of thing into my efforts.

 

As to some specifics... when I first got my W-W1, Boney played an arrangement of The Ash Grove on it which included a stepwise run in the left hand. That stuck in my mind as an ear-catching moment... and thought something like that would work nicely in my efforts with this tune. On the Anglo side... there was some thinking about Jody Kruskal's arrangement of Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss.

 

 

btw, I don't have a soundcloud account, but if there is a way to either import my track or add it to your compilation anyways, that'd be much appreciated, thanks!

 

Setting up a Soundcloud account is fairly straightforward. Details on doing so can be found here. Having your own account gives you the ability to control your copyrights and other issues. Would love to add your version to the set I've put together. At the moment, though, I don't feel especially comfortable hosting material from other authors. (You might guess I've had some experience of the matter in another context...)

 

Yes, so if you do set up an account, just PM me and I'll throw you into the mix!

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ok, it's the last day in June, so after a successfull attack of last minute panic (just kidding), I eventually present my contribution:

 

http://www.ruediger-asche.de/tidbits/llda_6_30_13.mp3

Thanks for posting this! Is great to hear another duet contribution. (I'm presuming this is on your Lachenal Triumph/Crane Duet instrument?)

 

 

Actually, it's still a Crane, but I've upgraded since. I played this on my 55 button Wheatstone Crane (http://www.craneconcertina.com/details.php?indexnum=44). I've still got the Lachenal as a travelling instrument and consider selling it very once in a while, then again I think I'd rather keep it. Oh well. (Side note: The 55 Wheatstone covers *exactly* the range I need for my lifelong dream piece, the Maple Leaf Rag, when transposed 1/2 step down. It's the one thing I plan on being able to play before I die).

 

Many thanks as well for your other very helpful and enlightining comments! I'll look into the Soundclous issue, never thought much about any "free" internet service (there is no such thing as a free service, you know. Everybody pays, as Knopfler put it so well... ;-))

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Better late than never, I suppose! Here's my contribution: https://soundcloud.com/jason-p-9/la-luna-dins-laiga

Thanks for this! An interesting approach, different to what we've heard so far.

 

Now added to the Soundcloud set.

 

---

Q: What instrument is this played on? A duet of some sort?

 

 

I played this on my trusty Elise. I should probably include that in the description for future reference. I haven't saved up for one of the new Hayden duets yet, and the "New Concertina Fund" keeps getting used for home improvement projects. :(

 

I wanted to post it as a video on YouTube where you'd be able to see the concertina, but I recorded it in the morning, using coffee and music to try to fight morning demons, bed head, and a messy living room.

 

Thanks for adding it to the set. That was a great idea to make it so we could listen to all the contributions by only having to visit one place!

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Actually, it's still a Crane, but I've upgraded since. I played this on my 55 button Wheatstone Crane (http://www.craneconcertina.com/details.php?indexnum=44).

 

Looks (and sounds) like a lovely instrument.

 

Many thanks as well for your other very helpful and enlightining comments! I'll look into the Soundclous issue, never thought much about any "free" internet service (there is no such thing as a free service, you know. Everybody pays, as Knopfler put it so well... ;-))

With Soundcloud the big issue (how you pay) seems to be recommendations to listen to paid-for promoted pop-artistes which have absolutely nothing to do with what you have shown interest in. That, and a less than ideal search/tag engine. On the other hand, it has to be "paid for" somehow.

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I played this on my trusty Elise. I should probably include that in the description for future reference.

Excellent. For me is good to know you're playing a Wicki/Hayden... as gives a lot of context.

 

I haven't saved up for one of the new Hayden duets yet, and the "New Concertina Fund" keeps getting used for home improvement projects. :(

Ah... understand how that goes. The great thing is that there are a number of Wicki/Hayden instruments now on the market, so there's quite a choice when you do splash out!

 

Looking forward to hearing more from your Elise.

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