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  • CANADIAN
    • JIGS & REELS >
      • Auntie Mary
      • Aunt_Rubys_garden
      • I rowed up in a dory
      • Maple-sugar-reel
      • Pretty_little_Mary
      • Up_the_pond
    • NL - newer >
      • Fishing_in_a_dory
      • Grey foggy day
      • Joe Batt's Arm longliners
      • Loss of the Marion
      • Music and friends
      • Northern Lights of Labrador
      • Outport people
      • Rose in her hair.
      • Rubber_boots
      • Saltwater joys
      • Song for Newfoundland
      • Sonny's dream
      • Surrounded_by_water
      • The St. John's Waltz
      • Take me to the country
      • This Is My Home
      • Woman of Labrador
    • NL - older >
      • Badger_drive
      • Cliffs of Baccalieu
      • Feller from Fortune
      • Great big sea hove in ...
      • Harbour Le Cou
      • I'se The B'y
      • Jack was every inch a sailor
      • Kelligrew's Soiree
      • Let me fish off Cape St Mary's
      • Lukey's boat
      • Now I'm 64
      • Ode to Newfoundland
      • Old Brown's daughter
      • Old Polina
      • Paddy and the whale
      • Ryans and Pittmans
      • Squid jiggin' ground
      • Star of Logy Bay
      • Sweet forget-me-not
      • Tiny Red Light
    • OTHER - newer >
      • Both_sides_now
      • Did_she_mention_my_name
      • (The) Farmer's Song
      • Four strong winds
      • I'm movin' on
      • Log_drivers_waltz
      • Make_n_Break_Harbour
      • Sea-People
      • Song-for-Mira
      • Working-man
    • OTHER - older >
      • Bluebird
      • Farewell_to_NS
      • Maggie
      • O Canada
      • Peggy Gordon
      • Red River Valley
    • Christmas Songs >
      • (A) Children's Winter
      • Christmas_fancy
      • Christmas in the harbour.
      • Marys_lullaby
      • Mummers song
      • Old_Christmas_waltz
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Bluebirds_sing
      • Capelin time
      • From an island to an island
      • Land_of_fish_and_seals
      • Light and Power Boys
      • (The) Music takes me back
      • Mussels in the corner
      • Newfoundland_waltz
  • AMERICAN
    • USA - newer >
      • Adios_Amigo
      • Annie's song
      • Ballad of the Green Berets
      • Blowing in the wind
      • Blue eyes crying in the rain
      • Bridge over troubled water
      • Bye bye love
      • Country roads
      • Crystal Chandeliers
      • Four thousand years ago
      • Have I told you lately that I ...
      • I can't stop loving you
      • I overlooked an orchid
      • I recall a gypsy woman
      • I walk the line
      • Me and Bobby McGee
      • Missing in action
      • Moon River
      • Old flames
      • Rambling Rose
      • Roses are red my love
      • Send me the pillow ...
      • Try _a_ little_kindness
      • Waltz across Texas
      • What a wonderful world
      • You're my best friend
    • USA - older >
      • Down_in_the_valley
      • Hammer_song
      • Happy Birthday
      • My grandfather's clock
      • Old_lamplighter
      • Old_Smokey
      • Shenandoah
      • Star-Spangled Banner
      • Streets of Laredo
      • Tennessee_waltz
      • This land is your land
      • Wabash cannon ball
      • Wildwood flower
      • Yellow_Rose_of_Texas
      • You are my sunshine
    • Christmas Songs >
      • An old Christmas card
      • Frosty the Snowman
      • Here comes Santa Claus
      • Jingle Bells
      • Jolly old St. Nicholas
      • Must be Santa
      • Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
      • Silver Bells
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Edelweiss
      • If I should fall behind
      • Mary Ann regrets
      • Oh so many years
      • You're the nearest thing to Heaven
  • WORLD
    • JIGS & REELS >
      • Irish washerwoman
    • Australia - older >
      • Waltzing_Matilda
    • England - newer >
      • Bread_and_Fishes
      • Fiddler's Green
      • Let it be
      • Let me be there
      • World_of_our_own
    • England - older >
