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Theme Of The Month, June, 2014: Let's Polka!


Jim Besser

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Here's what I got from Google Translate:

 

Vanligt är också att harmoniken i andra reprisen varieras mellan G- och Em-tonalitet, typiskt så att första vändan spelas G, andra Em.
It is also common that harmony in other replay varied between G and Em-tonality, typically so that the first round is played G, the second Em.
lyft = lift, lifting
Jämnt = evenly

 

Yep. Sometimes Google Translate can give pretty reasonable results. (Other times, though, the result can range from hilarious to awful. B))

 

I would only add:

med "lyft" = with "lift" (don't forget your "med"s ;))

and

andra reprisen = the second repetition (the second time through)

 

"Andra" means both "other" and "second", but "reprisen" means "the repetition". "Other replays" (which seems to be what Google was trying to say) would be "andra repriser".

 

Still, I think their translation this time was pretty understandable and not misleading. :)

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Ended up running across a title-less Polska I once heard played by Darol Anger that I'd tried and failed to learn by ear, this time played by Väsen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE6j-Zp323w.

Here's another polska -- and a great duo -- I think you might like.

 

They're not all full of such rapid note progressions, though.

 

And we should probably have a separate thread if we're going to go on about polskas.

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Sheesh, this tune just won't leave me alone, it's like a dog at my throat.

 

Listening to my previous attempts and some nice recordings of Jesusito en Chihuahua, it occurred to me that one of the problems (aside from my continuing problems on the D part) is that this is almost always played on strings, with the fiddles doing a pizzicato thing on the first section of the A part, then legato on the rest of that part. The constant back and forth between pizzicato and legato is, to me, what gives the tune its uniquely Mexican flavor.

 

An example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmDJpU2v3lE

 

Can that be emulated on concertina?

 

Here's an initial attempt at that. My own assessment - maybe it's better, but it still doesn't sound close to right. Maybe this is just the wrong instrument for this polka, or maybe I haven't unlocked the secret to how to play it. Maybe pizzicato just doesn't translate to concertina. Or maybe to play it on concertina I should be taking a completely different approach.

 

I also found it much harder than almost any tune I play to keep a steady beat. One attempt early this morning sounded pretty good when I played it - but when I listened to the recording, I heard that I was speeding up outrageously. The C part needs to be played way slower than you think to keep things steady. I redid it with the damned metronome in my ear. A cheat, I know, but there were enough problems with this tune that I didn't need to be angsting over the beat. As it is, it's still slow, but the D part is hard enough at this speed!

 

I'd love to hear a Jody Kruskal go at this tune, because as I said, I still don't have it. But it's been fun and useful trying to figure it out.

 

Suggestions welcome.

Edited by Jim Besser
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Sheesh, this tune just won't leave me alone, it's like a dog at my throat.

 

Listening to my previous attempts and some nice recordings of Jesusito en Chihuahua, it occurred to me that one of the problems (aside from my continuing problems on the D part) is that this is almost always played on strings, with the fiddles doing a pizzicato thing on the first section of the A part, then legato on the rest of that part. The constant back and forth between pizzicato and legato is, to me, what gives the tune its uniquely Mexican flavor.

 

An example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmDJpU2v3lE

 

Can that be emulated on concertina?

 

Here's an initial attempt at that. My own assessment - maybe it's better, but it still doesn't sound close to right. Maybe this is just the wrong instrument for this polka, or maybe I haven't unlocked the secret to how to play it. Maybe pizzicato just doesn't translate to concertina. Or maybe to play it on concertina I should be taking a completely different approach.

 

I also found it much harder than almost any tune I play to keep a steady beat. One attempt early this morning sounded pretty good when I played it - but when I listened to the recording, I heard that I was speeding up outrageously. The C part needs to be played way slower than you think to keep things steady. I redid it with the damned metronome in my ear. A cheat, I know, but there were enough problems with this tune that I didn't need to be angsting over the beat. As it is, it's still slow, but the D part is hard enough at this speed!

 

I'd love to hear a Jody Kruskal go at this tune, because as I said, I still don't have it. But it's been fun and useful trying to figure it out.

 

Suggestions welcome.

 

I'm amazed by how well you got it out. It's not the same as the version with pizzicato fiddle, but it still works - at least in the context of TOTM. Thanks for angsting!

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Here's my contribution, not so fast, bloopers and all.

https://soundcloud.com/mildredestelle/norwegian-polka

That second part is familiar, but as part of "another" tune. Now I have to see if I can remember which one.

 

Around these parts 30 or 40 years ago, there was a tune known as "The D major/D minor Schottiche" that had a B section that sounded a lot like that (some minor differences). I'm sure the tune had a "real" name in the old country, but I never knew it.

 

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Here an attempt at that very well worn Irish polka, Britches Full of Stitches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_qfrD1WseA&feature=youtu.be

 

Nice. There's something endlessly infectious about Irish polkas. And thanks for remembering that TOTM/ Theme of the Month postings don't end when the month is over!

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Here an attempt at that very well worn Irish polka, Britches Full of Stitches.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_qfrD1WseA&feature=youtu.be

 

Nice. There's something endlessly infectious about Irish polkas. And thanks for remembering that TOTM/ Theme of the Month postings don't end when the month is over!

Irish polkas are fun!

 

Thank you Jim.

 

Wolf, its those moments fine moments that make the slogging practice worth while.

And, hopefully, to have them more frequently.Thanks for noticing.

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