Theme Of The Month, August 2014: Tunes In '3'

[Pete Dunk]

3/2 tunes are weird, I'm not sure why but they are. Here's a four part concertina band arrangement I did earlier this week (all treble clef to avoid confusion for players who are constantly playing different parts and can afford a collection of beautiful vintage English concertinas). Writing this was the easy part (and yes, I know it's not an imaginative arrangement - this is new territory for me!) playing it is another thing however, I'm really struggling to get my fingers around the treble one part.

 

X:1
T:Hornpipe No.8 (Water Music)
T:Full Score
C:Handel
M:3/2
L:1/8
V:1 nm=Treble-1 sname=T-1
V:2 nm=Treble-2 sname=T-2
V:3 nm=Baritone sname=Bar clef=treble-8 transpose=-12
V:4 nm=Bass sname=Bass clef=treble-8 transpose=-24
Q:1/2=110
%%barnumbers 0
K:F
V:1
|:a4 g2fe f2d2|c2BA B2BG ABc2|f4 e2dc d2f2|
b4 a2gf g2c2|a4 g2fe f2d2|c2BA B2BG ABc2|
F2d2- d2ef =B2G2|c2E2 d2=B2 c4::g4 e2dc f2g2|
a2A2- A2d2 _d2A2|bag2 agf2 gfe2|f2d2 A2G2 F2D2|
c4 _G=GA2 D2d2|Bcd2 G2g2 e2c2|g4 B4 A2GF|G2f2 c2e2 f4:|
V:2
L:1/4
|:c2 ec AB|F2 FE FG|A2 c2 Fc|
de f2 e2|c2 ec AB|F2 FE FG|
DA- AAGD| G3F E2::e2 GE ce|
fe FD EF|G/F/E Fd e/d/_d|=dA FE D2|
EA- A_G- GA|D3B =GE|CE FG CF|DB cB A2:|
V:3
L:1/4
|:f2 g2 de|f2 de cc|d2 cf dc|
Bc cd eg|f2 g2 de|f2 dc cc|
Ge- ee d=B|G3G G2::c'2c2 c'b|
a2d2 Af|de cd Ge|dd d_d =df|
a2A2A2|G3d c2|c2B A/G/F2|B2 AG F2:|
V:4
L:1/4
|:f2c'2 d'b|af gc fe|d2 a2 ba|
gc fd' c'e|f2c2 db|g2ed dd|
df- fd gf|ec gG c2::c2 c'a bg|
fd- db ad'|gc' fb ga|df aA d2|
a2d2_g2|=g2 bg c'2|ec de fA|Bd cC F2:|

[Jim Besser]

 

This tune has given me ulcers.

 

It's not so much that it's in 3/2; it's the fingering, especially in the B part.

 

On a C/G 30 button Anglo, the fingering in the B part to ensure that successive notes are not played with the same finger is awkward and counterintuitive. I'm so focused on remembering the weird fingering that I feel like I'm rushing the tune, giving it a somewhat frantic feel.

 

Risky offering suggestions without knowing what fingerings you're trying that you find "awkward and counterintuitive". Or what you would find less weird, but require button jumping with a finger. I'm not much of anglo player myself, but I suspect that many of the fingerings I find "intuitive", you wouldn't. Still, I have an anglo handy at the moment, and I've been experimenting, so I may report some "results", later.

 

By the way, in both the trio's video and the ABC you provided, the 1st and 5th measures start out with D2 AG F2, while you seem to be playing D2 FE D2.

 

 

Yeah, I know. I realized I had changed it, learned the 'correct' version, then decided I liked sort of liked my mistake.

[Jim Besser]

Try starting the B part with a left hand pull for the first three bars only reversing to push for the last E of the third bar. That uses all three rows but at least the fingering works -- (results may vary).

 

That's what I"m doing, but my brain is resisting!

[Tootler]

 

Try starting the B part with a left hand pull for the first three bars only reversing to push for the last E of the third bar. That uses all three rows but at least the fingering works -- (results may vary).

 

That's what I"m doing, but my brain is resisting!

 

I eventually got round to having a look at it. I'm not up to speed but have managed to sort out most of my fingering.

 

I play the B part largely on the C row but use the push A/pull G button to play the Bb - A in the first bar. In the third bar where the main problem lies, imo, I play mostly on the C row but cross my middle finger over the index finger to play the two Bb's I use a similar technique for the C# in the 5th bar if playing down the octave. If playing up the octave in that bar, my Morse Anglo has the two buttons C#/Eb and Eb/C# so I would use whichever makes for the easiest fingering. Another possibility is playing the Gs and As on the G row which I suspect is what Blue Jack meant.

 

I play my concertina in a wind band and often have to play in F & Bb so am quite used to jumping around a bit. I find the A/G button on the accidental row very useful and also crossing over with fingers to access accidentals which would otherwise mean fingering two successive buttons with the same finger. I do find, however that it is sometimes easier to slide a finger from the accidental to the C row.

