Songs on the free bass

[Mityr]

Hello,

I'm creating this thread to ask for advice and share some of my own, as I've recently gotten my hands on a free bass instrument. As we all know - fairly certain - accordion is somewhat of a niche on the musical scene and this can easily be seen by the amount of teaching and learning resources on the internet. Guitars, pianos etc. have a larger following, and therefore information and knowledge is way more accessible.

Now, free bass is even more of a niche within this niche, and it can be really tough to find musical pieces or songs, which fit your level of playing. Especially as a beginner. What I've found so far is Mogens Ellegaard's Comprehensive Method for the Chromatic Free Bass System, and while this book has a lot of exercises and fingering advice, it only features 3 songs as an appendix which all are within the classical genre, and the difficulty seems rather steep

So to recap - as I tend to write a lot of useless monologue - it's hard to find suitable free bass song suggestions for beginners. I'd like to share some suggestion from the classical side of things, mainly baroque, and I hope some of you want to lend your experience and thoughts. Any genre is welcome, whether it is jazz, blues, folk, classical, pop or progressive punk-acid-rock.
I'll start out with 3 songs in order of difficulty with the easiest (imho) first:
1. Minuet in G Maj BWV Anh. 114
2. Minuet in G Min BWV Anh. 115
3. Gavotte in G major, HWV 491

Mityr

 

[JerryPH]

Well for me, I own 3 Free Bass instruments now, but if I can mention, it should be pretty obvious that almost any piano music can be played on the Free Bass accordion, as long as it has the range.

For things I love to hear on the Free Bass, I enjoy pretty much anything from Bach, but especially things like Toccata and Fugue in D-minor, Concerto Italiano, and his "Inventions". There is lots to love from the books of Maria Magdalena Bach too.

As you mention, the Minuets are lovely. In a random order, my other favorites are:
- Chopin, Fantasy Impromtu is a personal favorite.
- Clementi Sonatinas and his other works... what's not to love there!
- Edward Greig, the Holdberg Suite, especially Rigaudon.

Truth t be told, I love the sound of pretty much all classical music on the accordion in general, and Free Bass in particular... except Baroque, which is not unpleasant, but kind of puts me to sleep... lol

 

[Anyanka]

I am hoping someone comes up with some interesting suggestions soon!

My accordion (2nd hand purchase) came with a convertor bass, but I am still struggling to find things that I want to play on the free bass. I have tried piano music, but so far have found that I invariable prefer playing it - or hearing it played - on the piano....

The only piece that I have enjoyed practising on the accordion was a flute duet! It's a 'Duetto in A minor', adapted from a duet by Benoit Berbuguier, featured in Peter Wastall's 'Learn as you play flute'; I didn't have anyone to duet with on that instrument, so I took it to the accordion

 

[Sebastian Bravo]

I don't play free bass, as i own a stradella system hohner accordion.

But i have a friend that is really good on his scandalli conservatorio CBA.

I have my favorite free bass songs from what he plays:

1) Monastery of Ferapont

This song is not that hard. I think it's kinda dark, but somehow it touches my heart (it can be heard on "Pigini, una storia d'amore" documentary's intro.

2) F minor Chaconne - Johann Pachelbel

I know it's a hard song but i love it. It makes me feel a lot of things.

3) Sonata in D minor K. 35 - D. Scarlatti

Really good one. The bass notes are quite fast.

4) Gernika - Gorka Hermosa

I love how the "bombs" are Made with all the buttons pressed. It's a good composition for a sad situation

5) Libertango (by Ksenija Sidorova)

Her version is so good, i love how she plays.


I hope you post vídeos of your progress on the instrument, and i wish you the best on your learning process!

 

[JerryPH]

I am hoping someone comes up with some interesting suggestions soon!

I guess we can presume that you didnt like anything that I suggested? :lol:

It is hard to make suggestions if one has no clue what kind of music one likes, but dont dismiss all piano music, because currently, that is the #1 best source for Free Bass music on the market today. It is not the only solution, there is accordion Free Bass specific music out there, all no further away than a Google search:

https://www.google.ca/search?safe=a......0...1.1.64.psy-ab..10.0.0....0.VZjR3L6uSsU

I found a few places doing that a couple months ago, that is how I found Boris Borgstrom. I had the chance to meet him in person and buy a few things from him... wonderful man.

Oh, his website is part of a stupid webring making it hard to get to his site... try this link and simply stay away from the HOME button.

http://www.borgmusic.ca/original_compositions.html

 

[Matt Butcher]

The Mrs plays a lot of Scarlatti sonatas.

