2024 Market Goals

[Tom]

So, I’m trying a new thing here on my quest for the 4 hours of music for the 2024 season. I put each tune under consideration on a card and put them in three piles. (Not including those I’m planning to add but haven’t worked on yet.) Those that I can play fine without the music, those that I can play with the music, and those that are still challenging even with the music. Now I can see what I‘ve got, and can try to move them all over to the left, and add new ones to the right. Omg I have a lot of work to do before May.

 

[noelekal]

My ability to play from memory, without music seems to be diminishing. I still have to drag the ratty sheet music out for the great majority of tunes I was playing over 50 years ago. I can recall playing quite a few from memory ... back then. I don't know if I'm getting old or just dumb!

Tunes I can currently play from memory and give a reasonable performance.

12th Street Rag
Waiting on the Robert E. Lee (the Galla-rini arraigned version)
Summertime Dream (Gordon Lightfoot)
Tangled Up In Blue (Bob Dylan)
My Wild Irish Rose
Miss McLeod's Reel
Spanish Lady
Once in a While
Dreamer Waltz
Twilight Time
The Stripper
Yellow Rose of Texas
Dixie
Silver Thread and Golden Needles
Clarinet Polka (on a good day)
Liechtensteiner Polka
Lady of Spain
Blue Skirt Waltz

That's all folks!

I play lots more tunes than just these, but require the music in front of my nose in order to do them justice. I think of those tunes I once could play from memory. Sometimes I think my memory is crumbling from the outside in. In fact "Robert E. Lee "might not always be ready for prime time.

 

[Tom]

My ability to play from memory, without music seems to be diminishing. I still have to drag the ratty sheet music out for the great majority of tunes I was playing over 50 years ago. I can recall playing quite a few from memory ... back then. I don't know if I'm getting old or just dumb!

Tunes I can currently play from memory and give a reasonable performance.

12th Street Rag
Waiting on the Robert E. Lee (the Galla-rini arraigned version)
Summertime Dream (Gordon Lightfoot)
Tangled Up In Blue (Bob Dylan)
My Wild Irish Rose
Miss McLeod's Reel
Spanish Lady
Once in a While
Dreamer Waltz
Twilight Time
The Stripper
Yellow Rose of Texas
Dixie
Silver Thread and Golden Needles
Clarinet Polka (on a good day)
Liechtensteiner Polka
Lady of Spain
Blue Skirt Waltz

That's all folks!

I play lots more tunes than just these, but require the music in front of my nose in order to do them justice. I think of those tunes I once could play from memory. Sometimes I think my memory is crumbling from the outside in. In fact "Robert E. Lee "might not always be ready for prime time.

I’m with you. I do believe the memory diminishes as we get older. I think the only hope is to get as many as possible into “muscle memory” as opposed to “mind memory.” I don’t like playing off sheet music either but I do it.

Reminds me of that joke everyone has heard:

“Your ….fill in the blank… is the second thing to go as you get older.”

“What’s the first?”

“I don’t remember.”

Having played for several years at a monthly Alzheimer’s meeting, I have seen first hand how someone with very little memory can still play an instrument. It’s strange but true. Besides “muscle memory” there is another part of the mind that can still harmonize and fill.

Anyway, we gotta do what we gotta do to keep playing. My Dad, grandfather and aunt all made it over 100. Some on here are still recording and gigging over 80. I figure I will switch to organetto or Corona when I am too old to pick up the pa.

By the way, I’ve played 3 of yours, Yellow Rose, Lichtensteiner and Blue Skirt. I’m trying to keep away from some of the old time but will resurrect them if I run out of time.

Hang in there!

 

[dak]

My ability to play from memory, without music seems to be diminishing. I still have to drag the ratty sheet music out for the great majority of tunes I was playing over 50 years ago. I can recall playing quite a few from memory ... back then. I don't know if I'm getting old or just dumb!

Pffft. It was standard fare for college students to learn exam stuff to a level where you could recite it in the sleep, and forget all about it again within months.

If anything, we are losing the capacity to forget at old age, making it harder for new stuff to make it into one's mind because of old cruft that overstayed its welcome.

 

[Tom]

Pffft. It was standard fare for college students to learn exam stuff to a level where you could recite it in the sleep, and forget all about it again within months.