      • Dirty_old_town
      • Drink to me only ...
      • Girl_I_left_behind
      • It's a long way to Tipperary
      • Long_long_ago
      • Navvy_boots
      • Scarborough Fair
    • Germany- newer >
      • A_little_peace
    • Germany- older >
      • Brahms_lullaby
    • Ireland - newer >
      • After all these years
      • (The) Ferryman
      • Fields of Athenry
      • Gypsy Rover
      • My lovely Rose of Clare
      • Nancy Spain
      • Roads of Kildare
      • Rose of Mooncoin
      • Town_of_Ballybay
    • Ireland - older >
      • Black velvet band
      • Come back Paddy Reillly
      • Danny Boy
      • Galway Bay
      • Irish washerwoman
      • Maid in the Garrett
      • Molly Malone
      • My wild Irish Rose
      • Red_is_the_rose
      • Rose of Aranmore
      • Wild Rover
    • Norway >
      • You_raise_me_up
    • Scotland - newer >
      • Come by the hills
      • It's a dream come true
      • Mull of Kintyre
      • We'll meet again my friends
    • Scotland -older >
      • Auld Lang Syne - New Year's
      • Cock o the North /Aunt Mary
      • Loch_Lomond
      • Road to the isles
      • Wild mountain thyme
    • Wales-older >
      • The Ash Grove
      • Sweet_Jenny_Jones
    • Christmas Songs >
      • Christmas in Killarney
      • Deck the hall
      • Good King Wenceslas
      • We wish you a Merry Christmas
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Among the Wicklow Hills
      • Hills of Glenshee
      • In an Irish country home
      • It's good to see you
      • Love me when I'm old ...
      • My homeland
      • The little shirt my Mother made for me
  • GOSPEL
    • Songs - newer >
      • Because He lives
      • God on the mountain
      • He touched me
      • It is no secret
      • May_the_Good_Lord_bless
      • Millenium Prayer
      • One day at a time
      • 'Till the storm passes by
      • Unclouded Day
      • Will you walk with me
      • Wings of a dove
    • Songs - older >
      • Beautiful isle of somewhere
      • Church in the wildwood
      • Count your blessings
      • Do Lord
      • Give me oil for my lamp
      • Higher ground
      • How beautiful Heaven must be
      • I'll fly away
      • In the sweet by and by
      • Just a closer walk with Thee
      • Keep on the Sunny Side
      • Kum ba yah
      • Let_the_lower_lights
      • Life is like a mountain railroad
      • Mine eyes have seen the glory
      • Precious memories
      • Shall we gather at the river
      • Standing in the need of prayer
      • Stranger of Galilee
      • When the roll is called up yonder
      • When the Saints go marching in
      • Whispering hope
    • Hymns - newer >
      • Give_to_us_laughter
      • Here I am Lord
      • How great Thou art
      • Jesus you have come to the lakeshore
      • Morning has broken
      • Pass it on
      • Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness
    • Hymns -older >
      • All people that on earth
      • Amazing Grace
      • Be Thou My Vision
      • Blessed_Assurance
      • Crown_Him_with_many_crowns
      • For_the_beauty
      • In the garden
      • I love to tell the story
      • Immortal_invisible
      • Jesus loves me
      • Joyful, joyful, We ...
      • Precious_Lord_take_my_hand
      • Softly and tenderly
      • Take time to be holy
      • We love the place O God
      • What a Friend we have in Jesus
      • Will your anchor hold
      • Wonderful_words_of_life
    • Christmas Carols >
      • Away in a manger (JRM)
      • Away in a manger (WJK)
      • The First Noel
      • The friendly beasts
      • Go, tell it on the mountain
      • Hark the herald angels sing
      • I heard the bells (Marks)
      • I saw three ships
      • Joy to the world
      • Mary's Little Boy Child
      • O come, all ye faithful
      • O little town of Bethlehem
      • Silent Night
      • When a child is born
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Lord, don't give up on me
Button-Accordion Project

