Good Oktoberfest tunes?

[Alan Polivka]

Since a few people mentioned it in this thread, I thought I'd just re-iterate that there's absolutely nothing wrong with playing Slovenian polkas and waltzes (that is, ones from Slovenia) which are known to German speakers as 'Oberkrainer' music. There is an overlap between Oberkrainer and Austrian popular folk music (Volksmusik), as a lot of the modern Volksmusik style has taken inspiration from Slovenia (bass guitar or baritone, short gypsy-swing-like rhythm guitar, and piano accordion or diatonic button accordion/Steirische harmonika), and bands from both Slovenia, Austria and Bavaria will play at each other's concerts and festivals.

Some 'staples':
Trompetenecho by Avsenik (Slo: Na golici), Auf der autobahn by Avsenik (Slo: Na avtocesti), Am wochenende by Mihelic (Slo: Ob koncu tedna), Tante mizzi by Avsenik (Slo: V hrasah mam pa tetko), Tiroler Buam Polka and Zillertaler Schurzenjager popularised by Zillertaler Schurzenjager, Pretuler Polka (a traditional Austrian polka), Timple Boarischer by Zillertaler Schurzenjager, Bohmischer Traum, Bohmicher Liebe, Wir grussen euch by Die Molltaler, Gretl Boarischer (a traditional Austrian boarischer), and some waltzes like Seerosen Walzer by Avsenik (Slo: Cvetoci Lokvanj), Tam Kjer Murke Cveto by Avsenik, Gurktaler Walzer (a traditional Austrian waltz), La mula de parenzo (an Istrian folk song from Croatia which gets played in Slovenia and Austria as well) and the list goes on.

Some songs which might grab people's attention but might be a little more technically demanding and require more practice:
Polka Express by Burnik, Guten Morgen by Burnik (Slo: Dobro jutro), Mooskirchner Polka by Die Mooskirchner, Flott aufgspielt by Erich Moser.

This is of course in addition to older songs like the drinking/toast songs and Schneewalzer, etc.

While Oberkrainer music is very popular among people who live in Germany, Slovenia, Austria, etc., or who have lived there at some time and attended several festivals, it is not as popular here in the USA as the older style tunes, like those mentioned by Jeff. It's good to have a few Oberkrainer staples in you Oktoberfest lineup, because that will appeal to those who've experienced the style in Germany, but I'd play at least 2 of the old style German music for each one Oberkrainer song, for the typical US audience. If you happen to be playing for an audience of mostly German people, more Oberkrainer music should work. Is Oberkrainer more popular down under, Phillipe?

To keep your list of Oberkrainer staples from being too excessive for a new Oktoberfest player who is playing for the typical US audience, I'd whittle it down to:
Trompetenecho by Avsenik (Slo: Na golici), Auf der autobahn by Avsenik (Slo: Na avtocesti), Tante mizzi by Avsenik (Slo: V hrasah mam pa tetko), Es ist so Shon ein Muzikant zu sein; and these waltzes: Tam Kjer Murke Cveto by Avsenik and Cakala Bom.

 

[JerryPH]

Don't forget Tanzende Fingers, another big fav.

 

[JeffJetton]

Don't forget Tanzende Fingers, another big fav.

New one to me. But I'm digging those chords in the Trio section. Six minor to three major, then later there's a seven major tossed in... very "outside" for this sort of music. Love it!

 

[JerryPH]

I used to play that one to give people heart attacks... LOL
Its naturally a quick polka style to dance to, but the last "dal capo al fine" I start speeding it up more and more until I have the people gasping for breath...so not fair, but so much fun... haha!

 

[Alan Polivka]

Don't forget Tanzende Fingers, another big fav.

Some people (here in the US at least) call that the "Bartender Polka".

 

[accordionmaniac]

While Oberkrainer music is very popular among people who live in Germany, Slovenia, Austria, etc., or who have lived there at some time and attended several festivals, it is not as popular here in the USA as the older style tunes, like those mentioned by Jeff. It's good to have a few Oberkrainer staples in you Oktoberfest lineup, because that will appeal to those who've experienced the style in Germany, but I'd play at least 2 of the old style German music for each one Oberkrainer song, for the typical US audience. If you happen to be playing for an audience of mostly German people, more Oberkrainer music should work. Is Oberkrainer more popular down under, Phillipe?