If anything, we are losing the capacity to forget at old age, making it harder for new stuff to make it into one's mind because of old cruft that overstayed its welcome.

Hmmmm, I can definitely forget tunes, but maybe they are still in there somewhere and I just can’t find them.

 

[Ventura]

Hmmmm, I can definitely forget tunes, but maybe they are still in there somewhere and I just can’t find them.

oh, they are

just recall playing for those Alzheimer folk, the ones who can't remember
their daughter's face anymore but suddenly sing along when you hit
Toora-loora-loora..

deep seated music memories are an amazing thing, though it is funny
how everyone can naturally remember and sing along with many pop hits
from their youth but have that mental block about memorization

 

[Tom]

oh, they are

just recall playing for those Alzheimer folk, the ones who can't remember
their daughter's face anymore but suddenly sing along when you hit
Toora-loora-loora..

deep seated music memories are an amazing thing, though it is funny
how everyone can naturally remember and sing along with many pop hits
from their youth but have that mental block about memorization

Yeah, and if I spent half the time I spend on this forum I could have learned to play by ear and sight read by now. At least I admit it.

 

[Valski]

Hello there Tom,

I'm also a youngster of approximately the same age as you and after much thought have come up with something that works for me. Having sheet music for a performance is very important because of all of the "clutter" occupying space in my brain. I have a large collection of sheet music and song books that are unwieldy in managing. I have used binders and other methods of organizing my music but found that this was extremely tedious and used up far too much time so have opted to go digital at my wife's urging.

As a rule of thumb most popular songs work out to be about 3 to 4 minutes in duration so you need about 15 songs for each hour of performance. If you have 30 songs that you have mastered then this could easily cover a four hour market gig because your audience most likely won't spend the full time allotment listening to your repertoire, and even if they did they did listen it would be unlikely that they would remember what was played.

When learning songs I used to scan the pages and place them in a binder and then end up wasting time looking for a piece to play. This would still result in misplaced songs and embarrassing delays between songs during performances. My wife would critique the performance and I would lose points for messing around with the binders.

These days I use my 12.5 inch tablet with Mobile Sheets music software because it simplified how the music is organized. It's possible to store thousands of songs, place them in categories and organize them for each performance. Pages don't blow away and the size of the screen makes the music readable. I categorize my songs by putting them in performance ready, in progress and on the list to learn in the future. Sometimes you will need to call up some pieces that you haven't played in a long time but could always use if requested. You can find a song and add it to your play list in seconds and after they have been saved in your set list you can turn pages instantly, add marking to highlight things like repeats and anything else that you might easily overlook during a concert. I also own a bluetooth page turner pedal to make operating this software easier.

Furthermore the various sheet music software programs can integrate backing tracks and midi commands if you choose to use them. If you own a tablet it's not a large monetary investment because they seem to be priced in the $20 range although you will need to scan any paper songs that you already own and it's tedious when you first start the process but the dividends are huge and well worth the effort.

So as one "teenager" to another I can't recommend using software highly enough. Perhaps this is a little off topic but organizing your music is just as valuable as the content of your repertoire.

 

[Tom]

Hello there Tom,

I'm also a youngster of approximately the same age as you and after much thought have come up with something that works for me. Having sheet music for a performance is very important because of all of the "clutter" occupying space in my brain. I have a large collection of sheet music and song books that are unwieldy in managing. I have used binders and other methods of organizing my music but found that this was extremely tedious and used up far too much time so have opted to go digital at my wife's urging.

As a rule of thumb most popular songs work out to be about 3 to 4 minutes in duration so you need about 15 songs for each hour of performance. If you have 30 songs that you have mastered then this could easily cover a four hour market gig because your audience most likely won't spend the full time allotment listening to your repertoire, and even if they did they did listen it would be unlikely that they would remember what was played.

When learning songs I used to scan the pages and place them in a binder and then end up wasting time looking for a piece to play. This would still result in misplaced songs and embarrassing delays between songs during performances. My wife would critique the performance and I would lose points for messing around with the binders.

