My New Tune Book Is Done

[Jody Kruskal]

My new tune book has been five years in the making and it’s finally printed. The book is called "Cool Tunes for Hot Dances" and is a companion to my latest CD by the same name. The CD features me playing Anglo concertina solo on 18 dance tunes which are all included in the book. The book has notation for these 18 dance tunes plus 37 more for a grand total of 55 original tunes - reels, jigs, marches, hornpipes and waltzes for American and English dances. The tunes are notated as lead sheets with melody and chords in a large, easy to read format.

 

 

Here’s a list of the tunes. The ones in bold are included on the CD.

Reels, Polkas, Hornpipes, Marches

 

American Flier

Better than New

The Complete Hornpipe

Crank It Up

Don’t Rain on My Parade

Fiddler’s Girl

Fun House Reel

Green Grass

Halloween Night

Hop and Skip

Horse Race Calliope

Hot Air Reel

Hudson Highlands

Hurdy Gurdy

Joy Boys

Marching Home

Mean Streets

Naughty Boy

Ox Cart

Picket Fence

Pixie Wings

and the dance,

Knitting Hearts and Hands

Raggedy Ann

Rockin’ Horse

Snow Baby

Strollin' On Linoleum

Svenski

Trick 'r Treat

Wagging the Dog

Walk On

 

Jigs

 

Be It So

Cutting Rushes

Easy Does It

The Easy Way

Fantastic Miss Toe

Late Night Jig

Marching to the Moon

Prospect Park

Pumpkin Moon

Rugby Road

Saucy Sally

Silver Lining

Song of the Hobby Horse

Strange But True

Swedish Walking Jig

 

Waltzes

 

Billy Boy

Cajun Banjo Waltz

Dancing By Starlight

In the Shade of the Moon

La Pente Glissant

Reb Vayechkeit

Sunrise

Tragedienne

Valtx

Wolves Tonight

Work’s All Done

 

If you would like to buy a copy of the book ($17) or companion CD ($16), please PM me and I’ll mail off your order or contact me through my web site link below. Special c.net deal... order the Cool Tunes book and CD together for $30 and save on shipping too.

Edited November 14, 2009 by Jody Kruskal

[michael sam wild]

Good news, looking forward to it!

Mike

[ragtimer]

Ah, the long wait is over! Time to get all the tunes!

 

I've been getting pretty well into "Work's All Done", a truly great waltz with lots of opportunities for bass runs, etc.

I especially like that 1-1/3 octave scale run.

(I got the lead sheet for this and other tunes at Jody's session at NESI -- great class that was.)

--Mike K.

[Jody Kruskal]

Hi Mike and Mike,

 

Before I put your books in their envelopes... would either of you like me to sign these and wish you well on the cover? Or would you prefer them pristine?

[michael sam wild]

Hi Mike and Mike,

 

Before I put your books in their envelopes... would either of you like me to sign these and wish you well on the cover? Or would you prefer them pristine?

 

 

Hi Jody please give it 'The Full Monty' i.e. all the best wishes and signature etc. I'll be proud to show it around!The PayPal option seems to have been effortless, I recommend it for non US buyers.

Cheers

Mike

[Jody Kruskal]

Hi Mike and Mike,

 

Before I put your books in their envelopes... would either of you like me to sign these and wish you well on the cover? Or would you prefer them pristine?

 

 

Hi Jody please give it 'The Full Monty' i.e. all the best wishes and signature etc. I'll be proud to show it around!The PayPal option seems to have been effortless, I recommend it for non US buyers.

Cheers

Mike

 

OK Mike and Mike, "The Full Monty" for the both of you and off in the mail last Tuesday afternoon. Enjoy!

[Jim Besser]

My new tune book has been five years in the making and it’s finally printed.

 

I'll pick mine up in February when I see you at the Half Moon Ale!

[david_boveri]

is it notated for C/G, G/D, or both?

[JimLucas]

is it notated for C/G, G/D, or both?

Since Jody called it a "tune book", not an anglo instruction book, I assume it uses standard music notation.

 

I would say that qualifies it a being notated for "both"... as well as for English, duet, bandoneon, fiddle, flute, and even (gasp!) piano accordion. Not sure about bodhran, though.

[david_boveri]

is it notated for C/G, G/D, or both?

Since Jody called it a "tune book", not an anglo instruction book, I assume it uses standard music notation.

 

I would say that qualifies it a being notated for "both"... as well as for English, duet, bandoneon, fiddle, flute, and even (gasp!) piano accordion. Not sure about bodhran, though.

 

i was assuming that it had fingerings written in, as jody posts tunes all the time, and has spent a lot of time working on effectively notating anglo fingering. it could still be a tunebook with fingerings, as it could contain no lessons, and only a simple page explaining the notation.

