frogspawn Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I can appreciate that accomplished players don't need lists and probably don't even need to learn tunes, but can play a tune instantly as soon as they've heard it. However, I think the notion of a repertoire is very important for unaccomplished players such as myself, and I'm glad to say that many sessions here in south-east England go out of their way to publish, either on the Internet or even in hard copy, collections of tunes popularly played. These may be the tunes that professional artists and recording stars actually avoid because they don't have any novelty, but they are the life blood of communal sessions, and the foundation for beginners to become involved. I don't see any problem with long lists (if you are accomplished enough to have one), but short lists or descriptions of genres covered would also be interesting. I have no agenda behind this other than to satisfy my own curiosity and to learn more about the range of interests in the concertina 'community'. Those who think it's pointless don't need to contribute. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeeclipper Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) Being just an old hacker at the EC, I have nothing so dignified as a 'repertoire.' I like to explore the possibilities, and play whatever takes my fancy at the time. But here are a few of my favorite 'party pieces' down the years: Klezmer: Cha Edisch, Yoshke Yoshke, Tangissimo Classical: Mozart 12 Easy Duets, Pachelbel Canon in D American: Ashokan Farewell, The Entertainer, Maple Leaf Rag Irish: O'Carolan's A Farewell to Whiskey, The Lark In The Clear Air Scottish: Chi Mi Na Morbheanna, Da Auld resting Chair, Da Slockit Light Edited December 13, 2009 by yankeeclipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 My repertoire has always been driven by who I am playing music with. It started when I played trumpet (to dots)and joined a Glen Miller type band ,which led me to playing Ballrooom Dance Music. When I joined the Broadwood Morris Men I bought my first concertina and played Morris Music. I was then asked to join a Country Dance Band so I stated to learn English Country Dance Tunes, moved on to another so ,more ECDM. We then started Rosbif so it was French Traditional Dance Music, Then GIGCB French English and Breton Music. Now I have teamed up with Will Fly and the new repertoire Ballroom Dance Music, ECDM, FTDM 20s - 50s Standards in fact anything that takes our fancy. A lot of repertoires. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjcjones Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 On concertina, my repertoire is mostly English dance music. I also sometimes use it for accompanying songs - mostly traditional, but not all - for example, I accompany Richard Thompson's Withered and Died on F/C baritone anglo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I can appreciate that accomplished players don't need lists and probably don't even need to learn tunes, but can play a tune instantly as soon as they've heard it. However, I think the notion of a repertoire is very important for unaccomplished players such as myself, and I'm glad to say that many sessions here in south-east England go out of their way to publish, either on the Internet or even in hard copy, collections of tunes popularly played. These may be the tunes that professional artists and recording stars actually avoid because they don't have any novelty, but they are the life blood of communal sessions, and the foundation for beginners to become involved. I don't see any problem with long lists (if you are accomplished enough to have one), but short lists or descriptions of genres covered would also be interesting. I have no agenda behind this other than to satisfy my own curiosity and to learn more about the range of interests in the concertina 'community'. Those who think it's pointless don't need to contribute. I keep a running list of tunes I play on an Excel spreadsheet, with fields for type (jig, reel), genre (Morris, oldtime), keys and status (ready to perform, need work, new). That way I can sort when I'm looking for specific things. THe list is topheavy with Morris tunes and tunes from the English dance repertoire. It includes a fair number of traditional French dance tunes; lots and lots of oldtime American; somef Irish and Scottish tunes; many modern tunes written for American contra dances; a smattering of tangos, klezmer, Scandinavian dance tunes and things that defy easy classification. I'm sure you don't want the whole list. Like many others, I have more of a problem remembering names than tunes themselves. Reviewing the list periodically helps, but I seem to have reached my brain's limit for tune names, so new ones crowd out the old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kautilya Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 My repertoire has always been driven by who I am playing music with. It started when I played trumpet (to dots)and joined a Glen Miller type band ,which led me to playing Ballrooom Dance Music. When I joined the Broadwood Morris Men I bought my first concertina and played Morris Music. I was then asked to join a Country Dance Band so I stated to learn English Country Dance Tunes, moved on to another so ,more ECDM. We then started Rosbif so it was French Traditional Dance Music, Then GIGCB French English and Breton Music. Now I have teamed up with Will Fly and the new repertoire Ballroom Dance Music, ECDM, FTDM 20s - 50s Standards in fact anything that takes our fancy. A lot of repertoires. Al "Will Fly and the new repertoire Ballroom Dance