These days I use my 12.5 inch tablet with Mobile Sheets music software because it simplified how the music is organized. It's possible to store thousands of songs, place them in categories and organize them for each performance. Pages don't blow away and the size of the screen makes the music readable. I categorize my songs by putting them in performance ready, in progress and on the list to learn in the future. Sometimes you will need to call up some pieces that you haven't played in a long time but could always use if requested. You can find a song and add it to your play list in seconds and after they have been saved in your set list you can turn pages instantly, add marking to highlight things like repeats and anything else that you might easily overlook during a concert. I also own a bluetooth page turner pedal to make operating this software easier.

Furthermore the various sheet music software programs can integrate backing tracks and midi commands if you choose to use them. If you own a tablet it's not a large monetary investment because they seem to be priced in the $20 range although you will need to scan any paper songs that you already own and it's tedious when you first start the process but the dividends are huge and well worth the effort.

So as one "teenager" to another I can't recommend using software highly enough. Perhaps this is a little off topic but organizing your music is just as valuable as the content of your repertoire.

Thanks Valski! I think you make a lot of sense recommending the tablet. I imagine I will get one eventually. And I image there is enough battery life for 4 hours. Right now my main binder is limited to the songs I play, in alphabetical order, so not a big problem. Although high wind is an issue.

At 15 songs per hour, I would need 60 songs. Adding in breaks, setup, talking to people, I could probably do with 50, as I really want to avoid repetition (personal goal). A worthy goal.

Turns out I can play once through my memorized tunes in less than 10 minutes. I can add this to my daily practice and keep up, gradually increasing this to what I will have ready by mid May. Thereby getting these into more or less “muscle memory.”

 

[Valski]

Thanks Valski! I think you make a lot of sense recommending the tablet. I imagine I will get one eventually. And I image there is enough battery life for 4 hours. Right now my main binder is limited to the songs I play, in alphabetical order, so not a big problem. Although high wind is an issue.

At 15 songs per hour, I would need 60 songs. Adding in breaks, setup, talking to people, I could probably do with 50, as I really want to avoid repetition (personal goal). A worthy goal.

Turns out I can play once through my memorized tunes in less than 10 minutes. I can add this to my daily practice and keep up, gradually increasing this to what I will have ready by mid May. Thereby getting these into more or less “muscle memory.”

Even though you may have memorized a song it doesn't mean that you can have a temporary mind cramp and not remember exactly how you should play it. Sheet music is a powerful tool and it usually helps so don't be afraid to use it. My current tablet has a battery life of more than 10 hours so that's not an issue. My main song list is over 500 pages long and is also alphabetical so I understand your dilemma.

Even if you started with 30 songs and played each one twice you would have enough of them to cover a four hour gig. Most of your audience wouldn't notice because they wouldn't be there for your entire performance. Take top 40 radio stations, they play their list of songs in a loop and have no more than 40 songs and no one notices.

 

[Tom]

Even though you may have memorized a song it doesn't mean that you can have a temporary mind cramp and not remember exactly how you should play it. Sheet music is a powerful tool and it usually helps so don't be afraid to use it. My current tablet has a battery life of more than 10 hours so that's not an issue. My main song list is over 500 pages long and is also alphabetical so I understand your dilemma.

Even if you started with 30 songs and played each one twice you would have enough of them to cover a four hour gig. Most of your audience wouldn't notice because they wouldn't be there for your entire performance. Take top 40 radio stations, they play their list of songs in a loop and have no more than 40 songs and no one notices.

Yup! I always bring the sheet music for just that purpose. Some I look at like you mentioned, others I use it as a guide, others I need it. This past summer I repeated basically a 2 hour set. You’re right, the only ones who noticed were the vendors at the farmers market. I’m going to try to spare them, even if they hear mostly the same songs each week. It’s basically a personal goal.

 

[dak]

Even though you may have memorized a song it doesn't mean that you can have a temporary mind cramp and not remember exactly how you should play it. Sheet music is a powerful tool and it usually helps so don't be afraid to use it.

I have stuff that has been practised long enough that it's just in muscle memory. When I need to refresh it from sheet music, I have lost the relationship to the sheet and it takes quite a lot of work before the fingers are reminded of what the dots mean. In that state, it doesn't matter a lot if the sheet music is a different layout/edition. When the sheet music dependency is comparatively current, you cannot swap in a differently formatted sheet without having to start over to a degree. A smudged illegible copy that you are intimate with is more of a performance help then.