[Jody Kruskal]

is it notated for C/G, G/D, or both?

Since Jody called it a "tune book", not an anglo instruction book, I assume it uses standard music notation.

 

I would say that qualifies it a being notated for "both"... as well as for English, duet, bandoneon, fiddle, flute, and even (gasp!) piano accordion. Not sure about bodhran, though.

 

i was assuming that it had fingerings written in, as jody posts tunes all the time, and has spent a lot of time working on effectively notating anglo fingering. it could still be a tunebook with fingerings, as it could contain no lessons, and only a simple page explaining the notation.

Sorry David, your assumption would be wrong. As I stated in my original post "The tunes are notated as lead sheets with melody and chords in a large, easy to read format".

 

As you point out, it takes lots of time to notate arrangements and these tunes of mine work differently on different instruments, C/G Anglo, G/D Anglo, EC or other systems. I would love to put together a collection of Anglo arrangements for all of my tunes in every concertina system, but that would have to be in the future with a hefty grant and a number of other projects that would have priority.

 

Still, standard notation with chords (that's what my Cool Tunes book is in) is a very effective notation format and one that is standard for all instruments especially fiddle which is king for most dance music IMO.

 

The glory of the concertina is that there is no one easy and correct way to deliver a tune. The variety of the various systems and the absence of chord buttons gives a richness to to the music, as each player has to come up with their own arrangement and players tastes and abilities dictate the actual music that they will make on their instruments. When I make them, my written arrangements are a sort of snap shot of one or two simple ways to play a tune and I have never thought of them as the way, only as a stepping stone for learning about style on the Anglo. In my own playing, I try to get away from written music as soon as I can and always try to get to the point where I can play by ear before I feel ready to actually perform. That playing by ear place, (IMO) is the place where real music is made.

 

So, another way to say this is that when I notate an arrangement, that is one single solution to the tune puzzle. The puzzle has multiple though not infinite solutions. Every time I play through a tune I solve the puzzle in a different way, and there lies the artistry of tunes on the Anglo concertina.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Jody Kruskal

[Jody Kruskal]

David Helmore, you emailed me about ordering my CD and book, but... when I emailed you back the email was returned. I searched for you among the members list but could not find you. If you read this, please use the link below to email me directly. Just click on my web site link and at my home page scroll down to the contact button.

 

Thanks.

[david_boveri]

is it notated for C/G, G/D, or both?

Since Jody called it a "tune book", not an anglo instruction book, I assume it uses standard music notation.

 

I would say that qualifies it a being notated for "both"... as well as for English, duet, bandoneon, fiddle, flute, and even (gasp!) piano accordion. Not sure about bodhran, though.

 

i was assuming that it had fingerings written in, as jody posts tunes all the time, and has spent a lot of time working on effectively notating anglo fingering. it could still be a tunebook with fingerings, as it could contain no lessons, and only a simple page explaining the notation.

Sorry David, your assumption would be wrong. As I stated in my original post "The tunes are notated as lead sheets with melody and chords in a large, easy to read format".

 

As you point out, it takes lots of time to notate arrangements and these tunes of mine work differently on different instruments, C/G Anglo, G/D Anglo, EC or other systems. I would love to put together a collection of Anglo arrangements for all of my tunes in every concertina system, but that would have to be in the future with a hefty grant and a number of other projects that would have priority.

 

Still, standard notation with chords (that's what my Cool Tunes book is in) is a very effective notation format and one that is standard for all instruments especially fiddle which is king for most dance music IMO.

 

The glory of the concertina is that there is no one easy and correct way to deliver a tune. The variety of the various systems and the absence of chord buttons gives a richness to to the music, as each player has to come up with their own arrangement and players tastes and abilities dictate the actual music that they will make on their instruments. When I make them, my written arrangements are a sort of snap shot of one or two simple ways to play a tune and I have never thought of them as the way, only as a stepping stone for learning about style on the Anglo. In my own playing, I try to get away from written music as soon as I can and always try to get to the point where I can play by ear before I feel ready to actually perform. That playing by ear place, (IMO) is the place where real music is made.

 

So, another way to say this is that when I notate an arrangement, that is one single solution to the tune puzzle. The puzzle has multiple though not infinite solutions. Every time I play through a tune I solve the puzzle in a different way, and there lies the artistry of tunes on the Anglo concertina.

 

that's ok. i guess my wishful thinking distorted my perception, . even though you may have made it very instrument-neutral as a tune book, which instrument do play it on, as arranged? i am aware of the unique, ever-changing solutions that arrangements on the concertina present, but i think it is an important clue to the puzzle to know what instrument you are playing on. for example, when you posted a tune a while back that i was learning (some children's show tune), i could indeed play it in the key you were playing it in, but preferred actually to transpose it to the same general fingerings you were playing it in. so, which instrument do you play it on? because if you played it on a G/D, and then i were to get the tunebook with the cd, i would probably learn it in the key it was played, and then transpose it to make it as if i was fingering it on a G/D.

