10 year course correction

[Tom]

Ok, after 10 years on here it's time to set a plan and goals for a course correction.

Tha famous switch from "Polka King" to "Accordion Jazz and More."

I started playing the midwest accordion industrial complex standard tunes (which is great music, and there's nothing wrong with that). In fact my Beer Barrel has over 2000 views whatever that says. My plan was to do farmers markets this summer, but with an updated song list. I decided I couldn't face it and instead take the time to develop a new persona focused on "solo (or with backing track) instrumental improvisational accordion music."

Which is mouthful and can be easier described calling it "Jazz Accordion and More" which basically means, "not accordion polkas and waltzes, but (serious) instrumental music improvised like you know, jazz, and relies on standards, but includes any kind of music (including polkas)." I suspect this covers what many of you on here already play, whatever you happen to call it.

So, here's the first goal, with a timeframe of 1 week. (As they say in goal school, make it clearly defined, set a timeline and presentable results. I can hear Walker smile and say "Americans and their plans ").

1. Pick a name, and catch phrase.
2. Set up youtube site, gmail, etc. to protect and introduce the name.
3. Pick one tune to record and post.
4. Find or create backing track.
5. Record intro, melody, 2 choruses of improv, outro consisting of re-statement of melody and/or coda.
6. Post the tune.
7. Buy a green screen to make more interesting videos.

Ok, wish me luck my friends!

 

[losthobos]

I love the American art of "rebranding"....(like that'll fix it,)
Good luck Tom...I make these dopey false promises to myself all the time...
Little secret...I call myself or the act by different names / brands depending on the clientele of the venue...,....and have copyright on none of them....if I'm only scratching double figures and pints I don't suppose anyone's gonna wanna rob my titles...
Check out some apps...some will give you instant green screen... I'll try and get name of one from my son..

 

[Ventura]

formula:

have a nice intro or verse

play the first chorus straight, so everyone can recognize the song

improvise to your hearts content on the second and third chorus

if the bridge has the song's "hook" hit it perfectly and correctly

play the last chorus fairly straight to bring them home

formula purpose: so that people other than "Jazz aficionado's" will also like your stuff

 

[Tom]

Thanks Ventura and Lost! I doubt I'll "fix" anything, Terry, but if I "fail to plan, I plan to fail" as they say. Also I did lose my band name once already.

10 years has shown me I'm really not that good, or that talented, I'm a slow learner. So I may as well try something different. First step, one song as laid out by Ventura.

 

[colinm]

There is nothing wrong with moving from polka to jazz, but backing tracks are just a distraction, similar to the complications of a Roland, keep it simple and you will make rapid progress, good luck.

 

[Tom]

There is nothing wrong with moving from polka to jazz, but backing tracks are just a distraction, similar to the complications of a Roland, keep it simple and you will make rapid progress, good luck.

Thanks Colin! Do you just keep the chords going on your bass side?

 

[colinm]

I buy jazz arrangements and usually they have a standard bass line, frank Marrocco or arrigo tomassi are good, gary dahl is too complex. You must find something you can play to make an easy start, too complex and you will not enjoy it.

 

[Alan Sharkis]

Speaking of polkas, have you noticed how many professionals who play a mix of songs use “Let’s Dance the Polka” from the Palmer-Hughes books as their choice? It seems to be a growing trend.

 

[Tom]

Speaking of polkas, have you noticed how many professionals who play a mix of songs use “Let’s Dance the Polka” from the Palmer-Hughes books as their choice? It seems to be a growing trend.

Hmmm, interesting, I haven't noticed that yet, thanks Alan.

 

[JerryPH]

Tom, I am proud of you... no matter what direction you choose, I really like that you take a stand and go for it!

I had read a book once a long time ago and they had mentioned that the first step to success was accountability. It is easy to say "I will do this" but accountability is where you place yourself in a position that you MUST accomplish that goal by making it public, and now have people watching you and holding you accountable to your "promise" of going a specific direction. That increases the chance of success a hundred fold. Buddy, you have more guts than I just by doing this.

Second... rebranding is the perfect term used. You've announced that you want to recreate yourself in a new image... and that is making a complete change in direction and can be super hard!

If I can offer a suggestion, delay the creation of site and what not until you have "product", meaning have created 2-3 songs and can create that online presence.

Last... heads up... green screen is easy. GOOD green screen is harder than you can imagine. I've been playing with it for at least 3-4 years and just now finally found the many secrets on how to do it... and to really do it well takes a combination of 4 things to do it "right"
- quality camera
- quality lighting
- quality software
- probably more practice with the above than with the accordion to get the image good... lol

Fast warning #1... playing with files that have high quality codecs that a good camera will generate takes computers with powerful (read expensive) specs... 32+gb of RAM, higher end iNvidia graphics cards, SSD drives and good monitors... and LOTS of patience as even those can struggle once you start playing with RAW files where a 3 minute song generates a 650gb file!

Fast warning #2... a music video with good video and poor quality audio is only half of the equation. You are going to need:
- a good audio interface
- a good audio editing software

And then you are going to need the knowledge and experience to put this all together in to 1 cohesive video. Again, it is going to take you a LOT of time experimenting to find your sound and video "personality".

