Button-Accordion Program

(Dual-row G-C, A-D, C-F & D-G with Accidentals)
Based on  tunes2play4fun.com  &  Facilitated by ZOOM

MINI-COURSE BA1
Basic Melodies

UNIT FOUR (of Four)
​ Expanded Melodic Rhythm & Notation
​ (for Somewhat-Familiar Song-Melodies)

Return to BA1 - Unit 4
​                                                                                                     
                                 SLIDES (Compacted)

​Web Slide 1                                                                                                               Zoom Slide 1
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Slide 3 - Schedule

All learning involves (supported) self-teaching.

The Zoom-based instructional (one-hour) and individualized (half-hour) sessions, along with the BA1 web pages and embedded youTube videos, are forms of support.

The real learning and skill-development takes place in your "fun" at-home practice sessions.​
Slide 4 - BA1 Fall-Outline

In Unit 2 we played button-notes that were held for integral beat intervals (single-beat, double-beat, etc.)

In Unit 3 we fine-tuned our melodic timing to play button-notes that were held for half a beat interval.

In this Unit we will expand the notation to cover one and a half beat intervals.


Slide 5 - Unit 4 Topics

​Our first three topics today, expand the accordion notation to include 1.5 beat intervals as well as "rests."

Topics 4 & 5 cover featured melodies and (home) practice melodies.

Topic 6 looks at the web site.

In topics 7 & 8 we look ahead.

​Slide 5 
Slides 6 to 9 - Topic 1

In Units 3 & 4 we met and practiced holding button notes for multiple beats and for three important fractions of a beat.

However, many melodies have notes that are held for one and a half beat intervals, and some include "rests".  We need  simple and appropriate  symbols for these extensions of our notation.
Slides 10 to 15 - Topic 2 

First line of a popular NL song-melody "Cliffs of Baccalieu".

This line has three notes that are usually held for 1.5 (that is, one and a half) beat intervals.

In our Zoom session we looked at three possible symbols, and selected the semi-colon.  It consists of a period on top of a comma.  
Slide 16 - Example

Here is the full first verse (of Cliffs of Baccalieu) which contains six notes that are held for one and a half beat intervals. 

​It also contains two intervals of rest (end of lines 3 and 6 at left).

​Slide 8
Slides 17 - Pairs of notes 

For simple-time melodies, the combination of a half-beat note (double quote) and a one & a half beat note (semicolon) is common.  Observe that each pair of notes spans two beat intervals.

Examples are shown at left, and high-lighted in white.
Slide 18 - Order within pairs​

Notice that within the pairs, sometimes the  "note  is on the left  and the  ;note on the right.

Sometimes the ;note is on the left and the "note is on the right.  Either way, they span two beat-intervals.
An ASIDE (Slides 19 & 20): The previous slide reminds me of two dogs, a large one, named Semicolon, and a small one, named Quote.  They are​ at play in the photos below. Though the order (of which dog is on the left and which dog is on the right) is different, in each photo, between them, they span two bark-intervals  (My feeble attempt at humour).   Photo compliments of pixabay.com
Slide 21 to 23 - Topic 3

​What Miles Davis, referring to jazz, actually said was: "It's not the notes you play, it's the notes you don't play." 

Perhaps not his intention, but you may think of rests as notes you don't play - that is, notes of silence.
An ASIDE:  ​Sheet music often includes both the notes for the singer and the notes for the instruments.  The singer's part usually includes more & longer "rests" than the instrumental part.

Slides 24 & 25​

We can indicate the amount of time to hold each rest using the same symbols we use for the button-notes.  

Button accordion players often  ignore the rest, and hold the preceding note (sometimes with a brief ornamentation once singing has stopped).
Slide 26 - Sample melody
​
The Cliffs of Baccalieu

Two single beat -nterval "rests" at end of lines 3 & 6.
​
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Slide 28

Our first featured song is The Cliffs of Baccalieu.  

There are six pairs of ( ; & " ) notes.

First we identify the rhythmic patterns, and then practice the verse, one line (or pattern) at a time.
Slide 29

The first & fourth lines at left are identical in melody & rhythm, as are the second & fifth lines.

The third & sixth lines have beginnings & endings that correspond, but there are rhythmic differences for the remaining notes on these lines.
Slide 30
​ 
​If the Canadian version were going from the most easterly to the Country's most westerly point, it would read:
​
     "From Cape Spear to
      Mount St. Elias".  

​... doesn't fit the rhythm.

Notice that we have only one pair of  ( ; & " ) notes - in line 4.
Slide 31 

There are repeated rhythmic patterns in this song, as shown by the color distinctions at left.

Beginners may find it useful to practice them one at a time.

Our newest extension (;2* "2) is found only in the fourth line.
Slide 32

Notice the seven (" & ; ) pairs of notes and four ( ; &" ) pairs.
​
There are also three ( " & " ) pairs. They contribute to a sense of rhythm, though there is no simple repeated pattern.

The ending of lines 1,2,4 & 5 with a (" & ; ) pair, also contributes to a sense of rhythm.
An ASIDE:  Molly Malone may be a difficult learn for beginners not familiar with the melody, because (1) there are no simple rhythmic patterns, and  (2) over half of the notes involve fractional  intervals
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Slide 34

​This was composed in 1948 by Elizabeth Clarke, a nurse at Vancouver's Children's Hospital.   

It was recorded by many famous performers (Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Wilf Carter, etc.).  

​Nurse Clarke donated all royalties from this song to Canada's children's hospitals.
Slide 35
​

A traditional American folk song-melody. 

Pay attention to the  pairs (;5 &"4*) in lines 1  and 3.
Slide 36

The song is said to be typical of the Nashville sound in the mid twentieth century.

Pay attention to the six pairs of  ( " & ; ) notes, of different order, highlighted in white.

​Slide 19 
Slide 37

​Although this gospel number is more than 120 years old, it continues to be a favorite in gospel circles.

Pay attention to the four pairs of notes using ( "  and ;  ) timing, highlighted in white.
​Slide 38

Candlelight and Wine is a Canadian (NL) song that was written by the late Dermot O'Reilly.

Note the ( "7 and  ;7 ) pair in the first line,
and the  ( ;6 and "6 ) pairs in the second & fourth lines.

​
​Slide 39 

​Email Harvey using

         tunes2p4f@gmail.com

if you need to change your "individualized" session slot for Unit 4.
​Slide 22 
Slide 40
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