Rosie C
Well-known member
There's an oldtime song we used to perform, not only is it all root-5, but the chords are just A and D major, so all open strings and I could sup my beer while playing it.
Finally embracing the counter-bass row!
- Thread starter Rosie C
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There's an oldtime song we used to perform, not only is it all root-5, but the chords are just A and D major, so all open strings and I could sup my beer while playing it.
For me “improvising” is thinking of something I want to play then try to play it, with variations, experimenting with arpeggios, harmonies, dynamics, in different key signatures, various rhythms and such - I seldom play the same thing twice the same way. If playing with others in front an audience I generally write chords and maybe some other hints with the words of the song to keep me on track. At home, this is the type of music “score” in front of me, just the names and maybe a key to start in:When people use words like "improvise" "arrange", "compose", "interpret" I hear the word creativity!Maybe, (or maybe not) in time, you may discover that you need more than a single octave of bass notes to really explore music on the accordion... Either way, keep thinking outside of the box!
My goal is to get to where I can do that on the accordion.
This works well for me at the piano but the accordion is presenting a real challenge in the bass! On the piano I can almost always hit what I’m imagining but the stradella bass provides, shall I say, an overwhelming opportunity for advancement.
Never a chance to get bored. Lots of opportunity to work through frustrations. But at least the snail of understanding has not found a reverse gear.But just yesterday I encountered a huge setback: while working on my excavator after dark I tripped (my middle name is Stupid) and landed hard on my head then on my left shoulder. I thought I dislocated the shoulder but the ER said the xrays showed a tear that will probably need surgery and take months to heal.
So it’s back to the right hand for me, assuming I can even operate the bellows a little. And the harmonica and maybe the trumpet. And brush up on music theory. (I took two books with me to Costa Rica last week - one SciFi novel and one on music theory.)JKJ
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Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Rosie C
Well-known member
Sorry to hear that JK and hope for a speedy recovery. I approach “improvising” rather mindlessly. That is to say I don’t think about what’s going on. The only “rule” I have is to stay in the scale, except for ornaments or if I want to play a minor third. And since I only play in C,G or F it’s pretty easy. I often keep the bass chording pretty close to the original and just wander off on the treble side, eventually coming back to the melody. I’m a big fan of playing arpeggios over the I, V chords and throwing in the ii, V, I turnaround. I would probably get thrown out of jazz school for mindlessness but I suspect my approach is not that uncommon. On the bass I have patterns that I seem to go to that end on the 1, like 3, 2, 1 or 5, 6, 1.For me “improvising” is thinking of something I want to play then try to play it, with variations, experimenting with arpeggios, harmonies, dynamics, in different key signatures, various rhythms and such - I seldom play the same thing twice the same way. If playing with others in front an audience I generally write chords and maybe some other hints with the words of the song with chords to keep me on track. At home, this is the type of music “score” in front of me, just the names and maybe a key to start in:
My goal is to get to where I can do that on the accordion.
This works well for me at the piano but the accordion is presenting a real challenge in the bass! On the piano I can almost always hit what I’m imagining but the stradella bass provides, shall I say, an overwhelming opportunity for advancement.
But just yesterday I encountered a huge setback: while working on my excavator after dark I tripped (my middle name is Stupid) and landed hard on my head then on my left shoulder. I thought I dislocated the shoulder but the ER said the xrays showed a tear that will probably need surgery and take months to heal.
JKJ
Anyway, what was the sci-fi novel, was it good?
I sometimes experiment with playing on different keys such a D-flat, E, A, etc. just to see if I can and to keep from living in a rut. And in another key I sometimes discover new sounds I like. But F and C are my favorites.
I actually took two - finished rereading a paperback short story anthology from 2002 (I like those since they introduce me to new authors and alert me to those I won’t waste future time on!)
As we were heading out a friend gave me a paperback Ian M Banks novel, Excession, part way through it now. I’ve read most of his other books. (When buying books I’m always torn between hard copy and e-book versions and have 100’s in both libraries. Paper is nicely portable and the battery is never down but with the Kindle when I finish one there are more stacked up behind it! I usually carry both on a a trip so I won’t be caught short) My Lovely Bride and I are both prolific readers but she does me one better - when she finishes a book she immediately jots notes and impressions in a journal. Some of our travel is based on location novels and series she’s read. Good clean fun!
Thanks for all the well wishes!
Rosie C
Well-known member
D-flat? No, no, no, no, no! I'll stay with D, G and a bit of Em thanks 
Alan Sharkis
Prolific poster
I hope you have a good and speedy recovery. If physical therapy is in your future, tell the therapist that you play accordion and what’s involved — motions, lifting, weight of your instrument, etc.For me “improvising” is thinking of something I want to play then try to play it, with variations, experimenting with arpeggios, harmonies, dynamics, in different key signatures, various rhythms and such - I seldom play the same thing twice the same way. If playing with others in front an audience I generally write chords and maybe some other hints with the words of the song to keep me on track. At home, this is the type of music “score” in front of me, just the names and maybe a key to start in:
My goal is to get to where I can do that on the accordion.
