Music For A Found Harmonium - For G/d Anglo

[Will Moore]

Though I've only just started playing, I want to have something to aspire to!

 

One of my favourite tracks is Music for a Found Harmonium by Penguin Cafe Orchestra It's played on G/D Anglo here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS1JEV50dx0) , but I can't find any music for it.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Ideally, numbered keys would be great as I'm still learning to read music! I found some things here (https://thesession.org/tunes/346), but not something that is understandable to me!

 

 

I'm not expecting anyone to transcribe, but if you have the sheet music floating around - I would love to see it!

 

Cheers

 

Will

 

 

[ceemonster]

Well, if you don't read music and don't read ABC/tab, sheet music is not going to be terribly useful until you learn one of those. But, since you asked:

 

Most sheet music for this piece/tune is in "score" form, for multiple instruments. It is confusing, because the main melody line trades off between different instruments. Equally to the point, I personally hate, hate, HATE "MFAFH" in "orchestral" form for multiple instruments. Horrid and florid wallow in kitsch, schlock-folk bombast.

 

What you want, is single-instrument solo sheet music showing the main melody for one instrument. That is what is being played in the youtube video you posted here. So I have found one, but my computer will not copy to bhangout. Here is a try at noting it down, or you can google:

 

http://www.

 

traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-music-mandolin-tab/music_for_a_found_harmonium.htm

 

I had to break up the address because the cnet Save was eliminating much of it when I typed it all together.

 

If the key(s) in this mandolin notation does not work well for Anglo concertina, you'll need to transpose it to a key that does. It looks fine and doable to me, though, and it's a good single-melody-line folk version.

 

That's a very nice concertina rendition in your youtube link.

Edited June 30, 2016 by ceemonster

[Will Moore]

brilliant, thankyou!

 

I am learning sheet music, and so far the music I have been using has had overlays of numbers on it (see linked image here https://www.dropbox.com/s/i4q7xdmr7znrb8e/example.png?dl=0)

 

I think I can take what you have sent and apply numbering to it.

 

I've not yet come across ABC/tab format - perhaps I will get on better with that

 

Either way, thanks for your input and link!

[John Wild]

This is an ABC notation. If you do not have an ABC program (which can convert this into music notation) they are easy to find and download.

I have also attached a PDF file showing the music notation from this ABC. On your anglo, you may have to check if you have all the accidentals which this needs.

 

Regard,

 

John

 

X:181
T:Music for a Found Harmonium
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:Simon Jeffis
S:Transcribed from the recording by Patrick Street
R:reel
K:D
z2z2z2zD|:"D"FDGD FDDD|FDGD FDDD|FDGD FDDD|"A"EDCD "D"FDDD:|
|:"A"EDCD EDCD|"D"FD=CD FD=CD|"G"GDED "A"CDGD|"D"FDDD D3:|
=F|"F"=c=FE =FG=FE=F|=c=FE "Dm"=FE3=F|=F|"F"=c=FE=F G=FE=F|
=c=FE=F"Dm"E3=F|"Bb"_B=FD=F G=FD=F|_B=FD=F =FE=F|"C#dim7"__B=FE=FGEz=F|
_B=FE=F GEz=F|"A7"cGEG CGGG|cGEG CGGG|cGEG CGGG|cGEG CGGG|
|:"D"FDGD FDDD|FDGD FDDD|FDGD FDDD|"A"EDCD "D"FDDD:|
|:"A"EDCD EDCD|"D"FD=CD FD=CD|"G"GDED "A"CDGD|"D"FDDD D3:|

 

Music for a found harmonium.pdf

[Laitch]

Ideally, numbered keys would be great as I'm still learning to read music! I found some things here (https://thesession.org/tunes/346), but not something that is understandable to me!/

 

The sheet music to that tune is on that link, Will. Click the sheet music button. You can the compare the sheet music to the abc notation as a start to comprehension of their relationship—like with the samples John has provided. Each score variation on that site is developed from its corresponding abc file.

 

Lean abc here.

[Anglogeezertoo]

Here :– https://thesession.org/tunes/346 on the SESSION website you will find seven versions.

 

They're all slightly different, why people post multiple copies of the same tune I don't know!!

 

Click the button SHEET MUSIC for the dots which you can then print out.

