citycat
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Posts posted by citycat
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Thanks! ... What is ABC notation? (I have a LOT of musical training ... I've played cello for 30+ years, as well as a lot of early music instruments, but all of my music has been written on various staffs, and this whole chord marking business is new to me, as are all these notations.)
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Wow, I learn something new every day!
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Thanks! I admit, these are unfamiliarly notated ... and outside of the range of my instrument, but very interesting regardless. Was it standard practice to write both hands on the same staff lines? I've never seen it before. (My knowledge in this matter is extremely limited!)
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Hahahaha ... great name! Sound like a really useful book. I'll look into getting a copy. Thanks!!
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Not a duet player, yet.
But I am mighty intrigued by cords.
My music knowledge is pretty meagre so to improve
this I've been reading this music theory book.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Theory-Edition/dp/1592574378
I also got this cord wheel for the same reason.
The cost of both purchased together was about $20 from Amazon.
I suspect that if you go duet you really need to be able to make your own
arrangements.( Not that I have a clue.)
Thanks for the references! Very much appreciated!
First of all, warmest welcome to another Hayden player! And now to the point...
Chords on a Hayden duet and corresponding music theory is much easier than on non-isomorphic instruments. Virtually everything you should know to play chords on a Hayden is shown here: http://www.shiverware.com/musix/wicki/chords.html
Those are chord diagrams on this keyboard. Since it is isomorphic, all chord types in every key have a single "shape". You must only know the root note and type of chord you want to play and that's it. You can READ the chord structure from the keyboard itself, so there is no point in chord wheels or similiar detailed chord charts…
And when you'll learn chord types in your finger memory, it becomes natural to make your own accompaniments and countermelodies, as you'll be able to read harmony structure of a tune straight from melody line. Regardless of key, since the concept of a key on a Hayden is somewhat artificial and obsolete...
Ah, I think I'm not quite being clear, then ... I can certainly make chords. What I'm looking for is the best way to use them. What are the correct rhythms for the various dance or country tunes? How should they be broken down? What gets accented? These are the types of things I'm looking for in an arrangement. I have lots of books with chords marked for all the melodies, and I can play them, for sure! I just don't know all the other stuff, and so It's really helpful for me to have a tune with both hands fully written out.
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I had no idea! Great tip; thanks!
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Hey, thanks! This is about the level I'm looking for, for sure. I'll have to dig around in this list; the quick look I just took was mostly out of the Elise's range. But I could definitely play these on the recorder, so that's a win!
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Fakebooks are great (providing a wide range of chords (triads or tetrachords, at times even indicating a special bass note) - combine them with a chord table if you should need that additional info, and there you go...
Moreover, someone has provided a chord generator for the concertina (all systems), don't have the spare time for a search right now).
Absolutely right. A duet works somehwat like a guitar where you can come a long way knowing the chord positions on the fingerboard.
In my opinion, here is one valid strategy to tackle arrangements:
- memorize your chord positions and practice chord changes on the left until you get fluent. It is a good exercise trying to do this in as many keys as possible.
- practice a few basic accompaniment patterns such as oohm-pa, pa-oohm, oohm-pa-pa and arpeggios. When doing so, generally avoid the third in accompaniments
(which is of course a rule that can be broken whenever it suits the piece).
- when tackling a new piece, refer to the fake chord symbols to decide which chord to finger. Then pick a pattern appropriate for the piece and practice it against
the melody.
- As you keep getting fluent at this, you may wish to embellish your left hand work using for example walking basses, pattern deviations and variations, breaks and
full chord emphasis of single notes.
Thanks! This assumes a level of knowledge I don't yet have, which is why I was trying to find some more thorough arrangements. I don't know the basic accompaniment patterns. I am primarily an early musician; all my long previous training stopped at the Baroque, basically. So stylistically, this is all fairly new to me and I don't yet know what is appropriate. I am not an improviser. I do not "jam." On the plus side, I can play the rebec and I own an entire consort of recorders ....