To keep your list of Oberkrainer staples from being too excessive for a new Oktoberfest player who is playing for the typical US audience, I'd whittle it down to:
Trompetenecho by Avsenik (Slo: Na golici), Auf der autobahn by Avsenik (Slo: Na avtocesti), Tante mizzi by Avsenik (Slo: V hrasah mam pa tetko), Es ist so Shon ein Muzikant zu sein; and these waltzes: Tam Kjer Murke Cveto by Avsenik and Cakala Bom.

Makes sense. Oberkrainer isn't more popular down here (even less so), but I look at it more from the angle of slowly 'modernising' the repertoire. I've observed people disengaging during the older 'expected' songs, then re-engaging with something from the Oberkrainer/Alpine style. Although here the older audience who had expectations of Beer Barrel, In munchen steht ein hofbrauhaus etc have mostly disappeared, and younger audiences have been trained to expect pop and rock covers at Oktoberfests by bands who happen to be wearing lederhosen.
The only thing I'd disagree with is coupling Oberkrainer music with solely a German audience; the Oberkrainer style originates from Slovenia and is widely played across Northern Croatia, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Austria, and some of Germany (particularly in the south i.e Bavaria).
I guess one thing to be aware of is the expectations within your area i.e US might have a different expectation to Canada, UK, etc.

 

[Tom]

I had Beer Barrel and Chicken Dance requested Tuesday. Jeesh. I played Beer Barrel, refused to play Chicken Dance.

 

[Giovanni]

I had a lot of fun with the chicken dance... I'd almost drive some of the older people to having a heart attack with how slow and fast I'd play it and I always had a chuckle when me and the trumpet player would play major wrong key notes for this one particular part... never a dull moment in that song!

That is what it is all about .........have fun ..don't take yourself so seriously...make people Happy they will love you for it ....relax !!

 

[Accordion Eric]

Reading through these comments dating back to 2023, I cannot believe what some are saying. You play the accordion for christ sake, WTH do you expect?! I get so many Oktoberfest gig calls I have to turn them down because I am booked solid. There are simply not enough accordion players around to play them all, ( I am in Florida). The attitude some accordionists on here have against playing Oktoberfest songs is crazy to me. A wise musician once told me, you play what you want to hear in the rehearsal room, you play what the people want to hear when they are paying you. Alan's stuff is spot on.

 

[Giovanni]

Reading through these comments dating back to 2023, I cannot believe what some are saying. You play the accordion for christ sake, WTH do you expect?! I get so many Oktoberfest gig calls I have to turn them down because I am booked solid. There are simply not enough accordion players around to play them all, ( I am in Florida). The attitude some accordionists on here have against playing Oktoberfest songs is crazy to me. A wise musician once told me, you play what you want to hear in the rehearsal room, you play what the people want to hear when they are paying you. Alan's stuff is spot on.

You are spot on ...................well said ...................thats the way to get gigs ........my old music teacher told me that years ago....he did lots of gigs .had a big band .,did solo accordion work ,pubs , clubs ,holiday resorts ,etc

 

[Tom]

True. To get more gigs you have to tailor your music to the gigs. If you don’t really care if your get more gigs you don’t have to play Octoberfest music in May, or Christmas music in June. Just sayin..

 

[Ffingers]

True. To get more gigs you have to tailor your music to the gigs. If you don’t really care if your get more gigs you don’t have to play Octoberfest music in May, or Christmas music in June. Just sayin..

