Ho ho ho! (Christmas gigs)

[Rosie C]

I only started to play accordion in summer 2023, and had a busy few months playing with a Morris side. But then I changed sides and the new people don't want accordions, having a small orchestra instead. So I had a bit of a pause in playing. But, our band have a show coming up on Dec 20th, and we've put four accordion tunes into the set list, which is quite exciting. For bonus fun, last night I was also invited to play a whole Christmas carol gig with our local brass band on Dec 21st. Exciting, but a little bit scary too!

I'm hopefully getting brass band music tonight - if they have a copy that isn't transposed for brass. The Morris tunes were mostly just in G, so I'm working hard on getting familiar with other keys and scales. I found my accordion has cross-hatching on the A♭ button last night - the first time I've ever played it, so learning already! There's a brass band practice on Sunday, I'll find out then how my accordion (Hohner Concerto III) stands up against a dozen horns. I had a chat with the band leader and he wasn't sure whether he wants me to play the melody, or focus more on bass and harmony... I guess we'll try a few things and see what works.

I'll post a bit of a diary here, and few videos as I start to learn the pieces...

 

[JEBrown]

Wow, good luck! I think you will definitely need amplification to be heard over a brass band. But always nice to do a Christmas gig. I've played the last few years at christmas with some musicians from my ceilidh band - we just use a book of christmas carols written for violin duet, and I improvise the chords (which are not difficult). We also have a nice arrangement of Rudolph for string quartet - works surprising well with 2 violins, an electric bass, and me improvising around the viola and cello part.

 

[oldbayan]

Not including the keyboard workstation, I am the same. I've had electronic/digital accordions since the early 80's as well as acoustics. Each has it's charms and value that the other doesn't have, so having both is for me the best of all worlds.

As far as places to play, I am blessed to have an entire basement as my toy box and can play anything anytime without disturbing a soul... my achilles heel is (besides age creeping up on me), having the time to play. Not many feel like putting on an accordion after working 10 hour shifts.

The company is there, the museum and conservatory are also there... I was in Trossingen a couple of weeks ago and was at Hohner, even picked up my 4 certificates of delivery for my 4 Hohners.

I'm a bit of a Hohner fanboy (let's say more a fan of the OLD HOHNER), and would love to say that it is the same accordion powerhouse manufacturer as it was in the 50's-80's... It's sadly not. Their speciality now is more mouth harmonicas than anything else, and from what I was told, only 3 models of accordion are now made in Trossingen (XS, Corona and Gola), some in Italy, but the majority are made in China.

Someone here mentioned that they are now a Korean owned company? I'd have no trouble believing that.

Seems like the standard "Concert Pitch" was never quite standard... lol

Concert pitch - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In this singular document, they don't even mention 442hz, but all different kinds of pitches and how over the ages it's slowly changed.

I'll find out then how my accordion (Hohner Concerto III) stands up against a dozen horns.

Good luck with that! I recently left a group playing klezmer music because there was ONE trumpet player along with a few violins, clarinet, alto sax, and I just could not hear myself play... Horns are insanely loud. Yes I could have used amplification but I did not want to get into the volume escalation game.

 

[Rosie C]

Wow, good luck! I think you will definitely need amplification to be heard over a brass band. But always nice to do a Christmas gig. I've played the last few years at christmas with some musicians from my ceilidh band - we just use a book of christmas carols written for violin duet, and I improvise the chords (which are not difficult). We also have a nice arrangement of Rudolph for string quartet - works surprising well with 2 violins, an electric bass, and me improvising around the viola and cello part.

I think amplification will be needed, especially as we'll be performing outside. But I'll start with 'master' mode and see how I get on. I have a battery powered guitar busking amp, which is fairly loud, though it would only do the treble mic.

We're playing from the Salvation Army's "New Christmas Praise" book, which has 100+ carols.

 

[Rosie C]

Good luck with that! I recently left a group playing klezmer music because there was ONE trumpet player along with a few violins, clarinet, alto sax, and I just could not hear myself play... Horns are insanely loud. Yes I could have used amplification but I did not want to get into the volume escalation game.

Similarly I left an orchestra after being too close to the trumpets and having tinnitus for weeks after. I'll be taking ear plugs!

 

[JerryPH]

Good luck with that! I recently left a group playing klezmer music because there was ONE trumpet player along with a few violins, clarinet, alto sax, and I just could not hear myself play... Horns are insanely loud. Yes I could have used amplification but I did not want to get into the volume escalation game.