I heard Sam Pirt of the Hut People use free bass for a solo gig playing folk and trad dance music but with a lot of harmonic experimentation. It was amazing to me, the way he built up the tension and then released it. The left hand parts were mostly not complex but they used the free basss by mixing up different registers, voicings etc. Technically perhaps not too hard IF you know your harmony. I wouldn't have thought that was my thing but it was great especially as the right hand melody kept the dance flavour going.

In a past life I tried a bit of free bass and learned some little classical pieces, which was nice. If I get back to accordion and get some time, one possible project would be to try to build up independence of the left hand with free bass and use it for walking bass lines and bass riffs, could work for jazz, Romanian, Latin, Carribean, African etc. (I probably never will, but someone could.). Now I know all the PITCHES would be there on stradella but there would certainly be possibilities for some nice and different sounds on free bass.

 

[Anyanka]

I am hoping someone comes up with some interesting suggestions soon!

I guess we can presume that you didnt like anything that I suggested? :lol:

Oops, sorry! I didnt mean to be rude... :shock: I should have said non-classical suggestions.

As for piano music providing the most source material: true, but I just dont find that it translates well. I play piano, and have heaps and heaps of sheet music - classical and jazz mostly, and some ragtime. Ive tried a variety of it on the box, but it all sounds better on the piano to me, not surprisingly. My favourite accordion music tends to be the kind of thing that was composed for the squeeze box family!

 

[TomBR]

If not piano what about organ?
I'd have thought the pieces in Bach's Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach would be a good place to start. Plenty of PDF versions online.

 

[JerryPH]

Oops, sorry! I didnt mean to be rude... :shock: I should have said non-classical suggestions.

Oh no you werent, I was the one joking around... hence the laughing emoticon.

I think that since I do not play piano, it all sounds better to me on accordion. Maybe if I was in your boat, I would be saying the same thing. Who knows?

 

[Mityr]

As you mention, the Minuets are lovely. In a random order, my other favorites are:
- Chopin, Fantasy Impromtu is a personal favorite.
- Clementi Sonatinas and his other works... whats not to love there!
- Edward Greig, the Holdberg Suite, especially Rigaudon.

Truth t be told, I love the sound of pretty much all classical music on the accordion in general, and Free Bass in particular... except Baroque, which is not unpleasant, but kind of puts me to sleep... lol

Hey Jerry
Thanks for taking the time to reply - sorry I havent had it myself.
Truth be told, I did not imagine Fantasy Impromtu being that beautiful on the accordion. Hapsichord melodies seem to work excellently on a free bass instrument due to the ringing of the tone being naturally little, where as pianos have pedals and tend to mesh harmonies and chords together. But this piece of theory isnt all ture it seems. The Sonatinas where also sweet and nice, even though they were composed for piano.

These songs would still be hard for a beginner, but definitely something to strive towards. Ive just begun tackling Bachs Invention no. 1 in C-major, which works quite nicely as a two-voiced polyphonic piece. Its hard though!
And a sidenote question. You mention liking Bach, but that Baroque makes you sleepy; isnt Bach baroque?

Greetings Mityr

 

[Mityr]

If not piano what about organ?
Id have thought the pieces in Bachs Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach would be a good place to start. Plenty of PDF versions online.

You are quite right, Tom.
Organ pieces are quite beautiful on the free bass accordion, but they tend to just as difficult as they are amazing to the ear.
I will look into playing more of the Notebook. Some of the melodies seem atleast doable.

Thank you.
Mityr

 

[Mityr]

I am hoping someone comes up with some interesting suggestions soon!

My accordion (2nd hand purchase) came with a convertor bass, but I am still struggling to find things that I want to play on the free bass. I have tried piano music, but so far have found that I invariable prefer playing it - or hearing it played - on the piano....

The only piece that I have enjoyed practising on the accordion was a flute duet! Its a Duetto in A minor, adapted from a duet by Benoit Berbuguier, featured in Peter Wastalls Learn as you play flute; I didnt have anyone to duet with on that instrument, so I took it to the accordion

Hey, Anyanka.

Speaking of flute duets, I might have something, which would interest you. George Ganos, who plays a Pigini free bass, used to play flute in his youth it seems, and now he is playing the duets on the accordion instead. He doesnt have a lot of videos, but its a great experience seeing how he improved from his first to his last
Mityr
<YOUTUBE id=gjmW6fvZht0 url=></YOUTUBE> George Ganos

 

[JerryPH]

Hey Jerry
And a sidenote question. You mention liking Bach, but that Baroque makes you sleepy; isnt Bach baroque?

Indeed Bach is from the Baroque period, but a lot of Bachs music just has a lively flowing melody and some songs can even come across as being almost aggressive!

A lot of Baroque music from that era is slow, boring made for celebrating the church and what not. Musically it is very plain-Jane to my ears. Yes Bach wrote chorale works which are not very exciting in that well liked style of the day, and this can put me to sleep faster than two sleeping tablets (lol), but then he also turns out music like Concerto Italiano, Toccata and Fuge In D-minor and Prelude in C-minor... that is the kind of music from Bach that stirred my soul back in my conservatory days.

