Easy beginner "musette" tunes

[rgp1942]

What are some of the easiest French Cafe/Musette accordion tunes for a beginner to learn? I am during pretty well learning "Under Paris Skies" and am looking for some similar classic "french cafe" genre/sounding tunes to progress with. I don't read music very well. I learn the "hard way" by using lead sheet style music along with mp3 files played slowly to learn to play the tune "by ear" and "muscle memory". I would like to crawl/walk/run with some more simple tunes like Under Paris Skies with plenty of half and whole notes in them. and a slow waltz tempo. However, like the Celtic music I am used to playing, there are hundreds of choices! Trying to ferret out some easy beginner tunes is not all that easy. If I could get some suggestions here I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[JerryPH]

The good news is that all tunes can be played "easy"... but to use your example I've been playing "Under Paris Skies" for a long while and to really give it a proper Parisian twang, it just begs to me for all kinds of complex embellishments!

In terms of names, any of the songs mentioned in previous threads about French tunes are a good source of info.

 

[Tom]

La Vie en Rose
Waltz of Amelie

 

[JeffJetton]

Valse Brune

 

[Valski]

Padam padam

 

[rgp1942]

La Vie en Rose
Waltz of Amelie

I have been working on La Vie En Rose. I will check out the waltz. Thanks to those who suggested tunes here!

 

[Giovanni]

Try the maigret theme written by Ron grainer..BBC tv French detective series set in the sixties starring. Rupert Davies

 

[Corinto]

This booklet (26 pages) has 12 easy beginner very nice musette tunes.

 

[Corinto]

And this one also has nice and and quite easy tunes, and comes with a cd.

link = https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/valses-et-chansons-parisiennes-sheet-music/19471023

 

[JerryPH]

And this one also has nice and and quite easy tunes, and comes with a cd.

link = https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/valses-et-chansons-parisiennes-sheet-music/19471023

Is anyone other than I surprised at how expensive that book and CD are?

Just under fifty bucks to Canada... yikes!

 

[Corinto]

Iirc one can download the pdf from this site = https://www.accordion-scores.com/
With a free account one can look at and download up to 10 pdfs, first 5 days.
Paid account is 24.99 € here in Europe, one year, I've been there for one year about 3 or 4 years ago, lots of interesting stuff.
Ymmv.

 

[JeffJetton]

I have been working on La Vie En Rose. I will check out the waltz. Thanks to those who suggested tunes here!

It's funny, but La Vie en Rose is one of those "easy" songs that almost always trips up my students who start learning it. I think it's the melody--it's deceptively sneaky.

Which I say not to discourage you from learning it (you should!), but rather to let you know that if it you don't get it under your fingers as quickly as you feel like you should, that's totally normal.

Amelie is a good suggestion. The initial theme develops into something a bit more challenging than it starts out as, but that beginning part is what people recognize anyway, so if you just get that much, it's a win. The only other potential spot to watch out for is the chord change from Am to F, which can be quite a jump to a beginner. I'm afraid there's no secret trick to nailing that leap. It just takes practice.

I'll take this opportunity for shameless self-promotion and suggest my own etude, Rue Lepic. It was intentionally written to be along the same lines as Amelie, but to have an easier melody (no position shifts required) and zero leaps in the left hand.

 

[Tom]

It's funny, but La Vie en Rose is one of those "easy" songs that almost always trips up my students who start learning it. I think it's the melody--it's deceptively sneaky.

Which I say not to discourage you from learning it (you should!), but rather to let you know that if it you don't get it under your fingers as quickly as you feel like you should, that's totally normal.

Amelie is a good suggestion. The initial theme develops into something a bit more challenging than it starts out as, but that beginning part is what people recognize anyway, so if you just get that much, it's a win. The only other potential spot to watch out for is the chord change from Am to F, which can be quite a jump to a beginner. I'm afraid there's no secret trick to nailing that leap. It just takes practice.

I'll take this opportunity for shameless self-promotion and suggest my own etude, Rue Lepic. It was intentionally written to be along the same lines as Amelie, but to have an easier melody (no position shifts required) and zero leaps in the left hand.

Thanks Jeff! I printed it out, gonna try it next time I play.....

 

[Glug]

Here's the Ron Grainer Maigret Theme: https://www.trussel.com/maig/maigal.htm#theme

 

[rgp1942]

It's funny, but La Vie en Rose is one of those "easy" songs that almost always trips up my students who start learning it. I think it's the melody--it's deceptively sneaky.

This song sounds deceptively simple, but like you say is hard to play "intuitively", because what you think are repeat phrases are not -- they are each a little different.

 

[Tom]

Here are lead sheet simple versions for the "big three" (at least around here);

 

[John M]

Thanks Tom. Appreciate it!
John M.

 

[rgp1942]

Here are lead sheet simple versions for the "big three" (at least around here);

Perfect! Thanks very very much!

BTW: Did you create these? If so what software do you use? Would you be willing to create lead sheets for these two songs?

 

[Tom]

I created them with "abc notation" free software. I'm sorry, I don't have the inclination to notate these from just hearing them. Looks like there is a "Chordify" chords version of C'est Tout available. You could use Chordify to get the chords and key of the tunes and then figure out the melody from that. Good luck!

 

[Giovanni]

Here's the Ron Grainer Maigret Theme: https://www.trussel.com/maig/maigal.htm#theme

Thank you so much for Sharing all the very interesting information
Well done