I hope that you at least discussed the issue and tried to work it out? Not being able to hear yourself vs the audience not hearing you because you were being drowned out by other members are 2 different things... but it seems in either case a relatively simple thing to work out.

Trumpets have amazing volume control capacity, as do clarinets and sax. Violins pose no real "threat" in the volume area... but more importantly, defining the issue and offering a solution is what should have happened.

BOTH issues should be easily discussed and resolved with the band leader.

If you were being drowned out, meaning the audience heard you just fine but you could not hear yourself thanks to the over enthusiastic trumpet player beside you, a change of position within the group would likely solve that easily enough.

If you were being drowned out by the trumpet player and from the audience side you were drowned out, that would likely mean that everyone else was drowned out as well, to the detriment of the entire song... the band leader should immediately catch that and speak to the excessively volume offending trumpetist, and with a talk... 30 seconds later, issue resolved.

Repeat offenders will get the finger shake and know fear and if they are not a good fit, meaning they cannot control themselves, THEY are the ones that should leave the group, not you.

In a way, I hope you didn't make a mistake over something that was easily resolved.

 

[JerryPH]

Similarly I left an orchestra after being too close to the trumpets and having tinnitus for weeks after. I'll be taking ear plugs!

Totally different situation. Tinnitus is bad, no room for discussion there. I suffer with it since an event at work, it is horrible and I live with it in both ears, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the rest of my life.

Protect yourself or get out of that situation... FAST!

Unfortunately for me, there is no fix, and I now live with it the best that I can. Trust me, I am now pretty over-protective of the hearing that I have and I avoid loud situations or wear protection.

 

[Rosie C]

Protect yourself or get out of that situation... FAST!

Definitely. I didn't play with them again, and fortunately it mostly disappeared after a while.

 

[Rosie C]

6 flats? I'm just a little bit nervous now!



(it's a bass trombone part, that was the only part that wasn't transposed)

 

[Rosie C]

Since my last post I've had a week of 'flu, so I've not made much progress. But it did allow time for the printed music to arrive, and for the band leader to think how best to use the accordion. He's asked me to focus on the melody rather than bass or harmony, as the trumpets can only play for a certain time, and will appreciate a bit of help especially towards the end of the performance. [edit: of course in an ideal world I'd play melody with bass accompaniament, but with 50 carols to learn in 4 weeks, mostly in challenging keys, and no accordion part available, this seems a good compromise]

Playing in G♭ has proved to be not too bad, I approach it as "everything flat except F". D♭ is similar - "everything flat except F and C".
Videos soon...

 

[Giovanni]

Since my last post I've had a week of 'flu, so I've not made much progress. But it did allow time for the printed music to arrive, and for the band leader to think how best to use the accordion. He's asked me to focus on the melody rather than bass or harmony, as the trumpets can only play for a certain time, and will appreciate a bit of help especially towards the end of the performance.

Playing in G♭ has proved to be not too bad, I approach it as "everything flat except F". D♭ is similar - "everything flat except F and C".
Videos soon...

good luck to you !! rather you than me in G flat !!!

just my thoughts ...............that's another reason I prefer to play my little gigs solo ...........I'm in complete charge and I'm the BOSS !!
I'm not saying it is a good way to think but it suits me . When i have had to use sax ,trumpet players etc ....I always tell them the Key I'll be playing it in ...............they just give me the thumbs up and seem to be able to play in any key .............its I gift I do not have I'm sorry to say !!!

 

[Rosie C]

good luck to you !! rather you than me in G flat !!!

just my thoughts ...............that's another reason I prefer to play my little gigs solo ...........I'm in complete charge and I'm the BOSS !!
I'm not saying it is a good way to think but it suits me . When i have had to use sax ,trumpet players etc ....I always tell them the Key I'll be playing it in ...............they just give me the thumbs up and seem to be able to play in any key .............its I gift I do not have I'm sorry to say !!!

Yes, for performances where I'm leading I perform in F, G, G minor, A minor, Bb, B minor and C major/minor - a combination of what is easier on mandolin, and what suits my vocal range. For the Christmas stuff I'm just tagging along with an established band so I'm going to have to play what they play. But it is good for exercising the old grey cells!

 

[JeffJetton]

For the Christmas stuff I'm just tagging along with an established band so I'm going to have to play what they play. But it is good for exercising the old grey cells!

What you need is a giant capo you could just clamp around your accordion, like Nigel Tufnel's amp capo.