 

[Anyanka]

Hey, Anyanka.

Speaking of flute duets, I might have something, which would interest you. George Ganos, who plays a Pigini free bass, used to play flute in his youth it seems, and now he is playing the duets on the accordion instead. He doesnt have a lot of videos, but its a great experience seeing how he improved from his first to his last
Mityr

Thank you, that is beautiful! I shall look for a collection of flute duets :tup:

 

[Acon]

I’m a big fan of the free bass accordion in classical music (I like stradella bass too but it’s better at other music genres to me), and I totally agree that free bass accordion (especially CBA) and pipe organ works fit each other super well. Russian brands like Jupiter/AKKO are particularly good at this area, but Italian brands can interpret string-related works better since its mellow sound.

Just got my big PIGINI C-system convertor recently so I’ve started to play some pieces that couldn’t be done before due to the limit of the range. Here is my current practice list:

1. Bach - Minuet in G Maj BWV Anh. 114
- Already good enough to play in front of my wife
2. Bach - Minuet in G Min BWV Anh. 115
- Already good enough to play in front of my wife
3. Bach - Aria “Schaffs mit mir, Gott (Get on with me, God)” BWV 514
- Already good enough to play in front of my wife
4. Bach - Toccata part of Toccata and Fugue in D-minor BWV565
- Already good enough to play in front of my wife
*Best player: Friedrich Lips
5. Bach - Invention No. 1 in C Major BWV 772
- This one is actually hard to learn. I’ve known all the fingering but haven’t put too much work to make myself being able to play it fluently.
6. Bach - Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ (Unto Thee I cry, Lord Jesus) BWV 639
- Very beautiful piece. Another good example of the advantage of CBA over PA. It’s a 3 parts work designed for the pipe organ. In CBA you can play the bass notes with your left hand and the middle/high notes with your right hand, which is almost impossible in PA. I’ve already been able to play it slowly.
*Best player: Friedrich Lips
7. Pachelbel - Chaconne in f minor
My long-term project. It’s my favorite music work so far. As Sebastian Bravo mentioned this is actually a hard piece. I’ve been able to play 1/3 of it smoothly but the rest of it is just too hard so I need probably 1 more year to accomplish it. For a person who has a full-time job and can only practice < 10 hours a week that’s the best I can do.
*Best player: Alexander Hrustevich
<YOUTUBE id=FZ9MHP5Ulhw url=></YOUTUBE>

Future work:
1. George Frideric Handel - Gavotte in G major, HWV 491
- Thanks to Mityr I found this a very beautiful piece and simple enough to learn!
2. Bach - Some variations of the Goldberg Variations BWV 988
- Very famous piece but some of them are very difficult. I think I can at least learn the Aria. Originally composed for the piano but somehow suits accordion very well.
3. Henry Purcell - Hornpipe from Abdelazer Suite
- Knew this from Jo Brunenberg’s playing. Youtube him.
4. Antonio Vivaldi - 1st and 2nd movements of Winter from Four Seasons
- Lots of fast passages and bellow shakes. Should be very difficult but I would like to try in the future.
*Best player: Aydar Gaynullin
<YOUTUBE id=2uIqKSvbK-I url=></YOUTUBE>
(only the 1st mov and not decent recording quality but I live his playing most)
5. Oscar Lindberg - Gammal fabodpsalm fran Dalarna (Old Swedish Psalm)
- Another very beautiful piece comparable to Bach’s BWV 639 I mentioned above, but couldn’t find any good sheet music from the internet.
Daniel Andersson’s playing:
<YOUTUBE id=Efr1ZJmxbcw url=>https://youtu.be/Efr1ZJmxbcw</YOUTUBE>
(he plays a C-system Jupiter which is very rare)

@Anyanka:
Could you please tell me where to find the video of the “flute Duetto in A minor” by Benoit Berbiguier you mentioned? Really curious about it.

Cheers.
Acon

 

[JerryPH]

Hoffman's Barcarole (Tales of Hoffman) is a fairly easy piece to play on FB. I had my Morino about 3 months and this was the first piece I played at a competition. It took me about a week to learn and a week to perfect/memorize... that song won me first place at my first competition with Free Bass music.

OMG, I almost forgot about that memory until now... lol

 

[Anyanka]

@Anyanka:
Could you please tell me where to find the video of the “flute Duetto in A minor” by Benoit Berbiguier you mentioned? Really curious about it.

Cheers.
Acon

I dont know if there are any recordings or videos - I got the duet from Peter Wastalls Learn As You Play book (flute is one of my other instruments).