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hmmmm, books with melody and chord markings sound like either books for melody instruments such as flute or violin, or "fakebooks" for players who can just look at the melody and chords and arrange on the spot. the mel bay publishers have some good books of accordion music from various cool world genres....a couple of french musette books, a french cafe accordion set by dan newton, and a title "international accordion favorites" which has some tango, some eastern europe, etc. the Kaminer series of international folk stuff (lots of eastern europe, gypsy) is also great. you can alter/simply/adapt as you like, and learn a lot about arranging and how left/right are broken down, while you're at it.
the other resource that could be great are the books in the palmer-hughes progressive-graded accordion course. the pieces in these include a lot of schlock (well, unless you love john philip sousa), but also include great folk or folk-inspired waltzes, tangos, etc., and some international folk-influenced classical pieces, hungarian dances, russian dances, etc. those books are great for learning to arrange on duet concertina because piano accordion's left side buttons are not only chords. there are 2 rows of single notes. and these books teach and show counterpoint, harmony, or walking bass using the single-note buttons.
Eeeeeenteresting. A lot of the books I've been playing from do have chord markings, but that's what I'm trying to get away from ... the accordion books are a good idea. I don't mind Sousa ... in moderation! Thanks.
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Try " The Joy Books" from Yorktown Music Press. I picked up a copy of their "The Joy of First Piano Collection" which has a good variety of sparse arrangements from " Baa Baa Black Sheep" to classic pieces from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart etc.There are plenty more books in the series covering many genres and the arrangements, especially those for keyboards, could be adapted for Duet Concertina.
As MaryB says those arrangements by David Cornell on the concertina.com website can be adapted for the Hayden keyboard without too much dificulty. I am currently adapting one of the Henry Stanley arrangements for Maccann Duet, which is available on the same website, for use on the Hayden keyboard and it is working out reasonably well.
Good luck with the Elise,
Geoff.
I will look for these; thanks very much. A question, though: how do you go about adapting for the Hayden keyboard?
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I have an old (copyright 1954) method book for the recorder called "Enjoy your Recorder" by the Trapp Family Singers.
It has many of the tunes written as duets. I do not know if it is still available, but maybe there is something newer that is similar.
Good luck on your search.
This seems the most likely! Thank you!!
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>You may have trouble finding part music for viola (LH) and violin or flute (RH) that doesn't exceed the ranges of the Elise (in either hand or both).
I already experience this problem ... the range is so small. And I can't tell you how much I want a G#! (An Eb would be awfully nice too.)
>I would recommend trying arrangements for two recorders in C (i.e., soprano or tenor, or one of each). I think it should be possible to find these at various levels of difficulty, and at least the beginning ones shouldn't go beyond the range of the Elise's two hands.
I do have a lot of recorder music, although very little of it is duets. But what a good idea!
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Have you looked at Brian Hayden's tutor?
http://www.concertina.com/hayden-duet/Hayden-All-Systems-Duet-Workshop-Tutor.pdf
Thank you! I actually downloaded this yesterday ... I haven't had a chance to play through any of it yet. Some of the pieces on the latter pages look rather promising!
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I don't play duet, and don't know what the arrangements in the Elise tutor book are like, but I would expect that easy or intermediate piano arrangements would be suitable.
Also, arrangements for violin duet. or violin and viola duet might be suitable, although possibly difficult to read both lines simultaneously if you aren't used to it. If you are looking for dance or folk music, I've seen a series of such books under the name "Airs for Pairs"
Taking it a step further, Dave Townsend has a series of called "The Village Band Book" with arrangements of English dance tunes for three, four, or five different melody instruments. On many of these you could play the main melody line on the right hand and then pick and choose which other line to play on the left hand, perhaps learn to play a dance with several different arrangements that way. I see these are available at the ButtonBox.com Same issue as above with reading different lines simultaneously of course, but that can be overcome with practice, or at least you can learn to play each line separately and gradually work on putting them together later.
Good luck!
Thank you! I can read music with a double staff, no problem, although I tend to find it a little confusing when the bottom line is in treble clef and not bass. That I can fix, though! I will look for the Townsend book.
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Hello! I have been playing an Elise Hayden duet for about a year, and I am having trouble finding music to play on it. I have many books of dance music, which have melody and chord markings, but I was hoping to find some music that is a little more ... constructed, maybe? I'm bored of simply plonking away with my left hand. I am incapable of arranging myself, as my knowledge of theory is pretty non-existent. I really liked the tutor that came with the instrument, and would like to find more music arranged similarly.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Seeking Simple Arrangements For Duet
in Tunes /Songs
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Awesome; thank you! I'd never heard of this site.