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

MINI-COURSE BA1
The Button Accordion, its Music & Notation

UNIT FIVE (of SIX)
​Expanded Melodic Timing & Notation  (Somewhat-Familiar Song-Melodies)


Return to BA1 - Unit 5
​                                                                                                     
                                                                                   SLIDES   &   COMMENTS
​Slide 1  (Tutorial Project BA1 - Main goal)
Picture

Welcome to Unit 4 of BA1​

​The primary goal of BA1 is to support your efforts in learning to play your button accordion,





​Slide 2  (Activities)
Picture
​
A reminder that all learning involves (supported) self-teaching, whether  in face-to-face or distance environments.

These are the "activities by you" and "support for you" that are included in this BA1 mini-course.

​

​Slide 3  (Six Mini-course Units)
Picture
In Unit 3 we played button-notes that were held for a single beat interval or for multiples of a beat interval.

In Unit 4 we will fine-tune our melodic timing to play button-notes that are held for a fraction of a beat interval..

This will open up a much larger number of somewhat familiar melodies on the accordion.

​Slide 4  (Topics)
Picture
​Our first three topics today, cover the development of a Unit 4 notation for these fractional notes.

Topics 4 & 5 involve instruction and hands-on practice for this Unit 4 notation.

Topic 6 reviews online support.

Topic 7 (as usual) looks ahead to future sessions.

​Slide 5  (Topic 1.1  Notation for a completely familiar melody )
Picture
If you are completely familiar with "On Top of Old Smokey", then you know the rhythm, and the simple notation at left may be all you need.

However, we'll proceed on the assumption that you are somewhat-familiar with this melody, but not completely familiar.

​In the next slide we'll add the rhythmic notation developed in Unit 3.


​Slide 6 (Topic 1.2   Notation for a somewhat familiar melody)
Picture
The two missing "times" in line 4 lead us to the question of fine tuning.  

The two button notes in question are usually held for one-half a beat interval each.

Slide 7 (Topic 1.3   We need symbols for fractions of a beat interval.)
Picture
In this case we need a notation to indicate that the note is to be held for half a beat interval.

The two notes together will make up a full beat interval.

In general, we need to develop a notation for fractions (including 1/2) of a beat interval.

​Slide 8 (Topic 2.1   Three fractions)
Picture
Although there is an infinite number of possible fractions, there are three that will suffice for a large number of button-accordion melodies.

These are  1/4
                   2/4    (or 1/2)
                   3/4


Slide 9 (Topic 2.2)   How do we provide a notation for melodic rhythm?
Picture
Single, double and triple quote marks can represent 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of a beat interval, respectively.

A triple quote can be typed as three single quotes in succession, or as a double quote followed by a single quote.

​Slides 10 
Picture
At first glance this may make the notation look much more complicated and difficult.

However, in the vast majority of cases, these notes are grouped in pairs corresponding in total to a single beat interval.

Example  "5  "6*    or   '"4  '3*

And, of course, if it is a melody you know really well, you will play these fractional pairs without even thinking about it.

 
​Slide 11   (Topic 3.1   Fractions in a somewhat familiar song melody)
Picture

Just one (1/2) pair of button notes in line 4, just to get you started.

Slide 12 (Topic 3.2   Looking for simple rhythmic patterns)
Picture
Compare the melodic rhythm (relative timing pattern) in line 1 with that of line 3.

They are identical.
​

Slide 13  (Topic 3.3  Small, but important, rhythmic differences.)
Picture
Next, compare the melodic rhythms in lines 2 and 4.

They are nearly identical.
(Compare the first note in line 2, with the pair of (1/2) notes in line 4.


​Slide 14(Topic 4.1)
Picture

​This improved notation may be illustrated by the two featured (and hopefully somewhat familiar) song melodies.

Although Zoom does not lend itself to multi-site open-mike playing, it is still possible to do multi-site muted-mike playing along with the Host or another participant.

​We'll find what works!

​Slide 15 (Topic 4.2)  
Picture
​On Top of Old Smokey ​ is our first featured & perhaps somewhat-familiar song-melody for Unit 4.

Review the rhythmic patterns.


We'll practice both alone and multi-site (with muted mikes).

Note that there is only one pair of half-interval notes here (line 4 in white).