 

Jake

[JimLucas]

They're all slightly different, why people post multiple copies of the same tune I don't know!!

 

Maybe they didn't check before posting to see whether it was there? (Ever wonder why so many first timers here start a new Topic with the same subject?) Or maybe because their version is different?

 

One could also ask why the versions are all different, when we know who composed it. (Is he still alive?) These days even the folk process seems to move at internet speed. (I have sometimes found transcriptions with actual errors -- where I have the recording they say they transcribed it from, -- but I have no evidence of that with this tune.)

[Laitch]

Here :– https://thesession.org/tunes/346 on the SESSION website you will find seven versions.

They're all slightly different, why people post multiple copies of the same tune I don't know!!

One reason there are slightly differing copies of the same tune might be that variation is an essential part of Irish tune playing. A tune can vary from region to region, person to person, and even in each repetition of one person's playing of it. Each tune has a core structure—bones—that is identifiable; what holds those bones together varies from wire to lace. Many of those versions might be players just showing each other ways they've come up with to play the core tune; some of them might be established regional variations of a tune. Some of them might be mislabeled and misplaced rubbish by the people who post them.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Laitch

[nicx66]

If you want to play this tune the way Penguin Cafe Orchestra plays it, you will need an Eflat concertina (C#/G#), however Patrick Street offers up a fantastic version (played as a reel, I believe). I do not know for certain which key Patrick Street plays in. I am also new to the instrument and have been trying this one out since I started. My first instrument is the tin whistle. For this tune, on the A part, I use a C whistle. While a bit challenging on a C#/G# concertina, the A part can be played entirely on the left hand. The B part is a little easier and fuller sounding as it is in Eb. The B part for the whistle is a bit tricky as it is all played in the second (high pitch) octave and requires some fancy finger work. Good Luck!

[Pete Dunk]

Here's the best transcription I have found, top line only, no pedal notes. If anyone wants abc or PDF in another key just let me know.

 

PDF here

 

MP3 of the midi file here

 

X:166
T:Music For A Found Harmonium
C:Simon Jeffes
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=170
S:Penguin Cafe Orchestra: "Broadcasting from Home" (EG Records 1984)
Z:This is the whole thing as played on the album.
K:C
|:C|ECFC ECCC|ECFC ECB,C|ECFC ECCC|DCB,C ECC:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|ECB,C ECB,C|FCDC B,CFC|ECCC C2C:|
|:C|ECFC ECCC|ECFC ECB,C|ECFC ECCC|DCB,C ECC:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|ECB,C ECB,C|FCDC B,CFC|ECCC C2C:|
K:Bb
|:E|BEDE FE2E|BEDE D3E|BEDE FE2E|BEDE D3:|
K:Eb
E|AECE FE2E|AECE FE2E|AEDE FD2E|AEDE FD2|
K:C
F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2|
|:C|ECFC ECCC|ECFC ECB,C|ECFC ECCC|DCB,C ECC:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|EC_B,C EC_B,C|FCA,C FCB,C|ECCC C2C:|
K:Bb
|:E|BEDE FE2E|BEDE D3E|BEDE FE2E|BEDE D3:|
K:Eb
E|AECE FE2E|AECE FE2E|AEDE FD2E|AEDE FD2|
K:C
F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2F|BFDF B,F2|
|:C|ECFC ECCC|ECFC ECB,C|ECFC ECCC|DCB,C ECC:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|ECB,C ECB,C|FCDC B,CFC|ECCC C2C:|
|:C|ECFC ECCC|ECFC ECB,C|ECFC ECCC|DCB,C ECC:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|ECB,C ECB,C|FCDC B,CFC|ECCC C2C:|
|:C|DCB,C DCB,C|ECB,C ECB,C|FCDC B,CFC|ECCC C2C:||

 

[Laitch]

This app is still available from several sources on the Web.

[Will Moore]

Thanks so much for all the comments and links - really helpful Loving this community already!

[Jack Campin]

I have a brutally compressed single-line version, fitting easily on one A4 page, in the Nine Note Tune Book on my website:

 

http://www.campin.me.uk/

 

I've eliminated all repeated notation and used the ABC part construct to tell you what order to reassemble the bits in. The result is that there is much less to read or remember and you can better predict where the tricky bits are going to come.