This works well for me at the piano but the accordion is presenting a real challenge in the bass! On the piano I can almost always hit what I’m imagining but the stradella bass provides, shall I say, an overwhelming opportunity for advancement.
But just yesterday I encountered a huge setback: while working on my excavator after dark I tripped (my middle name is Stupid) and landed hard on my head then on my left shoulder. I thought I dislocated the shoulder but the ER said the xrays showed a tear that will probably need surgery and take months to heal.
JKJ
donn
Prolific poster
Well, of course there are things that aren't easy, I'm sure you're more ambitious than I am, but I use the 2nd row for what I think of as leading notes all the time. For example, if you're going from D to G, how can you even stop yourself from going up to the 2nd row for the F# first? I can't.
For me, ambitious is ... take a line, key of G, where the melody comes down to A, pauses, and then picks up from G. The bass during that pause, before the pick up, is Am, G, D/F# -- i.e., D major with F# on the 2nd row. It's a little pompous if played with the chord notes, alas.
Also a retired software engineer who played bass (but in my case gave it up for tuba in order to be heard more than 10 feet away without amplification.)
I‘ve also read everything by Larry Niven (all the books in his Known Space universe are connected in some or multiple ways), all of Orson Scott Card, everything Isaac Asimov ever wrote of course, including some non-fiction, (but I found his Foundation Trilogy getting a little tedious about 1/2 way through), and some other authors I’ve enjoyed: Robert Silverberg, Steven Baxter, Carolyn Gilman, Allen Steele (esp his Coyote series), Vernor Vinge (hard, hard SF), Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Neal Stephenson, Andre Norton, Stephanie Meyer (The Host, must read), A.J. Scudiere (daughter of a good friend), Philip K Dick (the master, some of his stories, including Minority Report, have been made into movies) Timothy Zahn, Ray Bradbury, Gregory Benford, Jack McDivitt, Ann Leckie, Greg Bear, Matthew Hughes, David Brin (read his “Uplift” series), and dipping away from hard SciFi into fantasy, some a little lighter, some not so much: authors like Peter S Beagle, Neil Gamian, Michael Swanwick, Francesco Dimitri. I used to browse the bookstores and come home with new books every week, have at least a dozen boxes of paperbacks in storage - getting one out after years is like Christmas - and over 500 on the Kindle.
So much to read, so little time…
JKJ
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Get yourself a Roland CBA and you can play in any key you want .D-flat? No, no, no, no, no! I'll stay with D, G and a bit of Em thanks
Sorry, didn't realise this discussion was from October last year 
Rosie C
Well-known member
Get yourself a Roland CBA and you can play in any key you want .
Sorry, didn't realise this discussion was from October last year
It's still current - only last week I was playing an acoustic CBA and thinking how to plan finances to buy one for summer. I expect I will change to CBA in the next year, but I also see it will take me a few months to get to the same level on CBA as I am now on PA.
I was starting to expand the keys I play in, but a violin & mandolin player joined our band and he prefers sharp keys.
JeffJetton
Prolific poster
Well since Pipemajor resurrected this thread...
Reminds me of the story of a kid who begged his dad for bass lessons. Finally, the dad agreed, and after the first lesson, asked his son how it went.
"Great! I learned all about how to play the open E string!"
Next week, kid goes out, comes back, the dad asks again how the lesson went.
"This time I learned how to play the open A string!"
Third week, kid goes out, comes back a good bit later this time, and the dad again asks "How was the lesson?"
"Couldn't make it. I've already got a gig!"
Reminds me of the story of a kid who begged his dad for bass lessons. Finally, the dad agreed, and after the first lesson, asked his son how it went.
"Great! I learned all about how to play the open E string!"
Next week, kid goes out, comes back, the dad asks again how the lesson went.
"This time I learned how to play the open A string!"
Third week, kid goes out, comes back a good bit later this time, and the dad again asks "How was the lesson?"
"Couldn't make it. I've already got a gig!"
I changed over quite a few years ago and I.m still no where near I was on the PA.
(Not that I was much good on that either
)
Rosie C
Well-known member
I changed over quite a few years ago and I.m still no where near I was on the PA.
(Not that I was much good on that either
I play double bass and bass guitar (so I ignored @JeffJetton's bass joke
) and I like how once I've learned a bass line I can play it in any key with no extra work on bass guitar, and only a little extra on double bass. So that's a plus for CBA. I'm also hoping I can play my usual tunes with less hand movement. I might see if I can hire a CBA for a month, give it a good go then decide whether to take the plunge.Similar threads
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