Did I Steal This And What Do You Call It?

[bellowbelle]

I am working on a project for something, just a personal gift for some friends, and I've recorded one track so far, using accordion.

 

The larger form falls into A-B-A, with the 'A' sections each being A-B-A and the 'B' section being totally freestyle.

 

I'm only including the A section, here, but what I want to know is....

 

whether I unknowingly (and yes, it would be that -- unknowingly) copied some other tune -- the tune is so simple that it's not impossible!

 

-- and if this tune could be called something in particular...does it fall into a category (air, hornpipe, etc.). This would have to do with the form and the meter.

 

Even this section, which has more form than the middle (not included on this mp3) is a bit random. I didn't worry about timing very much. There seem to be scraps of 5/4, but...then again, it's not that, really.

 

Just wondering!!! You'd think I'd know by now, but I'm still confused sometimes.

 

Thanks....oh, and this is piano-accordion. EC and foot bass to be added later, I think.

 

EDIT ADDED:

 

http://ACCORDION SAMPLE MP3

 

Above is the link to the file.

Edited August 2, 2007 by bellowbelle

[Jody Kruskal]

Sounds lovely. So simple that it could be coming from lots of tunes you have heard and so into your head. Wherever it came from I’m sure you will make it your own. Actualy, it sounds to me very like a slow version of:

 

Les Bouffons (Thinot Arbeau - circa 1558)

[David Barnert]

I hear lots of familiar things in it, but none so specific that it looks like theft. My father (dead since 1979) used to sing a song that went like this (I've transposed it to Ab to match your sample):

 

X:1

T:Brown Eyes

M:3/4

L:1/4

K:Ab

c>cc|ABc|dd2-|d3|c>cc|ABc|BB2-|B3|

w:Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. - Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. -

c>cc|ABc|dd2-|d2f|eAd|cG>B|A3-|A3||

w:Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. - I'll ne- ver see blue eyes no more. -

 

[sorry. I made a graphic with the music notaion to paste here instead of the abc, but the new improved interface won't let me upload it.]

[JimLucas]

My father (dead since 1979) used to sing a song that went like this (I've transposed it to Ab to match your sample):

 

X:1

T:Brown Eyes

M:3/4

L:1/4

K:Ab

c>cc|ABc|dd2-|d3|c>cc|ABc|BB2-|B3|

w:Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. - Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. -

c>cc|ABc|dd2-|d2f|eAd|cG>B|A3-|A3||

w:Beau-ti-ful beau-ti-ful brown eyes. - I'll ne- ver see blue eyes no more. -

My dad sang that one, too, with almost the same tune, but he sang the last line as, "I'll never love blue eyes again."

 

I thought I recalled seeing sheet music for it once upon a time, so I just Googled it, with some interesting results:

• There are two arrangements (for Chemnitzer) posted at ConcertinaMusic.com. (I've also found sites where I could buy arrangements for banjo, piano, harmonica, guitar (both "country/bluegrass" and "flamenco" ), harp, etc.)
  
• Right now there's a copy for sale on eBay.
  
• It seems to have been recorded by Rosemary Clooney, The Andrews Sisters, and Kitty Wells (among others?).
  
• This version of the lyrics seems to explain the difference between our fathers' last lines. The verses aren't at all what I would have expected from the chorus.
  
• To my surprise, the only date I could find is for sheet music from 1951. I would have thought it was much older. Then again, that listing gives a different composer than what appears on the cover of the Rosemary Clooney sheet music on eBay.
  

How's that for thread drift?

[bellowbelle]

Tradition On A Tangent

 

Above is the link to the whole thing, with the foot bass coming in after the first phrase repeats. Includes some light vocals in the middle section ('oohs').

 

Yes...does sound a bit like 'Brown Eyes' (that's gotta be from before the 1950s!!), and a slow version of the one Jody mentioned (nice band!)...Les Bouffons. But, at least it's not screaming out that it's any particular traditional song that EVERYONE (but me, that is...) knows! THAT'S what I was worried about.

 

I've head a lot of traditional tunes, but there were none that anyone I knew ever sang/played/drilled into my head. Maybe if my maternal grandma had lived beyond my fifth or sixth year, I would know more!

 

Well...just popped in to see what's what. Off to the Squeeze-In tomorrow! Didn't want to be gone the entire weekend, but I will certainly enjoy the concert and after-stuff.

 

Thanks for the comments.

 

Edited to add a different type of link to the same thing...

 

Tradition On A Tangent (less direct link)

 

box.net gives me 2 types of links...the first one is more direct.

 

The title I gave my 'improv' is a bit weird...I know...couldn't think of something!

Edited September 14, 2007 by bellowbelle