Music" Some audio - videos?? plse Al. Does this include Glenn Miller and The Tower Blackpool type stuff? (how much are you getting paid for afternoon tea peformance? http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ballroom.php ) Just looking at an old Glenn Miller record (off the market...) to see if there were some toons to try - but they don't ring a bell.. Sunrise Serenade, My reverie, Pagan Love Song (must be pre-Xmas version!) I see it will be anniversary of his death Tuesday Dec 15 (1969) so suggest you take the Tunnel for that next French gig and you can also do up a Big Band piece by end of day this Tuesday... (Let me know if u want to borrow G MIller record - they are the original slightly hissy recordings on a 33 vinyl pressed at Victoria Works, Edgeware Rd) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I do know a fair number of tunes, but bringing them mind in a session when I want to lead one can be hard. Also knowing what tunes I want to work on, either because I want to lead them or just be able to join in if they come up, can be a feat of memory somewhat beyond these ageing grey cells. So I've done myself a double list sized to fit on an A5 sheet and maintained in Word. I've attached it, FWIW, and here it is: Session Tunes.doc Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergus_fiddler Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 My repertoire is, at the moment, irish tunes transplanted from my fiddle playing and some shy scottish tries - A major is still a pain on the neck on tina, opossed to fiddle -. I would be delighted if I could learn some english music, but it seems that my skills for harmony are none so I'm happy with the music I misstreat - I mean, try to play - and trying to get the best of it. No need to say that I love bot Irish and English music - maybe because they're different enough - but can only play one and hear to the other. Well, I supose you cannot have everything... Cheers, Fer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 My repertoire has always been driven by who I am playing music with. It started when I played trumpet (to dots)and joined a Glen Miller type band ,which led me to playing Ballrooom Dance Music. When I joined the Broadwood Morris Men I bought my first concertina and played Morris Music. I was then asked to join a Country Dance Band so I stated to learn English Country Dance Tunes, moved on to another so ,more ECDM. We then started Rosbif so it was French Traditional Dance Music, Then GIGCB French English and Breton Music. Now I have teamed up with Will Fly and the new repertoire Ballroom Dance Music, ECDM, FTDM 20s - 50s Standards in fact anything that takes our fancy. A lot of repertoires. Al "Will Fly and the new repertoire Ballroom Dance Music" Some audio - videos?? plse Al. Does this include Glenn Miller and The Tower Blackpool type stuff? (how much are you getting paid for afternoon tea peformance? http://www.theblackpooltower.co.uk/ballroom.php ) Just looking at an old Glenn Miller record (off the market...) to see if there were some toons to try - but they don't ring a bell.. Sunrise Serenade, My reverie, Pagan Love Song (must be pre-Xmas version!) I see it will be anniversary of his death Tuesday Dec 15 (1969) so suggest you take the Tunnel for that next French gig and you can also do up a Big Band piece by end of day this Tuesday... (Let me know if u want to borrow G MIller record - they are the original slightly hissy recordings on a 33 vinyl pressed at Victoria Works, Edgeware Rd) Have a look at the Utube recordings 9th Oct and 27th Nov with Will Fly and I having great fun with some oldies Blue Skies (Quick step) now on nearly 1500 hits, They can't take that away from me (Foxtrot)etc Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kautilya Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) will make it 1600 hits.....! much fun! (judging by the poor attempt to hide the mike amongst the bullrushes I assume you had MI5 set it up for you!) For those asking earlier about mikes... - it is a Zoom? Edited December 14, 2009 by Kautilya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Mansfield Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 My repertoire has always been driven by who I am playing music with. That's very much my case as well, and I've come to think of the part of my brain that stores tunes I know and can play (and the tunes I either know, or can play, but not both) as a shelving or a stacking system - must be the couple of years I spent working in a bookshop. So to pursue that tortuous anomaly: My main gigs at the moment are the morris side and the ceilidh band, which means that English music in general and ceilidh & border morris tunes in particular are on the easy access shelves under the counter. On the shelves slightly further back are the French bourrees, mazurkas and schottisches, and the tunes that get played at the sessions I occasionally go to; and beyond them, currently gathering some light dust, are the Swedish polskas and langdanses. And on the special shelf marked 'In Your Dreams' are the Handel flute sonatas, which I play through on flute every now and again and then play them through again on the EC, just to remind myself how further my EC playing has got to go ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDT Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 And on the special shelf marked 'In Your Dreams' Most of the tunes I *want* to play are in the 'In your Dreams' catagory for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tzirtzi Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 About two thirds of my practice time (and a larger