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Playing Scales As Accompaniment


Gary

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Hello all again. I have a question about playing with other people in a session when you are a beginner. I have an English concertina.

 

I have been practising now since November and I'm coming on.

I have been practising my scales on a daily basis and I'm happy with C, G and D.

My question is this. Can I accompany other musicians by playing the appropriate scale underneath their playing of a tune if I don't know the tune ?

I play the guitar and if I know the key of the tune but not the tune note for note I can still play little passages of notes etc just to be involved and contributing.

 

Can this be done with the concertina ?

 

Or I could just turn up with my concertina and play Dark Island, then retire to the bar !

 

As a beginner I'm sure my questions have been asked before but your help in this matter will be greatly appreciated yet again.

 

Kind regards

 

Gary.

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Sometimes the notes you don't play are more important than the notes you do play.

 

What may work for you, Gary, is to find out what key the tune is in and play arpeggios of the appropriate chords.

 

Depending on the kind of music, appropriate chords can be problematical.

 

Irish Traditional Music often uses modes that are neither major nor minor and sometimes the modes shift in the parts of the same tune, so that the guitarist's conventional "3 chord trick" might not always fit very well.

And sometimes even the "right" chords only hinders a bubbling, sparkling melody.

 

Jazz has a number of theories and conventions for chords and accompaniment.

 

Taping your favorite session tunes and practicing and trying out different chords and accompaniment at home to the tape can get you ready for prime time live sessions.

 

With some care and sensitivity you, with the feedback of your session mates will arrive at a way to participate and contribute to the evening's music.

 

It is an adventure. Good luck.

 

Greg

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If you are at a Irish session and show up with an EC you already have a strike against you in the minds of many. If you start playing scales under the tune you should be asked to stop.....very simple....If you don't know the tune DON'T PLAY! You would be better to listen and find some tunes you like and learn them. At most sessions the group would be happy to help you get through the tune a couple of times slowly... Again if you want to be invited back don't play unless you know the tune .... just listen Good Luck Doug

Edited by Doug Barr
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If you are at a Irish session and show up with an EC you already have a strike against you in the minds of many. If you start playing scales under the tune you should be asked to stop.....very simple....If you don't know the tune DON'T PLAY! You would be better to listen and find some tunes you like and learn them. At most sessions the group would be happy to help you get through the tune a couple of times slowly... Again if you want to be invited back don't play unless you know the tune .... just listen Good Luck Doug

 

As a matter of personal preferences, I have to agree with Doug. In irish sessions, as a melody player I find it very annoying when another melody instrument joins along without actually knowing the melody. If they are carefully and quietly trying to figure out and piece the melody together, sessioneers are usually pretty patient. All too often though a musician (with their heart in the right place) picks up a pennywhistle of the right key (or some other melody instrument) and plays along enthusiastically with random abandon. Then I have to decide if it bothers me enough to say something (after all, it's not MY session...), and if so, how to say something constructive (tips?). If you're playing with a bunch of passive personalities, the situation may never be confronted, and the session can become quite unsatisfying for everyone. As a matter of self improvement, I also think Doug is right on the money. Every time you go to a session and hear a tune you like, ask about the title and possibly the source, then go home and learn it note for note! Record it at the session if you have to. If you learn at least one tune you really like from every session, you will quickly find yourself acquiring a satisfying arsenal of tunes. Scales are GREAT practice, but when a tune is being played, I think only a rhythm instrument (guitar/bouzouki) can get away with scales, and only if they are used very infrequently. And you can't really learn a tune until you can hum or sing the melody to yourself. All you need to do is listen to it carefully a few more times, then try it again. It will come.

Edited by John Sylte
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If you are at a Irish session and show up with an EC you already have a strike against you in the minds of many. If you start playing scales under the tune you should be asked to stop.....very simple....If you don't know the tune DON'T PLAY! You would be better to listen and find some tunes you like and learn them. At most sessions the group would be happy to help you get through the tune a couple of times slowly... Again if you want to be invited back don't play unless you know the tune .... just listen Good Luck Doug

 

As a matter of personal preferences, I have to agree with Doug. In irish sessions, as a melody player I find it very annoying when another melody instrument joins along without actually knowing the melody. If they are carefully and quietly trying to figure out and piece the melody together, sessioneers are usually pretty patient. All too often though a musician (with their heart in the right place) picks up a pennywhistle of the right key (or some other melody instrument) and plays along enthusiastically with random abandon. Then I have to decide if it bothers me enough to say something (after all, it's not MY session...), and if so, how to say something constructive (tips?). If you're playing with a bunch of passive personalities, the situation may never be confronted, and the session can become quite unsatisfying for everyone. As a matter of self improvement, I also think Doug is right on the money. Every time you go to a session and hear a tune you like, ask about the title and possibly the source, then go home and learn it note for note! Record it at the session if you have to. If you learn at least one tune you really like from every session, you will quickly find yourself acquiring a satisfying arsenal of tunes. Scales are GREAT practice, but when a tune is being played, I think only a rhythm instrument (guitar/bouzouki) can get away with scales, and only if they are used very infrequently. And you can't really learn a tune until you can hum or sing the melody to yourself. All you need to do is listen to it carefully a few more times, then try it again. It will come.

 

 

Thanks folks, great advice yet again.

 

I'll keep you informed of my progress from time to time.

 

Cheers

 

Gary.

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I'd like to add that John and Doug have very valid points in pointing out proper session decorum and the self interest of those participating in protecting the session's integrity. (Typical session thoughts: "I came here to play Irish Traditional Music, not experiment; Do your practicing at home; You are distracting me when you don't know the tune."

 

John and Doug were addressing their comments to a relative beginner who is eager to participate.

 

And their advice to learn the music and the tunes specific to a session can't be overstated for importance.

("If you want to improvise, the Jazz session is on Tuesdays.")

 

So I'll echo their strong advice to approach a session with respect for an already established musical forum.

 

But...before another EC player is strictly relegated to a role as yet an additional instrument duplicating the melody, I'd like to point out that there may be another way to usefully and tastefully participate. And it is already part of the tradition established by one of the ancient instruments.

 

Harpist have a very appropriate way of backing up tunes. Sometimes it is percussive chords, sometimes arpeggios or chords connected by lead notes. The playing of Michael Rooney comes to mind behind concertina players Tim Collins and Micheal O Raghallaigh.

 

So couldn't an experienced EC player contribute by imitating some of the harp's backup? The percussive chording may or may not work for the EC, but wouldn't the rolling arpeggios and chords with leading notes play to the instrument's strengths?

 

Greg

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