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
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                                                                                   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 0 is background.

Topics 1 to 6 cover six featured tunes.

Topic 7 contains five additional practice tunes.

​Topic 8 is a look ahead to Unit 10.

​Slide 4 
Topic 0 is a review of previous Unit 8. 

The example contains the first note & three bars in the first line of John Denver's "Annie's song"

​Slide 5  
"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.

In today's session we will play a chord tap for each of the pickup notes we meet.
​
​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.

After practicing the separate musical phrases, you may come back to this slide to practice the full verse.

Slide 7 

​Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

a) "Down in the valley" 

b) "Valley so low"

​Slide 8 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

c) "Hang your head over" 

d) "Hear the wind blow".

The melody and rhythm for the 2nd half of the verse are identical to that of the first half, only some of the lyrics are different.

Slide 9 
Popular gospel tune: Morning Has Broken.

​Again scan the verse for repeated rhythmic patterns (or musical phrases).

After practicing the separate musical phrases, you may come back to this slide for a practice of the full verse.
​

​Slides 10 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

a) "Morning has broken" 

b) "Like the first morning"

​Slide 11
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

c) "Blackbird has spoken" 

d) "Like the first bird"

​Slide 12 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

e) "Praise for the singing" 

f) "Praise for the morning"

​​Slide 13 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

g)"Praise for them springing"

h) "Fresh from the world"

​Slide 14 
Featured Tune 3 
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.

Tap the chord ob3 button with the starting (pickup) inside treble note button 3

​Slide 15 
​​Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

a)"On top of old Smokey"

b) "All covered with snow"
​Slide 16 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

c)"I lost my true lover"

d) "From courting too slow"

​

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 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

a)"For he's a jolly good fellow" (line 1)

b) "For he's a jolly good fellow"  (line 2)

​Slide 19 
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

c)"For he's a jolly good fellow"  (line 3)

d) "Which nobody can deny"

​Slide 20 (Topic 5)
Featured tune 5 - Edelweiss.

The song-tune "Edelweiss" is an American tune (from "The Sound of Music"), with an Austrian connection.

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

Note that each line of this verse starts with a "double beat-interval" note.

​Slide 21 (Topic 5)
​
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

a) "Edelweiss, Edelweiss" 

b) "Every morning you greet me"
​
​Slide 22 (Topic 6)
Take a couple of minutes (more or less) to practice the musical phrases

c) "Small and white, clean and bright" 

d) "You look happy to meet me"

​Slide 23 (Topic 7)
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 24   (Topic 7.1)
Rhythmically this tune is fairly simple (perhaps even boring). However, the combination of a good melody, fine lyrics and a waltz-time beat makes it interesting.

Practice the first line, starting with a chord top, and followed by the bass-chord-chord pattern, with a left-hand tap for each treble note.
When ready, move onto second line, holding "roar" for two beats (bass-chord taps), and "low" for five beats (bass-chord-chord | bass-chord taps).
Slide 25   (Topic 7.2)
 

​Slide 26
These six songs represent suitable tunes for left-hand bass & chord practice.

At the same time, the melodies may be of interested to those who wish to defer left-hand playing for the time being.

​Slide 27
Black Velvet Band

​A traditional Irish tune, popularized in NL by Harry Hibbs.

​Slide 28
Rose of Aranmore

​An Irish tune, still popular in NL and elsewhere.

​Slide 29
Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes

A once-popular traditional "English" tune.
​

​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

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

Start with treble pickup
note .4 for which a chord tap is suggested.

​

​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