 

[Rosie C]

What you need is a giant capo you could just clamp around your accordion, like Nigel Tufnel's amp capo.

I've only played a CBA for a few minutes, once in a shop, but presumably on a CBA I could change key by changing starting note, keeping the same pattern, much like the effect of a capo...

 

[dak]

I've only played a CBA for a few minutes, once in a shop, but presumably on a CBA I could change key by changing starting note, keeping the same pattern, much like the effect of a capo...

Yes and no. We've had discussions about which row the thumb may still be comfortable to play on. That determines what patterns you use for scales, and that makes shifting patterns inwards and outwards not a no-cost endeavor. The more ingrained the scale patterns are for you, the more likely it is that you will not end up just shifting patterns. On the plus side: the additional effort for transposing tends to be somewhat less than it would be with a piano keyboard. But it's not a no-brainer even though it sounds like it when not actually trying.

 

[Rosie C]

Finally a video! It must be about a year since I uploaded a video of me playing, and in fact I've not really played much in the last 8-9 months.
At our Christmas performance I'll be going through a PA. The bass and treble mics are wired separately and I have a swell pedal on the bass. Whereas this recording was just done acoustically, so the held bass notes dominate a bit. Anyway...

 

[Rosie C]

I attended my first band practice. My first impressions were:

• the band are very good, a cut above the brass bands I've previously experienced. In particular their timing and pitch are both very good. Playing well-known Christmas tunes solo I am guilty of a bit of rubato, which I'll have to get out of the habit of sharpish.
• the tunes are playable, just about within my ability with a bit of practice, despite some being in horrible keys.
• my Concerto III sounded a bit rough against well-played brass. I think it's a bit out of tune, but for the music I usually play that just comes over as 'character', no so much tonight. I think I need to budget for a new instrument, or a tune-up
• It was a strange experience to be one of the quieter instruments in a band, though the band's dynamics were very good and I'll have to be careful to follow dynamics markings and not be too loud when everyone else has gone to 'p'.

I did suggest we leave it until next year when I'm a bit better, and have a better instrument, but the band encouraged me to come back next week!

 

[JerryPH]

I attended my first band practice. My first impressions were:

• the band are very good, a cut above the brass bands I've previously experienced. In particular their timing and pitch are both very good. Playing well-known Christmas tunes solo I am guilty of a bit of rubato, which I'll have to get out of the habit of sharpish.
• the tunes are playable, just about within my ability with a bit of practice, despite some being in horrible keys.
• my Concerto III sounded a bit rough against well-played brass. I think it's a bit out of tune, but for the music I usually play that just comes over as 'character', no so much tonight. I think I need to budget for a new instrument, or a tune-up
• It was a strange experience to be one of the quieter instruments in a band, though the band's dynamics were very good and I'll have to be careful to follow dynamics markings and not be too loud when everyone else has gone to 'p'.

I did suggest we leave it until next year when I'm a bit better, and have a better instrument, but the band encouraged me to come back next week!

If they invited you back, thats a GOOD THING. Also, just a question, but what are you tuned at with your Concerto? Is it A=440hz? If that is so, the group may be tuned to a different pitch and that is what **might** be causing you to hear the difference.

You got this Rosie!

 

[Mike t.]

Had to look up “rubato” a new word for me! I have just recently turned on the metronome in fourscore to set the tempo of some new tunes I’m working on… should be using it a lot more on my old tunes also!
I dabbled in G flat on one song, I just thought how can C be a B who writes this stuff? It blows my mind how guitar players use the capo.

 

[Rosie C]

Had to look up “rubato” a new word for me! I have just recently turned on the metronome in fourscore to set the tempo of some new tunes I’m working on… should be using it a lot more on my old tunes also!
I dabbled in G flat on one song, I just thought how can C be a B who writes this stuff? It blows my mind how guitar players use the capo.

Tell me about it! I've just been adding chords to one of the carols and it has some C♭ chords... that just makes my head hurt.

Re. the rubato, I was taught piano from about age 7 by a lady who played piano for the local church and pieces were played to a strict metronome and robustly. Although I didn't appreciate this until much later, as my own musicianship improved as an adult. I can look back now and see she really wasn't very good - a shame as my parents struggled to afford lessons for me. It was an utter revelation when I returned to piano in my 30s and had an excellent teacher who had performed around the world in her youth. It took her quite a bit of effort to undo the earlier training, but it was definitely worth it!