Backing Someone Else

[Susanne]

Hi everyone!

 

Can you advice me on how to back someone else on the concertina? I play some chords and a little melody line as a break. I recently got to play in an oldtime/Irish music/anything band, and I play some concertina for the more Irish-type of songs. How would you do? Just chords for the verses and then fills? Anything else?

[Mark Evans]

Do you mean backing up a song or a tune?

 

Can't go wrong on lovely subtle chords and some passing tones for accompaniment of a song.

 

Tunes, I play chords, drones, open fifths depending on the type of tune and the taste of those I'm playing with. Subtle is the watchword until I feel the ground I'm standing on and then from there it can go anywhere if need be.

 

Sounds like you are starting to have some fun with that nice concertina of yours!

[stuart estell]

I think the really important thing when accompanying another musician or singer, regardless of what instrument you're doing it on, is to listen closely to the other person and be as sympathetic as you can to whatever they do.

 

I'd definitely agree with what Mark has said about subtlety - the last thing you want to do as an accompanist is either to overwhelm the "soloist" or draw attention away from them by doing flashy overcomplicated things. Often a more elaborate accompaniment will sound great when you work through it as an idea but then strike you as horribly cluttered if you listen back to a recording of it.

 

The concertina (regardless of the type) is a wonderfully flexible instrument for accompaniment

Edited June 20, 2007 by stuart estell

[JimLucas]

Can you advice me on how to back someone else on the concertina? I play some chords and a little melody line as a break. I recently got to play in an oldtime/Irish music/anything band, and I play some concertina for the more Irish-type of songs. How would you do? Just chords for the verses and then fills? Anything else?

Are you trying to do this on your English, or your anglo?

And it's just you playing, not other instruments?

 

In any case, for me it depends on the melody, the speed, the musical phrase, even the words. Drones, melody, moving harmonies, chords... each is good in different circumstances, and more than one can be used in a given song or even in a given verse. Also, chords can be applied in many different ways: sustained, staccato, oom-pah (bass note followed by chord), arpeggiated, on the beat, off the beat, changing with each note, changing less frequently, etc.

 

Have you listened to my song samples (from Elsie Marley down to Za Lyesom) on Henk's recorded tune links page? Those are only a few of the possibilities, and they're all on the English, but similar styles should also be possible on the anglo. Of course, you should also listen others on that page.

 

I advise that you experiment, and I hope your singing parter will allow you to do that as you develop your accompaniments.

[David Barnert]

I like to think of it as supporting them on a cushion of air that they can feel relaxed on. Don't do anything too rhythmical until you have a feel for their tempo and rigidity. Then work with what they've started. Seek out their strong and weak attributes. Let the strengths shine through, while providing a crutch for the weaker areas.

 

And of course, if you do your job as an accompanist correctly, nobody (not the audience and not the soloist) will notice that you've done anything at all.

[Susanne]

Can you advice me on how to back someone else on the concertina? I play some chords and a little melody line as a break. I recently got to play in an oldtime/Irish music/anything band, and I play some concertina for the more Irish-type of songs. How would you do? Just chords for the verses and then fills? Anything else?

Are you trying to do this on your English, or your anglo?

And it's just you playing, not other instruments?

 

In any case, for me it depends on the melody, the speed, the musical phrase, even the words. Drones, melody, moving harmonies, chords... each is good in different circumstances, and more than one can be used in a given song or even in a given verse. Also, chords can be applied in many different ways: sustained, staccato, oom-pah (bass note followed by chord), arpeggiated, on the beat, off the beat, changing with each note, changing less frequently, etc.

 

Have you listened to my song samples (from Elsie Marley down to Za Lyesom) on Henk's recorded tune links page? Those are only a few of the possibilities, and they're all on the English, but similar styles should also be possible on the anglo. Of course, you should also listen others on that page.

 

I advise that you experiment, and I hope your singing parter will allow you to do that as you develop your accompaniments.

 

I'm using the English, since he sings in weird keys (this tune is in G, though), and what I've done so far is to play chords (but I think single notes sounds better, except for some places in the tune) and a little melody line, sort of as a break. I was practicing in the woods today. will try it with our singing Thomas on Sunday.

[Chris Timson]

I think the really important thing when accompanying another musician or singer, regardless of what instrument you're doing it on, is to listen closely to the other person and be as sympathetic as you can to whatever they do.

Stuart's dead right. I've done some of this, and the key - more important whan which chords/melody/counterpoint you play - is to let the singer set the tempo and the expressiveness. In other words you follow the singer, you mustn't try to set the agenda, as it were. This needs practice with both of you, I'm afraid, and quite a bit of it too. However once you've cracked it it is a very satisfying thing to do.

 

Chris

[paperpunchr]

Hi everyone!

 

Can you advise me on how to back someone else on the concertina? I play some chords and a little melody line as a break. I recently got to play in an oldtime/Irish music/anything band, and I play some concertina for the more Irish-type of songs. How would you do? Just chords for the verses and then fills? Anything else?

 

Hi, Ennistraveler,

 

It takes some things that can't be easily taught or even described over the forum, like "taste" and "subtlety", but I find it effective to lightly fill some of the spaces between the end of one vocal musical phrase and the start of the net either with a counter melody or echo the melody, or fill with lightly phrased arpeggios or passing notes/scale segments that fit, ...again, not at full volume, so as not to distract from the vocal line.

 

Curiously, I play along with the church choir every Sunday morning and have used that opportunity to practice and develop my accompanying on both concertina and whistle, and both the choir and the congregation seem to appreciate the added ornamentation...we ordinarily have only a basic chord guitarist and a beginning pianist to provide the chordal foundation for the vocal line, and I try to tastefully fill out part of the vacant musical space.