Button-Accordion Project

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

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

UNIT NINE (of TEN)
​
​Introduction to Tunes with Three Beats per Bar


Return to BA1 - Unit 9
​                                                                                                     
                                                                                   SLIDES   &   COMMENTS
​Slide 1  (Tutorial Project BA1 - Main goal)

Welcome to Unit 9 of BA1​

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

​Slide 2   (Units in BA1 mini-course)
​All learning involves (supported) self-teaching, whether  in face-to-face or distance environments.

These are the "Units" that are included for your support in this BA1 mini-course.

This week we do an introduction to a popular category of tunes, those with three beats per bar.

​Slide 3  (Topics for Unit 9)
Topic 1 is background.

Topics 2 to 4 cover three featured tunes.

Topic 5 includes eleven practice tunes, six of which are new to this mini-course.  

​Topics 6 & 7 are the usual web support and a look ahead

​Slide 4 
Three examples of bars and beats, with three different time signatures (2 beats/bar, 3 beats/bar, and 4 beats/bar.

(c)  the first 4 bars of "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" 

(d) first note & three bars of "Annie's song"

(e) first two bars of "Joyful, joyful we adore Thee"

​Slide 5  
AN ASIDE:  I'll explain later how the "pickup bar" got its
                    name.  (It's not that kind of "pickup bar")
"Down in the Valley" begins with a complete bar of three notes & beats.

However, "On Top of Old Smokey" begins with a partial bar, sometimes called a pickup bar, with only a single-beat note, sometimes called a pickup note.

We can either first play the pickup note, and then start the bass beat in the first complete bar, or we can start with a chord beat at the same time as the pickup note.
​Slide 6 

The complete first verse of "Down in the Valley" with three beats per bar.

Before playing, we should examine the tune for rhythmic patterns and their repetition.

Slide 7 

​The rhythmic pattern in bars
1 to 3 are repeated in bars
7 to 9, in
13 to 15, and in 
19 to 21

Also, the rhythmic pattern in
4 to 6 are repeated in bars
10 to 12, in
16 to 18, and in bars
22 to 24  

​Slide 8 
I doubt that any of you need this level of detail (for playing the first three bars).  I actually prepared this slide before I had met any of you.

But, just in case anyone is having an "off" day . . .
B = The left-hand bass note
C = The left-hand chord

​etc.

Slide 9 

​See previous slide for my apologetic "disclaimer."

​Slides 10 
Take a few minutes (more or less) to practice the first half of the verse.  

We'll skip the second half for now;  it has the same notes (with different lyrics) as the first half.

​Slide 11
Featured Tune 2 
On Top of Old Smokey.

This version is slightly simpler than the regular one, to make it easier for beginners to keep the beat steady.

Again, first look for rhythmic patterns and repetition.

And you will have to decide whether or not to play a chord beat in the pickup bar.

​Slide 12 
Observations:

Rhythmically, 
Line 1 is same as line 3, and
Line 2 is same as line 4

Tune begins with a pickup note.

Verse ends with an incomplete bar of two beats,
after which the missing third beat is picked up at the start of the next verse.
AN ASIDE:  In cases of an incomplete bar at the end of the tune , many performers add
                    an extra beat to the end of the final verse (or chorus);  some even add an extra
                    complete bar.
​Slide 13 
Next, practice each line separately.

Then, using the notes given in previous slide, play the whole verse.

​Slide 14 
Featured tune 3 - Edelweiss.

Again, start with an examination of rhythmic patterns and repetitions.

​Slide 15 
​The rhythmic pattern in bars
1 to 4 is repeated in 
9 to 12, and in 
25 to 28

Also, the rhythmic pattern in
5 to 8 is repeated in bars
13 to 16, and in 
29 to 32  

​Bars 17 to 24 is a mix of parts of the other patterns.

​Makes for an interesting tune
AN ASIDE:   Interestingly, the pattern in bars 1 to 4 consists two repeated simpler patterns
​                     in bars 1 & 2 and in 3 & 4.  This is also the case for bars 9-12 and bars 25-28. 
Slide 16 

Next we practice one line at a time.
​

Slide 17 
Then we'll take a few minutes (more or less) to practice the first half of the verse.

Because of Zoom time constraints, we'll probably have to leave the second half for home practice.

​Slide 18 
Eleven practice tunes are included in the hope that at least two or three of these will appeal to you, and make the challenge of using the "beat" buttons (bass & chord) a little more fun.

​These include folk, country, popular, gospel and children's numbers.

​Slide 19 
The (by now) familiar "Down in the Valley".

​Slide 20 (Topic 5)
For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.
​

​Slide 21 (Topic 5)
This is the first verse of a popular NL folk song and dance tune, known to some as "The Ryans and Pittmans" and to others as "We'll rant and we'll roar like true Newfoundlanders."

The melody is based on the English sea shanty "Spanish Ladies" and some of the verses were adapted from the  American "Yankee Whalermen".  The NL verses were composed by Henry W. Lemessurier.
​Slide 22 (Topic 6)
The (by now) familiar "On Top of Old Smokey".

​Slide 23 (Topic 7)
Black Velvet Band

​Slide 24   (Topic 7.1)
These are the tunes that are new to our BA1 list.

Not everyone will seek to master this list as "tunes", but may prefer to focus on their "melodies".
Slide 25   (Topic 7.2)
The song-tune "Edelweiss" is an American tune (from "The Sound of Music"), with an Austrian connection.

The Edelweiss is Austria's national flower.  It is a star-
shaped mountainous flower 
and belongs to the sunflower and daisy family. White in color, it has a wooly-like structure on its leaf, which is why it is sometimes called a "lion's paw". 

​Slide 26
The Rose of Aranmore:

​A lovely Irish tune

​Slide 27
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes:

​A traditional English tune

​Slide 28
Each Unit of our mini-course will contain a popular gospel song or hymn. 

​This is the first verse of "Morning Has Broken".

​Slide 29
Each Unit of our mini-course will contain a popular children's melody or tune.

​This is the first verse of "Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone".
​

​Slide 30
This popular NL song was written by Arthur Scammel at age 15 as part of a school project.

The lively "waltz" tune (simple 3/4 time, played three beats per bar) is adapted from an Irish jig (compound 6/8 time, played two beats per bar).

​Slide 31

The route to the tunes2play4fun.com 
Unit 9 support materials
"for beginners".

​

​Slide 32
This is a look-ahead to
Unit 10, which has two parts:

First, an incomplete list of potential tunes with four beats per bar.

Then a very tentative look ahead to possible content in possible future mini-courses.

​Slide 33
Web site and email address:

tunes2play4fun.com

tunes2play4fun.2021@gmail.com