Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Here is a link (#2) to a version of Bluerunner played on a 3 row accordion. I play a one row, but have been thinking of gettin a three row. The Baffetti 3 row mentioned here looks like the one Corey Ledet plays: it has three rows but only 12 buttons on the bass side.
What is a stradella bass? Is this the accordions with many buttons on the bass side?
Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Yes, stradella bass is what you see on piano accordions. Since we play I-IV-V mostly in Cajun, stradella can be great, if you can keep your fingers where they need to be.
Circle of 5ths gives the chord layout thusly (an excerpt):
.....F C G D A E....
So, if you're playing in key of C, you have your F/C/G chords all right there. Same thing for key of G, C/G/D.
But man, if I ever lost my place, it was all over. There is one button, middle C I think, which has a grooved head on it, but its only on one row. If you're poking around on the wrong row, nada.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
I watched the vid. That's the song. However, that particular accordion had a strong calliopesque sound to it. Perhaps she was just playing single notes. Sort of looked like it. Or it was a midi.
She sure knew where the right buttons were though.
It's hard for me to make a generalization, but I certainly do play octaves on the triple row if I feel like it and it fits the music. I don't think I would say that octaves are more or less important between the single row and the triple row. I think it has more to do with the particular tune than it does the instrument.
I play Blue Runner on the triple row, and it is inherently necessary to go across the rows for several reasons. I am not sure where you would want to play octaves in that tune? It doesn't seem to fit the tune, and might even be physically extremely difficult or virtually impossible anyway, because of the fast tempo. Frankly, it never occurred to me to even think of trying it with octaves - maybe I should give it a try, but in the end, I doubt that I would try to use a lot of octaves. But, hey, that's just me. If you hear the tune that way and it works for you, go for it.
Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Ok, here's how I am playing it now:
Starts out on the very high keys for the first riff, then moves to the middle of the keyboard for the next riff, then jump to the bass end of the keyboard. I have a G/C accordion, which is going to be a bit different in numbering than a 3-row, but I was shown to start to play that riff with G.3' G.4 G.5 G.4/G.5 and then the rest of the riff. And right now I can't remember the proper direction on playing these. I know the G.3 is the opposite direction from the others.
Anyway, playing this single finger is awkward. If I play it like walking the octaves, it is monumentally easier there. I'd have to have the accordion with me to detail this out. I'm going by memory, so that's iffy.
Not sure if this makes any sense. I'd have to double check my directions before I could tell you how I was playing the octaves.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Geno does it on his "Everybody's Dancing" cd. But its originally a fiddle tune by Bebe Carriere. I've read that it was his attempt at playing Bluegrass. Its a great song, and though it loses something when translated over to the accordion, just being able to do it is great.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Thanks Dwight - I'll look out for it. After I posted, I googled it to try to learn more. Found out a blue runner is a fish. What with that and the gros bec, I might not be improving my playing, but I'm sure learning some natural history!
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
In this case, a bluerunner is a snake, and a snake that will chase you. I never ran into, or away from, one when I was growing up in Louisiana, but I heard about them a lot.
Supposedly Bebe wrote this song after seeing his Grandmother get chased out of the chicken coop by a bluerunner snake. There is a definite chicken motif to the melody.
You must be able to hear a clip of it on Amazon, or maybe WalMart.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Question for you double/triple row players
Try on this page. It doesn't start at the beginning of the song, which is a shame because the beginning is a lot of fun. Its a similar motif, but you have to hear the whole thing.