 

I realise that a Bb/F Anglo would be easier for those keys but the price of concertinas these days means I have to live with what I have. If I knew how I would have ended up using my concertina I might have considered and English more seriously but coming from Harmonica the Anglo was more instinctive for me and, anyway, I really like my Anglo.

[Rod]

Geoff, what do you mean by " playing your Concertina in a wind bag " ?

[Wolf Molkentin]

wind band, ensemble with transposing instruments, be it brass or woodwind...

[Tootler]

Geoff, what do you mean by " playing your Concertina in a wind bag " ?

Typo. I meant wind band

 

Edit. I did say wind band. The typo was Rod's

 

wind band, ensemble with transposing instruments, be it brass or woodwind...

As you said; clarinets, saxophones, various brass, flutes etc. I play off flute/violin parts so octave transpositions are sometimes needed. It's a good way of learning your instrument and quite challenging at times but I enjoy it.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Tootler

[chas]

3/2 tunes are weird, I'm not sure why but they are. Here's a four part concertina band arrangement I did earlier this week (all treble clef to avoid confusion for players who are constantly playing different parts and can afford a collection of beautiful vintage English concertinas).

Thanks for a brilliant lesson in abc. I've always used abc for tunes but for writing in parts I go to Noteworthy Composer. Your arrangement here shows me I could use abc for everything. My village band don't seem willing to download NWC but they ought to be OK with abc!

The only downside is that, at least in abc Explorer, I don't think you can assign different instrument sounds to different parts so playback doesn't give such a good idea of the eventual sound. Mind you, your arrangement sounds great with all parts in "harpsichord" or "church organ".

(And it's better to play concertina in a wind band than be a windbag playing a concertina. )

[JimLucas]

(And it's better to play concertina in a wind band than be a windbag playing a concertina. )

Windbags belong with pipes. Concertina players just bellow.

(Anglo players more frequently than the others? )

[Rod]

No reason why a windbag should not play in a wind band. Even in a windmill.

[Pete Dunk]

 

The only downside is that, at least in abc Explorer, I don't think you can assign different instrument sounds to different parts so playback doesn't give such a good idea of the eventual sound. Mind you, your arrangement sounds great with all parts in "harpsichord" or "church organ".

 

The right tool for the right job is what's called for here. Once you have the parts and full score exported as PDFs from ABC Explorer, export it as a midi file. Download and install a bit of free software that works with midis, I have a thing called Anvil Studio which is clunky but does the job. Open the midi file, assign voices to the parts, adjust relative volumes and right/left stereo spread, save the file.

 

Okay you now have a slightly better midi file but it's still not sexy. Download 'Freemake midi to mp3 converter' and install it - being careful to decline any of the 49 thousand additional options (patience grasshopper!). Convert the midi file to an mp3 - now its an audio file!

 

If you don't have it already, download and install Audacity and the Lame encoder that allows you to save MP3s. Now open your recently created MP3 file, hold down <ctrl> and press A to select all, from the Effects menu select 'Reverb' and accept the default values. Open the Effects menu again (the whole file should still be highlighted/selected) and select 'Normalise'. Once that is done save the file and the job is done.

 

If any of this is unclear send me a PM or please feel free to email me: peterdunkATbtintenetDOTcom substituting capital letters for appropriate symbols.

 

Pete.

[Pete Dunk]

Here's the resultant mp3 file for Hornpipe No. 8

 

Hornpipe No. 8

[Pete Dunk]

Oh and if you want the midi file to play the whole tune as many times through as the final piece is intended to be, you'll have to write sufficient repeats into the music or invoke the parts (P:) command in the header in order to play the tune as many times as intended. This last can be, erm, quite trying.

[SteveS]

Here's a link to my earlier topic.

 

I'm thinking about uploading more polskas - I'll see about recording some this weekend.

[chas]

The right tool for the right job is what's called for here.

Thanks for the detailed answer Pete. I'll give that a try. The results are clearly impressive. I do have Audacity and a converter.

[chas]

Here's another 3/2 tune: The Laird of Foveran, which I got from the lovely CD Auld Springs Gies Nae Price by Cathal Mcconnell and Duncan Wood. It's from William Christie's 1820 Collection of Strathspeys, Reels and Hornpipes.

[Wolf Molkentin]

Here's another 3/2 tune: The Laird of Foveran, which I got from the lovely CD Auld Springs Gies Nae Price by Cathal Mcconnell and Duncan Wood. It's from William Christie's 1820 Collection of Strathspeys, Reels and Hornpipes.

 

That's a nice one Chas, thanks for posting it! I like the archaic feel you gave your recording!

 

Best wishes - Wolf

[Jim Besser]

Here's another 3/2 tune: The Laird of Foveran, which I got from the lovely CD Auld Springs Gies Nae Price by Cathal Mcconnell and Duncan Wood. It's from William Christie's 1820 Collection of Strathspeys, Reels and Hornpipes.

 

Nice! I really need to work on 3/2, I just don't have a feel for these tunes. You did a nice job.