​Slide 16 (Topic 4.3)
Picture
A second featured song-melody is the somewhat familiar American/Canadian folk song: Red River Valley

This is the first verse.

Do you see any rhythmic patterns here?

There are 18 pairs of half-interval notes here (in white).
​
We'll repeat the practice steps from the first song-melody.

Slide 17 (Topic 5)
Picture

​Each of Units 2 to 5 include a number of melodies for additional practice, from which participants can individually select the one or more that they would like to practice and learn.

In some cases, extra verses or choruses may be included on the web site.

These are the five extras for Unit 4.


Slide 18 (Topic 5a)
Picture
This is the first verse of "Black Velvet Band" a traditional Irish song-melody, with many different lyric versions.

Notice the identical lyrical and rhythmic patterns in lines 2 and 4, and both the similarities and the differences between lines 1 and 3.





​Slide 19 (Topic 5b)
Picture
This is the first verse of John Denver's "Annie's Song".

To check the rhythmic patters, this is best viewed as an 8-line verse.

At left, due to lack of space, the first four lines of the song are printed on two lines of the slide.

See the Unit 4 version on tunes2play4fun.com (For Beginners) for a better layout.
THREE OBSERVATIONS ON THE TILDE ( ~ ) SYMBOL (Annie's Song):
​
1. The tilde symbo
l ( ~ ) at the end of each line above means that the button note should be held longer, which, for this song, is two extra beat intervals, except for last line of each verse, which is three extra beat intervals.

2. Singers frequently "rest" their voices for such beat intervals at the end of lines, instead of holding the singing note the whole time;  this is quite common for vocal performances.

3. While most accordion players will simply hold such notes longer, as indicated in Observation 1, others may actually also "rest", while still others may substitute embellishments or ornamentations (but more about this later).
​
​Slide 20 (Topic 5c)
Picture
This song-melody, "Rose in Her Hair," has both American and Canadian authorship.

The melody and the first verse lyrics were written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, respectively, for the film "Broadway Gondalier" in 1935.

In the 1980s Bud Davidge and Sim Savory (of Simani) added two verses and an ending, along with some rhythmic and tempo changes.
THREE OBSERVATIONS ON THE TILDE ( ~ ) SYMBOL (Rose in Her Hair):
​
1. The tilde symbo
l ( ~ ) at the end of some lines above means that the button note should be held longer, which, for this song, is three extra beat intervals.

2. & 3.  See previous observations on the tilde ~

​Slide 21 (Topic 5d)
Picture
The lyrics and music for the gospel song "In the Sweet By and By" were written by S. F. Bennet and J. P. Webser, respectively, in 1868.

Identify the rhythmic patterns.

Note that there are 11 half-interval pairs of button notes.




​Slide 22 (Topic 5e)
Picture
Each unit will also include a children's song for those of you who may have young children among your immediate or extended families and friends.

"Frere Jacques" is a very popular song for young children, and a melody that's quite well known to anyone who has young ones.  Also popular with some adults in singing "rounds".



​Slide 23 (Topic 6)
Picture

​Between Zoom sessions we'll use both email and the "For Beginners" option on the tunes2play4fun.com site.



Slide 24 (Topic 6)
Picture

​This site contains
- slide set for Unit 4
- one tutorial note
- featured melody web pages
- extra practice web pages

The song-melody web pages include accordion notation and embedded youTube videos in identified keys.

​Slide 25 (Topic 7)
Picture
We'll make a decision regarding next Friday at the end of the Tuesday Zoom session.

​Slide 26   (Topic 7.1)
Picture
In our next unit (#5), we will consider notation for button notes that are held for one and a half beat intervals.  We'll also introduce the REST, sometimes called the note of silence.

Our three featured melodies will be:
​a)  This Land is Your Land
​b)  Molly Malone
c)  Cliffs of Baccalieu

Slide 27   (Topic 7.2)
Picture
Looking ahead, this slide high-lights the next  five "extra practice" somewhat-familiar song-melodies for Unit 5

Pick one or more that are, at least, somewhat familiar to you for practice.

Slide 28 (Links & password)
Picture
The route to the tunes2play4fun.com 
Unit 4support materials
"for beginners".

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