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Tunes Of The Month For August, 2014: White Joak, Polka De L'ase

Jim Besser

By Jim Besser
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Jim Besser Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Jim Besser

Posted
Posted (edited)
Well, it finally happened: a tied TOTM poll.


I wrestled with how to deal with this, and finally opted for the simplest solution: this month we'll have the Tunes of the month. Plural. Pick your poison, so to speak - or impress everybody by learning and recording both. Fortunately, they're both great tunes!


Polka de L'ase.


As I said, I first heard this wonderful French tune played by c.netter Tona as part of the recent "let's polka" theme.


It's a wonderfully cheerful tune; I particularly like the change to the C part and the transition back to A.


Tona plays it beautifully on his Dipper baritone duet. This tune is going to sound very different on the different concertina systems; I look forward to hearing examples of all.




And here's the notation he supplied: http://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2014/06/25/polka-de-l-ase/


The White Joak.


Most Morris players know the Black Joak, used for dances in a number of traditions.


But there are bunch more joak of different colors, and my favorite is the delightfully crooked White Joak, presumably English or Welsh in origin.


Play it in chunky Morris fashion, smooth it out, do what you will - I'm betting it'll sound great.


Here's a nice, somewhat elaborate version on melodeon: https://soundcloud.com/oysterboy6/white-joak , and one on fiddle and concertina: https://soundcloud.com/nick-hart-tom-moore/the-white-joak-the-black-joak


And a couple on fiddle:



There you have it: two tunes for the price of one in August. We'll see how this works!


And remember: the Tune of the Month forum is for beginners as well as experienced players. The discipline of learning new tunes that may be outside our musical comfort zones, recording and posting them is a great spur to learning; so is the useful feedback we get from our peers. The more participation we get, the better all this works. So jump in!

Edited by Jim Besser
sqzbxr Chatty concertinist

sqzbxr

Posted
Posted (edited)

Direct link to the PDF for Polka de l'Ase:

 

http://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2014/06/25/polka-de-l-ase/polka-de-l-ase.pdf

 

 

For those who prefer ABC:

 

X:1

T: Polka de l'Ase

C: Version J. Vayssade & M. Bernard

L: 1/16

M: 2/4

K: G

D2|:B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A4 B2A2|GFGA B2D2|

B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A2BA G2F2|1G6 D2:|2G6 d2|

|:B2d2 G2d2|cdcB A2d2|c2d2 A2e2|dedB d2d2|

B2d2 G2d2|cdcB A2d2|cdcB A2B2|1G6 d2:|2G6 D2|

|:B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A4 B2A2|GFGA B2D2|

B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A2BA G2F2|1G6 D2:|2G6 FG|

K: D

|:A2A2 A2B2|ABAF A2d2|c2dc B2G2|B4 A2FG|

A2A2 A2B2|ABAF A2d2|c2dc B2c2|1d6 FG:|2d6 d2|

K: G

c2>A c2e2|d2>B d2AB|c2dc B2A2|G6 D2|

|:B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A4 B2A2|GFGA B2D2|

B2>^A B2>G|A2E2 E4|A2BA G2F2|1G6 D2:|2G6|]

Edited by sqzbxr
Jim Besser Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Jim Besser

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I have two recordings of the White Joak - both John Kirkpatrick, one played in a chunky Morris style, the other played fast. I couldn't decide which to do, so I did both.

 

I found the basic tune very simple, but had some trouble not speeding up in the B part. Think I still did here, but not as bad as when I started! A little work with the metronome was revealing.

 

Now on to the polka.

 

https://soundcloud.com/concertinist/white-joak-aug-2014-cnet-totm

Jody Kruskal Heavyweight Boxer

Jody Kruskal

Posted
Posted

The White Joak was published in 1731 by John Walsh, in his ‘Third Book of the most celebrated Jiggs, Lancashire Hornpipes, Scotch and Highland Lilts, Northern Frisks...’

I like this version best and plan to post a concertina version soon.

X: 1
T: White Joak
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/16
K: Dmaj
|: d4d2 f2e2d2 | d2c2B2 A4GF | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 |G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|
|: A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e6 | A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e4dc |B4d2 A4d2 |
F4d2 F3GA2 | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 | G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|

ABC by ronald.ellison on The Session http://thesession.org/tunes/2153

Jim Besser Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Jim Besser

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Posted (edited)

Definitely a work in progress.

 

Hard to get all the accompaniment goodies Tona put in his wonderful duet version: I was limited by fewer notes and lesser skills! Feels a little frantic to me, I need to smooth it out.

 

Played in C on a 32 button Lachenal / Dipper C/G Anglo.

 

Sorry for the loud thumping - I didn't realize I was tapping my foot on an empty melodeon case!

Edited by Jim Besser
Wolf Molkentin Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Wolf Molkentin

Posted
Posted

Definitely a work in progress.

 

Hard to get all the accompaniment goodies Tona put in his wonderful duet version: I was limited by fewer notes and lesser skills! Feels a little frantic to me, I need to smooth it out.

 

Played in C on a 32 button Lachenal / Dipper C/G Anglo.

 

Sorry for the loud thumping - I didn't realize I was tapping my foot on an empty melodeon case!

 

Jim, welcome to the (WIP) club! B)

 

However, your recording positively has a really nice polka feel - with the tapping just adding to that... :)

 

Best wishes - Wolf

Jody Kruskal Heavyweight Boxer

Jody Kruskal

Posted
Posted

Here is my playing of White Joak... https://soundcloud.com/jodysconcertina/white-joak

 

I found an error in the ABC I posted above. Here is the correction:

 

 

X: 1

T: White Joak

R: jig

M: 6/8

L: 1/16

K: Dmaj

|: d4d2 f2e2d2 | d2c2B2 A4GF | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 |G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|

|: A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e6 | A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e4dc |B4d2 A4d2 |

G4d2 F3GA2 | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 | G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|

Jim Besser Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Jim Besser

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Here is my playing of White Joak... https://soundcloud.com/jodysconcertina/white-joak

 

I found an error in the ABC I posted above. Here is the correction:

 

 

X: 1

T: White Joak

R: jig

M: 6/8

L: 1/16

K: Dmaj

|: d4d2 f2e2d2 | d2c2B2 A4GF | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 |G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|

|: A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e6 | A4A2 A2B2c2 | d2e2f2 e4dc |B4d2 A4d2 |

G4d2 F3GA2 | B4B2 B2c2d2 | A4F2 D2E2F2 | G6 B2A2G2 | F2G2E2 D6 :|

 

Thanks. Lots to absorb in your version!

Jim Besser Ineluctable Opinionmaker

Jim Besser

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well, here is my version of The White Joak, played morris style, melody only, in the same punchy way I would play Black Joak, because I think the morris style suits this tune better.

 

https://soundcloud.com/aeolaman/the-white-joak-vn1

 

Chris

 

Thanks. Definitely a tune that has a strong Morris feel to it - despite the crooked structure. You have an interesting variation!

chas Chatty concertinist

chas

Posted
Posted (edited)

Chouette, Tona!

I love the way the light-touch left hand provides support and interest without ever getting in the way of the tune.

Edited by chas
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