Need a list of new songs to learn that sound good in Bb. Any help is much appreciated. Btw, looking for mostly cajun, not really zydeco (yet)

Guess any Cajun-accordion song can sound OK in Bb. A lot off stuff will be in F mixolydean mode or scale, or 2nd position as it's called here i think ... Guess it's the singers (dis-)abilities that makes it right or wrong at what ever key you play. Some tunes work better in Bb or F on a fiddle, F especially on a FCGD tuned one. - Nout

Bb is an excellent key for the average male voice to sing in. Much easier to reach those "high notes" without forcing. The same goes for F (my favorite key) which is the "second position"on a Bb.

Hey Joey, I think what the Fiddler was saying is pretty important. If possible, get with a fiddle player that enjoys playing along with a Bb accordion. First off, ask him why he enjoys playing with a Bb. Also ask him if most cajun songs can be played by a fiddler tuned in FCGD (down tuned) when he's playing with a Bb accordion.

From there, I guess the rest is up to your singing voice and how far your willing to raise the roof to present your song. (good luck with raising the roof in Bb.) I was never really able to do it, find my elevated singing voice in/with Bb. You know, the voice of "spirit" and "feeling"?????

I once bought a Bb from Junior Martin. I did that because I thought I needed to in order to play some of Steve Riley's music. Steve was the one who really seemed to sell the idea of the Bb to the cajuns. Oh, it was all the rave down here in Louisiana. You should've heard the talk! Not many really understood it, but they sure had a lot to say about it none the less. A lot of older singers took to Bb for some reason. And in my opinion, Cajun music took a turn that I personally didn't think was a good direction. It started to get fancy and complicated.

I have sold my Bb in an effort to get back to the basics with the "C" accordion and the "D" accordion. I mean, isn't it difficult enough with just those two keys?

I'm very sorry to say, but the Bb accordion and for the most part, the delivery of the singing doesn't sound or feel so good to me. It puts me to sleep, or takes my energy away when I hear it or try to do it. It's too....(Blahze') It may have been good for Steve Riley, but for the countless accordion players that tried to copy him down here, it just doesn't seem to fit some of them and some of the music. This subject would need some more looking in to and definately the opinions of others that have had experience with the Bb. Don't take my word for it.

I think you really need to get with that fiddler and try to pick him for as much information on playing with a Bb as you can if you want to know more about the positive and negative side of Bb. I know you probably payed a pretty penny for that Bb and I know you'd hate to see it go to waste. Try to make it work for you if you dare!

Well, I would have to suggest you look into the Great Walter Mouton repertoire. He has been playing a Falcon B-flat for at least 25 years...ask him...(if you do live in Kaplan). He says he changed to Bb to preserve his voice, since he played and sang EVERY week. I also have been told, that Blackie Forestier played on a B-flat.

As for Steve Riley (who was still in diapers,when Blackie and Walter started with the Bb)....he played (and won) the Blackpot accordion contest, Saturday with his B-flat in one sweet (and traditional) performance!

Now what were you saying about B-flat boxes..??? Blah-zay? too fancy? Took Cajun music down the wrong path?

I would think that since most jam sessions involve the C accordion, that is what most folks own and play, with D coming in next. After purchasing those 2 keys, money begins to be an issue and since it is difficult to find other musicians willing and able to play that key, well who needs a box sitting around, not being played. This is one of the reason, Pat. O'.. just sold his Bb. Heck, they don't play in C where he is from!

There has recently been a proliferation of C# boxes tho. Can you tell me who?

Just my deux sous (2 cents)...I do agree with you about the foot "playing"...it is very important in my own humble opinion

C-Bb (as in C B-flat )

Thanks CB, I just bought that Bb box from Pat. I absolutely love it. We jammed some tunes off of one of Robert Jardell's cds and a few others. I am very much in love with it. We are looking around for someone to play some fiddle, but it's no biggie for me. I don't aspire to be a professional player. I love the sound of a Bb for some reason. Personal preference. The box is wet tuned, so eventually I'll try my hand at a few zydeco songs. Some of the songs we jam to just don't sound right in Bb in my opinion. I don't like them. I'm just looking for some ideas of a few songs (like Marie by Steve Riley for example) that sound good on Bb. I appreciate your diatribe Hebert, but not exactly what I was looking for. Just looking for some song names and artists, that's all.

