So I've been looking at "Pine Grove Blues" in the BIG YELLOW BOOK and trying to figure out what the hell I was doing wrong...

It seems Mr. Francois has left a bunch of G#s in the accordion part there (should be G-naturals) -- no wonder things just weren't sounding correct (also the rhythmic notation is rather off.... but that isn't really a problem)

Dumb Question:

Are you playing on a C or a D?

JB

Actually, a really dumb question.
Would be NO, like Zero, G#'s (Aflats) regardless if you were playing on a D or a C.
Mr. Nathan played this by pulling the #3 on a C box to get the D.
No G# on a C box, period. No G# on a D box either.
At least not on mine.
I'll give it a whirl on the fiddle just to be sure, but this is a typo on Mr. Raymond's part, no doubt. Happens to everybody, even Stephen King.
JB
This ain't the easiest song in the world.
Got to be careful where you are and who is in the audience.
I am a chicken. We don't play it, period.
Too much e'spalin.
JB

I am transposing the yellow book piece (starts on an "E") down a whole step (now starting on a "D") -- for my C box....

This would give the perfect D-dorainish scale EXCEPT that the dang G# becomes an F#... and it should be F-natural. Francoise simply forgot to notate the naturals in front of the Gs

The first problem is using the big yellow book to figure out accordion parts, actually using any written anything to figure out accordion parts. Big yellow was written by a fiddler.

Good point Bryan -- but in the case of Pine Grove it is clear what is an accordion part

Try it the other way round:
1. slow down the version you like
2. listen very carefully
3. notate what you hear (yes, NOTES, and NOT the dang tab)
4. play!

Hi Paul
It might be an idea to learn French Blues first which uses the same scale but a bit easier to play in my onion, saying that I'm still trying to get the turn right and won't touch pine grove till I have.