 

[Tom]

I have stuff that has been practised long enough that it's just in muscle memory. When I need to refresh it from sheet music, I have lost the relationship to the sheet and it takes quite a lot of work before the fingers are reminded of what the dots mean. In that state, it doesn't matter a lot if the sheet music is a different layout/edition. When the sheet music dependency is comparatively current, you cannot swap in a differently formatted sheet without having to start over to a degree. A smudged illegible copy that you are intimate with is more of a performance help then.

Yeah, this is true Dak. I’ve had this experience when I have arranged a clean version of some beat up sheet I’ve been playing for years….

 

[JerryPH]

A full repertoire is something that I have not needed and not thought about more than once, since I came back to the accordion in 2016… but maybe I should start.

Tom your method is ingenious if you are a visual learner (and it looks that you are), and if this system works for you, that is awesome.

Like Ventura, I am a paper and binder guy but have moved over to the digital side, and enjoy it. Creating a general playlist of songs that I can play is not a bad idea. Playing by heart is important for those that play for an audience, but honestly, I prefer playing with the music. Sure it takes away from the audience connection, but brings me closer to the music.

My compromise will be to play by heart the songs I make videos of and read off the sheet music of the songs I want to add and have in my repertoire. I should start this as I think it will better my overall experience. Thanks for placing the thought in my head.

 

[Valski]

I am a paper and binder guy but have moved over to the digital side, and enjoy it. Creating a general playlist of songs that I can play is not a bad idea. Playing by heart is important for those that play for an audience, but honestly, I prefer playing with the music. Sure it takes away from the audience connection, but brings me closer to the music.

My compromise will be to play by heart the songs I make videos of and read off the sheet music of the songs I want to add and have in my repertoire. I should start this as I think it will better my overall experience. Thanks for placing the thought in my head.

Sheet music is great to have as a convenience. Even if I have committed a song to memory a quick glance at the page helps to keep me from making errors and tends to keep my performance more professional. The digital sheet music is a very effective way to stay organized and it's very easy to make changes to a set list on the fly. The other aspect that works is that you can make notes and markings to your page but it doesn't change the original.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Jerry, yes I am definitely a visual learner, and I find it cool to see my song titles laid out like that. Changes the thoughts from “I wonder what I can play by heart” to “ I wonder if I can move another card to the left in the next hour of practice.”

I agree Valski, sometimes just seeing the first phrase on the sheet music is enough to kick the memory into gear…..

 

[Ventura]

"to kick the memory into gear"

well that is truer than many of you realize

back in the day when thousands of accordionists
and other musicians gigged regularly and continuously, there
were booklets published yearly for Pro's that simply had
the Title, the Key, the first note, the first Chord of all the hit songs
for that year, plus the Broadway songlists, and a list of the songs
falling into Public Domain that year.

this devolved into small cheats that some of our best Pro's would
incorporate.. the legendary Merv Cohn used index cards as i did
with our song title, first chord or Key, first note for Strolling gigs.
(it was one reason he liked me, that we shared a passion for strolling
and for our cheat sheet list in the breast pocket)

can fit an amazing number of songs on an index card this way, but
the key ingredient is, you KNOW how to play the song without the sheet
music.. you just don't realize that you can, and you can't think of how
without the "nudge"

but amazingly, once your hands are in the right place and you HEAR the
first note and chord.. off to the races you go !

it worked for thousands of us back in the day.. with Fake Book #1
along for the ride on steady gigs to help handle the requests

 

[Tom]

Update. I’ve got about 17 tunes “on the left” pretty much memorized, which should get me through an hour to an hour and a half. Got about the same “on the right” waiting to be worked on. Three down front in play. A pile in the back I don’t want to play unless I have to. About 4 months to go.

 

[Tom]

Ok, based on others’ experience I’m going with 45 tunes. That should get me through 4 hours, with breaks, talking, jamming over 12 bar blues, etc. Maybe even bring the organetto to spice things up. I’ve got them picked out, but will probably do some shuffling, and ditch/replace some. I’m very interested in your experience with this type of busking/background performance. I imagine someone like Keymn or Ventura has hundreds of tunes at his disposal. What about you?

 

[Rosie C]

Well done! I just can't remember tunes, so I am in awe of memorising so many!