proportion of the actual pieces I play, judging by the comparative weights of my folders) is devoted to classical music. So assuming "repertoire" only includes stuff learnt by heart, mine is really very small.. I've never tried to learn any of the classical pieces by heart, nor anything with chords/accompaniment, and only a very small number of the one-line folk tunes: The Staffordshire Hornpipe / The King of the Fairies The Rochdale Coconut Dance Speed the Plough Dawn Chorus O'Carolan's Fancy Millicent's Favourite The Princess Royal (in A minor ish) At the moment I'm also trying to memorise Music for a Found Harmonium. I suspect theres a lot more I've played enough that I could work them out without the music and so learn them off by heart relatively quickly. Perhaps that would be a project worth undertaking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 About two thirds of my practice time (and a larger proportion of the actual pieces I play, judging by the comparative weights of my folders) is devoted to classical music. So assuming "repertoire" only includes stuff learnt by heart, mine is really very small.. I've never tried to learn any of the classical pieces by heart, nor anything with chords/accompaniment, and only a very small number of the one-line folk tunes: The Staffordshire Hornpipe / The King of the Fairies The Rochdale Coconut Dance Speed the Plough Dawn Chorus O'Carolan's Fancy Millicent's Favourite The Princess Royal (in A minor ish) At the moment I'm also trying to memorise Music for a Found Harmonium. I suspect theres a lot more I've played enough that I could work them out without the music and so learn them off by heart relatively quickly. Perhaps that would be a project worth undertaking! Blimey. Don't you think repertoire includes anything you play half competently, whether with or without dots? If you have to memorise it I'm short on music too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Stein Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I have hours and hours of music. Irish, European, classics and classical, standards and show,tango, bolero, etc. My favorites are Edith Piaf and many of the tunes written in the same period here in the US, by Earl Hagan for one. I have a lot of Fritz Kreisler I transcribed as well as some Joplin. and oh yes... anything by Nino Rota. rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoNaYet Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 I have a bunch of stuff memorized, in addition to my fiddle music books when I feel like reading music. I have to keep a cheat sheet of titles or I forget to practice some of them. Here's some favorites: La Marianne The Song from Moulin Rouge The Carousel of Life (Howl's Moving Castle) I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen Londonderry Aire The Minstrel Boy Scotland the Brave The Four Green Fields A Civil War Medley Aura Lee Lorena Dixie Battle Cry of Freedom Yellow Rose of Texas All Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight We're Tenting Tonight Keep Your Powder Dry The Bonnie Blue Flag Just Before the Battle Mother Marching Through Georgia The Vacant Chair Battle Hymn of the Republic My Buddy Mademoiselle from Armentieres Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag It's a Long Way to Tipperary Bless them All Lillie Marlene Keep the Home Fires Burning A Long, Long Trail A'Winding The White Cliffs of Dover Sleeping Beauty Waltz An Affair to Remember Wedding Song from Fiddler on the Roof Homeward Bound Moscow Nights Ashoken Farewell Somewhere Over the Rainbow And many others in my schizophrenic selection of music :-) NNY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_boveri Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 my repertoire is mostly irish music. i can make a fair go at christmas songs, and a couple classical pieces or more recognizable tunes. i am trying to expand into classical and rock, but this is going to take a few years before i have made any significant headway. About two thirds of my practice time (and a larger proportion of the actual pieces I play, judging by the comparative weights of my folders) is devoted to classical music. So assuming "repertoire" only includes stuff learnt by heart, mine is really very small.. I've never tried to learn any of the classical pieces by heart, nor anything with chords/accompaniment, and only a very small number of the one-line folk tunes: The Staffordshire Hornpipe / The King of the Fairies The Rochdale Coconut Dance Speed the Plough Dawn Chorus O'Carolan's Fancy Millicent's Favourite The Princess Royal (in A minor ish) At the moment I'm also trying to memorise Music for a Found Harmonium. I suspect theres a lot more I've played enough that I could work them out without the music and so learn them off by heart relatively quickly. Perhaps that would be a project worth undertaking! Blimey. Don't you think repertoire includes anything you play half competently, whether with or without dots? If you have to memorise it I'm short on music too. well, it depends on who you ask. if you play by music, then i think it would make sense for you to include in your repertoire. i don't really play off music... i can sight read pretty well, but always play by memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorre Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Only Irish tunes, more or less. I try to balance new tunes out (1-3 per week) 50/50 between stuff I already play on the fiddle, and new tunes (often tunes I hear played on concertina on albums or the web). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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