[Jody Kruskal]

 

that's ok. i guess my wishful thinking distorted my perception, . even though you may have made it very instrument-neutral as a tune book, which instrument do play it on, as arranged? i am aware of the unique, ever-changing solutions that arrangements on the concertina present, but i think it is an important clue to the puzzle to know what instrument you are playing on. for example, when you posted a tune a while back that i was learning (some children's show tune), i could indeed play it in the key you were playing it in, but preferred actually to transpose it to the same general fingerings you were playing it in. so, which instrument do you play it on? because if you played it on a G/D, and then i were to get the tunebook with the cd, i would probably learn it in the key it was played, and then transpose it to make it as if i was fingering it on a G/D.

 

Hi David, good point. I mostly play the tunes in my book as well as traditional tunes at dances on a G/D Anglo. Some of the tunes in the books work OK or even better in my harmonic style, playing in the key written on a C/G, but most don't. Just like any tune, book or not. My style works better on G/D in general but not always for every tune. However, if you are just playing melody then my tunes all work fine on any key concertina you prefer.

 

You are welcome to play my tunes in any key you wish. The tunes as written in the books are melody and chords only, not full arrangements. For teaching purposes, I have made full arrangements of a few traditional tunes for both G/D and C/G but those tunes were carefully picked to be easy in both systems. Perhaps it was one of those you are referring to? The tunes in my books were not selected for teaching or ease of play but rather for actual playing at dances and some of the tunes are quite challenging, some not. The books are tune books for dances, not concertina instruction tutors. As for the tunes I play solo on the CDs Naked Concertina and Cool Tunes, those arrangements were crafted for the CD where I am trying to be the whole band. At a dance or concert with an actual band, I would play the same tunes quite differently where I don't want to be defining the chords so strongly because the piano or bass are doing that. So, just because I can play the whole deal doesn't mean I should, at least that's what I keep telling myself when things start sounding muddy.

 

I hope that answers you question. Ask me another one!

Edited November 24, 2009 by Jody Kruskal

[Jody Kruskal]

A number of folks have asked me about playing my tunes on the C/G Anglo. Since I play mostly G/D, they wonder how the tunes work on a C/G, so I went through all the tunes that are on my Cool Tunes for Hot Dances CD and tried them out. That’s 18 tunes for solo concertina with the dots for these and many more published in my cool Tunes book.

 

Out of those 18, when playing melody with full chords only 4 worked well as written. 3 required a total transposition up a 4th, The rest all worked fine with minor or major cheats and adaptations. The most common one being switching octaves up to avoid too much melody in the left hand.

 

This seems typical in my experience. In the harmonic style I play, tunes work much better on a G/D in general. Here are the specific hints, cheats and adaptions for playing these tunes on a C/G.

 

1

Cutting Rushes - playing the A part up an octave avoids too much left hand melody.

Easy Way - transpose up to G

Song of the Hobby Horse - works well on C/G as written except for measure 6 of the B section where it is advised to change the chord from Em to G.

 

2

Wagging the Dog - works very well on C/G as written.

 

3

The Complete Hornpipe - Works very well if you play as written except for the A section measures 1, 2, 5 and 6 which are much easier to play up an octave.

 

4

Dancing by Starlight - very tricky even on G/D. Best to transpose up to Am.

 

5

Hudson Highlands - Works very well if you play all Em chords as G

Marching Home - Works OK if you play it all up an octave until the B section measures 7 and 8 where you drop down to written pitch.

 

6

Ox Cart - sounds great on C/G but jump up an octave at measures 3, 4, 7 and 8 in the A section. Then play the B section as written or stay up the octave as it works fine either way.

 

7

Crank It Up - works fine as written.

 

8

Pixie Wings - too many challenges, better to transpose up to C

 

9

Saucy Sally - works fine as written.

 

10

Strange but True - works OK as written though there is quite a bit of left hand melody to deal with.

Fantastic Miss Toe - jump up an octave for the B section and back down at the pick up to the A section.

Be It So - play the whole thing up an octave.

 

11

Snow Baby - Play the first 4 measures of the A section up an octave then jump back down for measures 5, 6, 7 and 8. Stay down as written for the B or play all but one note up high. If you like the high way, you will replace that high A note with a quarter note G in B section measure 5.

Fiddler’s Girl - plays nicely as written except the pick up to measure 7 in the A section. Replace them with pitches A, B, A

 

12

Work’s All Done - Start up an octave and jump back down at the A chord in Measure 13, 14, and 15 then return up at 16. Back down to pitch at the C chord in measure 25 and stay there until the last two measures where the long pick up is played high.