Jason Frey's/ Travis Matte's CD was played on a C# wasn't it. Cool sound!

It wasn't all on a C#, at least some of it was with a C. I think Jason uses a B quite a bit too.

If I understand you right, you're wondering what songs "sound good" with that key. Though I can't answer that, I do know what you're talking about I think. When I finished Chuck's G, I played it for a week or so, and I noticed, at least to my ears, some songs sounded good in those keys, and some sounded really weird. Never could pinpoint why.

Balfa Toujours did a nice version of Freight Train Blues with a Bb. Savoy Family Band did a recording of the Midlan Two Step with one, can't remember the cd.

Hey Bryan, I know what you're saying there. I tried a couple songs that I know on the Bb and they sounded drole. Pine Grove was one I found sounds really strange. I'm mainly looking for some recordings in Bb that I can jam along with to learn some new songs. I realized I didn't really specify what exactly I was looking for. I have gotten some good answers now so I can start putting together some lists to practice with.

Cb, you better check yourself when it comes to who really "SOLD" the Bflat to Cajun music. Walter Mouton DID NOT make CD's to get his music out because he was trying to avoid the TAX MAN. I don't know if that's rock solid truth, but I have heard about this on more than one occasion. So, if it is true that he's been playing on Bb for so long, he would have only been able to "SELL" the Bb idea to accordion players that went to watch him at La Poussiere and the musicians in his band. That's not a very effective way of getting the "Bflat" word out to the world don't you think? I'd even go as far as to say that it's even sort of secretive and kind of convoluted and perplexing.

No, I will stand on what I said. Because only after Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys came out with their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th CD's did all kinds of accordion players start to think they needed to buy a Bb accordion. I even fell for it! $1,250.00 dollars worth of foolishness if you ask me.

You may be right about the Walter Mouton and Blackie thing, and I do respect their abilities on playing accordion, but for some reason......I'll stick with what I think on this one. Bb, I'll never go back to. Period. I'll quit playing accordion when I can't sing behind a "D" or a "C". That's my opinion and my own choice. You or no one else has to follow me on this one. Just as long as everyone gets some kind of "conciousness" benefit of knowing a little more about the "Bb". B for Blahze'. LOL.

Okay, so I understand you don't like Bb accordions. This thread was asking for ideas as to songs that were recorded in Bb that I could listen to to learn. It was not started to get opinions as to why you think Bb sucks. Start another thread about that if you'd like, but please don't hijack my thread.

With so many opinions on this board no wonder I am having a hard time selling mine.
Le Piquant

Well Jerry, i always enjoy your opinions, even though i might think differently at times. That's called democracy and freedom of speech.

PS As far as the reactions on your posts and statements might be: The fuzz about this Sean Delonas cartoon in the USA is probably worse:



Jack Looney

Hey Joey, here's another idea: You can free download a program called Audacity. Then you can take any song you have, load it into the program, and CHANGE the key to Bb or F (push or pull on your new accordion), then decide if you like the sound of it. That way, you don't have to do any transposing yourself.

The only catch is, you'll have to know what key the original song is, because the program has to know what key you're starting with so it will know how to change it.

It's a great program, especially when you run into a song you really want to play but don't have an accordion that works with it. It's also great for the old recordings that stretched and are in-between or weird keys because of it. You can change them little by little to a standard key.

Technology these days is amazing. If you don't get caught up in it for its own sake, it can help a lot.

Yeah Jamey, I had forgot about that software. I had it at one time, but forgot about it when I reformatted my HD. Thanks for the reminder

Jon, let's be civil. (you see your big buck picture I posted on FB?)