In latitudes South of the Equator, playing boozy music in May and Xmas carols in June makes perfect sense

 

[KeysFla]

Oktoberfest is about party music. Schlager and several Polka/waltz music are included. Many Oktoberfest today rely less on the traditional songs, but more of the uptempo pop styles. These can be found on this Edelweiss mix on Spotify. Notice how these European artists use some American popular songs with the Schlager beat? Many songs are Austrian which use a smaller brass bass which is snappy. You can play any of your songs you already know and give it that beat. You will be a success…Weird Al was known to this…

 

[Giovanni]

Oktoberfest is about party music. Schlager and several Polka/waltz music are included. Many Oktoberfest today rely less on the traditional songs, but more of the uptempo pop styles. These can be found on this Edelweiss mix on Spotify. Notice how these European artists use some American popular songs with the Schlager beat? Many songs are Austrian which use a smaller brass bass which is snappy. You can play any of your songs you already know and give it that beat. You will be a success…Weird Al was known to this…

Thanks for sharing .........many thanks

 

[JudyKimp]

Get any book of Frankie Yankovic tunes and don’t forget the waltzes and schottisches. There are cool tunes there you never heard, on beyond the Beer Barrel.

Can you advise where to get books of Frankie Yankovic tunes? I have not been able to find any!

 

[JudyKimp]

Yankovic books will certainly work for most audience members who are not familiar with traditional Oktoberfest music. However, the Yankovic music is all Slovenian, so Germans (who haven't lived here in the '40's-'60s, when Yankovic was popular) won't recognize any of those songs.

The list of songs provided by Jeff J is exactly what you need to learn for playing an Oktoberfest. I've been playing for Oktoberfests for about 50 years and play them throughout Colorado every weekend of Sept and most of October, so I can attest to what Jeff recommends.

I have asked Tom, I will ask you as well - do you know where to get any Frankie Yankovic books?

 

[Alan Polivka]

I have asked Tom, I will ask you as well - do you know where to get any Frankie Yankovic books?

Frank's wife, Ida, used to have a web site from which she sold them. You can search for that. Otherwise, I see them on Ebay from time to time. Lastly, you can check with accordion music dealers, like Ernest Deffner (still in operation, even though Ernest and Faithe have passed) and Vitak Elsnic.

 

[Tom]

Can you advise where to get books of Frankie Yankovic tunes? I have not been able to find any!

The ones on Amazon seem to be unavailable but here is one that might work….

Frank Yankovic's Collection of Waltzes and Polkas, Easy Arrangements; Volume Four by Yankovic, Frank; Pecon, John and Trolli, Joe: Very Good- Stapled (1974) Revised, Signed by Previous Owner | Take Five Books

Signed by Previous Owner - Revised - Stapled - Belwin Mills Publishing Corp., New York - 1974 - Condition: Very Good- - Sheet music near fine except for notation above "Jo Ann Waltz" and seveal smudges. - Frank Yankovic's Collection of Waltzes and Polkas, Easy Arrangements; Volume Four

www.abebooks.com

I don’t know which songs are included in this volume.

Are you looking for any song in particular?

 

[dak]

The only thing I'd disagree with is coupling Oberkrainer music with solely a German audience; the Oberkrainer style originates from Slovenia and is widely played across Northern Croatia, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Austria, and some of Germany (particularly in the south i.e Bavaria).

90% of the money that is being made with Oberkrainer is being made in Germany, and it draws from being a popularized retake of classic folk tunes. Part of the appeal of those make-belief traditional tunes in Germany is that before WWII there were numerous German-speaking parts of the population (indeed the "Sudetendeutschen" served as a flimsy excuse for the first German "liberation" attempts of Poland, sort of a blueprint for more modern wars). After WWII, people of German origin were driven from the Slavic countries, and there have been several generations of revisionist movements who want back into the lands of their ancestors. That includes kind of an "upholding" of traditions that are supposed to be connected with those regions, and so true and synthetic traditions of those regions no longer having significant local German-speaking proponents are quite popular with the old folks that may have roots over there hey still keep in veneration and nostalgia.

It's really big business in Germany and has been raking in more money and prime time viewers than lots of other programming. Actually Alpine folk music styles are more popular in Switzerland and Austria; the modern variants from Western Slavic countries have their biggest market appeal in Germany.

 

[murathan]

Can you advise where to get books of Frankie Yankovic tunes? I have not been able to find any!

Dead men dont need money
https://www.dalemathisaccordion.com...1/yankovic_15_easy_waltzes_and_polkas__1_.pdf