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Tune Of The Month, July 2015: American Patrol


Jim Besser

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We have a landslide winner: American Patrol, the march written in 1885 by F.W. Meacham, popularized by swing icon Glenn Miller and still played today by marching bands, ceilidh bands and jazz musicians, was the easy victor in this month's poll.

 

Here's a nice, unadorned version on solo flute.

How about a Texas Swing rendition?

Or a version by a harmonica big band, or a banjo band?

And a very noisy version on organ, and an accordion band.

Again,

the classic Miller version, with a heavy dose of swing.

a classic version that may be the closest to the original, which incorporated Columbia, Gem of the Ocean and Dixie.

 

As you can see, the possibilities are endless.

 

Here's a Wiki entry that gives some background on the tune.

 

Here are some dots to get you started.

And a slightly straighter version in F.

 

Jazz it up, play it like a dance tune, do it as a traditional march, incorporate the other patriotic tunes included in the original - whatever's your fancy, it'll be super cool!

Edited by Jim Besser
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To start things off, here's a fairly straight but gently swung version of the main theme (dots taken from my session tunebook), missing out the deviations into other patriotic tunes. It's played on a George Case English concertina of 1859 that pre-dates the 1885 tune - (#3087, in old pitch). My recording is on SoundCloud, and also on my web site.

Edited by Paul_Hardy
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To start things off, here's a fairly straight but gently swung version of the main theme (dots taken from my session tunebook), missing out the deviations into other patriotic tunes. It's played on a George Case English concertina of 1859 that pre-dates the 1885 tune - (#3087, in old pitch). My recording is on SoundCloud, and also on my web site.

 

Very nice, and a very quick response to this month's challenge!

 

Personally, I can do without the other patriotic tunes; the core melody of American Patrol stands very nicely by itself, as you demonstrate. But my opinion could change when I sit down to work it out!

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We have a landslide winner: American Patrol, the march written in 1885 by F.W. Meacham, popularized by swing icon Glenn Miller and still played today by marching bands, ceilidh bands and jazz musicians, was the easy victor in this month's poll.

 

...

 

Here are some dots to get you started.

 

Great tune. I voted for it.

 

And what happens, harmonically, in bars 7 and 8? Don't all answer at once...

 

Here's dots for a G version that's akin to the F version, above.

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Very nice, and a very quick response to this month's challenge!

It so happened that the tune had been chosen (not by me) to play at last night's Greenshoots tune learning and slow practice session, so I came to it today somewhat ready practised! My recording was the first take and with no post editing, and came out OK, somewhat to my surprise! It was recorded in the bathroom, to give it a bit of reverb!

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This Wikipedia article explains that "Patrol" was a particular form of evocative musical composition, potentially consisting of more than one tune as the band "passed by". That and the text on the cover of the original sheet music (shown with the article) suggest to me that the proper name for the march composed by Meacham may be "Red, White, and Blue". Otherwise, I think it should be referred to as "The American Patrol March" -- the march from "American Patrol", -- to distinguish it from "American Patrol", which would be the entire medley, as recorded by Sousa's Band and others.

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This Wikipedia article explains that "Patrol" was a particular form of evocative musical composition, potentially consisting of more than one tune as the band "passed by". That and the text on the cover of the original sheet music (shown with the article) suggest to me that the proper name for the march composed by Meacham may be "Red, White, and Blue". Otherwise, I think it should be referred to as "The American Patrol March" -- the march from "American Patrol", -- to distinguish it from "American Patrol", which would be the entire medley, as recorded by Sousa's Band and others.

Thank you, Jim... was wondering about this.

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A first take.

 

I've played this before in my ceilidh band, but melody only, since we have a big and very loud rhythm section. Still experimenting with left hand accompaniment.

 

Played in C on a C/G Lachenal / Dipper 30 button Anglo.

Edited by Jim Besser
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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice arrangement. Fun stuff.

Thanks to Randy and Jim; I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's a long way yet from a party piece, but I had fun playing around with it.

 

My only regret is that I didn't use the old Lachenal so that I could incorporate the whistle and/or crying baby. That will have to wait for the next assignment...

 

Bob Michel

Near Philly

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