LOL, I still stand.

Hebert, btw, I'm from "down here". I live in Carencro and was born and raised in Ville Platte. Not sure if Down here was referring to Kaplan or to LA in general.

Louisiana in general.

Have you gotten any answers on what songs to play in Bflat yet? I will no longer try to hijack your thread and I will give you the answer....
ALL of the songs. You can play all Cajun songs on a Bflat accordion. The true question is, can you "PRESENT" those songs in a manner that other musicians can play along, and you will be able to feel the song and sing it to the best of your ability, and you and the people listening to it will enjoy it? I'm not saying that you can't, I just know that I personally can't because Bflat just don't jive with me.

There's a lot of recorded music on Bb, yeah, tons of Boozoo, Zydeco Force, Beau Jocque. But I'm pretty sure Toups did a few like "Please Explain" and probably a couple of others off Fish Out Of Water. Lee Benoit also did a few tunes in Bb. Seems like his "Bayou Teche Waltz" was... and Steve Riley did "Bayou Noir/Back Of Town" if memory serves me correctly, and his "Wafus 2-Step" was maybe in Bb.

I say write your own. There's some good stuff in F (Bb cross-harp) that you could learn. Even if you study zydeco you can take some of those riffs and fingering positions and Cajunize them to be something totally different. Don't be afraid to experiment or explore. That's how new stuff is born.

Thanks Rick. That's more along the lines of what I was looking for.

Steve Riley songs performed on Bflat

1st cd "Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys"
none

2nd cd "Tit Galop Pour Mamou"
-Madame Etienne -Cajun Special
-Chere Joues Roses -Donne Moi unatre Chance
-Dan Les Pins

3rd cd "Trace of Time"
-Bayou Noir/Back of Town -Valse du Regret
-Old Home Waltz -The Corner Post
-Church Point Breakdown

4th cd "Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys "LIVE"
-Les Flammes d'enfer -Quelle Etoile
-Savait pas jetais Marie -Vales de Prairie Ronde
-Evangeline Special -Bosco/zarico pas Sale
-La Valse de Marie

5th cd "La Toussaint"
-La Toussaint -Valse de Amitie
-Between Eunice/Opelouses -Danse de Mardi Gras

6th cd "Friday at Last"
-Souhait de ls Veuve -C'est Tout Fini
-Enterre moi Pas -Beede la Manche
-Blues de Tac-Tac

7th cd "Bayou Ruler"
I never tried to figure out.

8th cd "Happy Town"
-Poche Bridge -Pointe aux Chenes

9th cd "Bon Reve"
Never tried to figure out.

10th cd "Dominoes"
-Dominoes -Marzuka
-Ramificajuns -River of Time

This done by sitting down with "Bb", "C", "D" accordions for most of the CD's and figuring out what accordion for what song. That was another time and another "Hebert". I considered myself a "Mamou Playboy Groupie" LOL. I don't look back on that with pride. I wish I would have taken that time to perfect my own skills instead of worshipping those of Steve Riley and David Greely. Oh well, every event a purpose and every purpose an event.

Thanks a bunch Hebert, this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for. Just something to sit down with and play along to learn a few new songs. I'm not very good at transposing songs to different keys by ear yet. I'm getting better, but still got a really long way.

Man! That "Hebert" feller really sounds familiar! Where in the hell have I seen him before?!! Very smart guy! He sticks to his guns no matter what and eventually, he actually WINS despite the opinion of the majority! That's just freaking uncanny! Pure Genius!

By the way folks "The Corner Post" on the Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys CD named "Trace of Time" is done on a Bb accordion but in the mysterious key of G minor (the 5th positon). In other words the got dam song is pretty much the same as the got dam Mardi Gras Song, but done on a Steven's Bb accordion!

Just thought you'd like to know. That's my Happy Mardi Gras gift to you all.

A got dam Genius I tell ya! Jesus Cripes! I would have never believed it if for not having seen it with mine own eyes!

Hallelooya! LOL

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