It is easy to sit down with a cellphone camera and make a recording... it is another universe to create a musical video production on a green screen. I look on YouTube and see major fails on a nearly daily basis... I end up just skipping over these people faster than the cellphone videos because it hurts my brain at how bad they fail.. lol

If you need a suggestion or 2 I am there for you!

 

[losthobos]

There you go Tom, kindness you can't dismiss.....JerryPH

 

[Tom]

Tom, I am proud of you... no matter what direction you choose, I really like that you take a stand and go for it!

I had read a book once a long time ago and they had mentioned that the first step to success was accountability. It is easy to say "I will do this" but accountability is where you place yourself in a position that you MUST accomplish that goal by making it public, and now have people watching you and holding you accountable to your "promise" of going a specific direction. That increases the chance of success a hundred fold. Buddy, you have more guts than I just by doing this.

Second... rebranding is the perfect term used. You've announced that you want to recreate yourself in a new image... and that is making a complete change in direction and can be super hard!

If I can offer a suggestion, delay the creation of site and what not until you have "product", meaning have created 2-3 songs and can create that online presence.

Last... heads up... green screen is easy. GOOD green screen is harder than you can imagine. I've been playing with it for at least 3-4 years and just now finally found the many secrets on how to do it... and to really do it well takes a combination of 4 things to do it "right"
- quality camera
- quality lighting
- quality software
- probably more practice with the above than with the accordion to get the image good... lol

Fast warning #1... playing with files that have high quality codecs that a good camera will generate takes computers with powerful (read expensive) specs... 32+gb of RAM, higher end iNvidia graphics cards, SSD drives and good monitors... and LOTS of patience as even those can struggle once you start playing with RAW files where a 3 minute song generates a 650gb file!

Fast warning #2... a music video with good video and poor quality audio is only half of the equation. You are going to need:
- a good audio interface
- a good audio editing software

And then you are going to need the knowledge and experience to put this all together in to 1 cohesive video. Again, it is going to take you a LOT of time experimenting to find your sound and video "personality".

It is easy to sit down with a cellphone camera and make a recording... it is another universe to create a musical video production on a green screen. I look on YouTube and see major fails on a nearly daily basis... I end up just skipping over these people faster than the cellphone videos because it hurts my brain at how bad they fail.. lol

If you need a suggestion or 2 I am there for you!

Wow, thanks so much for this advice Jerry! You're always right there with such good ideas. I don't imagine I'll aspire to near your level of video production quality but I'm sure I'll have questions for you!

 

[cat]

I totally relate Tom. I guess I'd been playing the instrument for around 10 years when I had a major change with it. i've only ever been really comfortable performing on an instrument when i've been able to improvise a set. This turned into a mindset whereby, I only really want to improvise. I've played drums semi professionally, and so i have that developed sense of groove (in fact i often say I'm just a drummer, drumming on the accordion) that I exploit - and it's easy to appeal to an audience with it since it's dance form. The left hand has an awful lot to do with it.

It took that long for me to develop chops, but as importantly - find a zone with the instrument, which for me was concurrent with finding a source of music I love.

 

[Dingo40]

Love the sound of the rackett and also of the regal!
Thanks Walker!
See here: ( Use the YouTube option)

A bit more of the regal:

 

[Walker]

Love the sound of the rackett and also of the regal!
Thanks Walker!
See here: ( Use the YouTube option)

A bit more of the regal:

It's incredible, Dingo. Time travel through the medium of music and musical instruments. The makers of these instruments were so clever too.

 

[Tom]

Cat, your words really chime with me.



I get what you are saying. I'm the same, I love the sound of the Rackett. People often say I make a racket on the accordion, which I take as a great compliment.

Rackett:

Racket: (BrE) confused, clattering noise.

Very cool!

 

[Tom]

I totally relate Tom. I guess I'd been playing the instrument for around 10 years when I had a major change with it. i've only ever been really comfortable performing on an instrument when i've been able to improvise a set. This turned into a mindset whereby, I only really want to improvise. I've played drums semi professionally, and so i have that developed sense of groove (in fact i often say I'm just a drummer, drumming on the accordion) that I exploit - and it's easy to appeal to an audience with it since it's dance form. The left hand has an awful lot to do with it.

It took that long for me to develop chops, but as importantly - find a zone with the instrument, which for me was concurrent with finding a source of music I love.

Very interesting, thanks Cat! So, what type of gig do you play only improvised music? Is it improvised choruses of an existing tune, or totally improvised on the spot? One thing I've done is sort of "noodle" chord tones and such over random (but related C,G,F, etc.) chords and the audience seems fine. But mixed with tunes.

 

[Tom]

Cat, your words really chime with me.



I get what you are saying. I'm the same, I love the sound of the Rackett. People often say I make a racket on the accordion, which I take as a great compliment.

Rackett:

Racket: (BrE) confused, clattering noise.

Same question for you, dear Walker.... I know you like to create lots of tunes. Do you have a repertoire of them that you play exclusively at a show, or ?????

 

[Walker]

Same question for you, dear Walker.... I know you like to create lots of tunes. Do you have a repertoire of them that you play exclusively at a show, or ?????

Thanks for asking Tom. For me a gig is a ceilidh, wedding dance or other gatherings where I play for dancing. However, sometimes the music is just for listening; a bit of background music in an old tavern or a nice hotel bar.

I play the music that people expect an accordionist here to play, which is Scottish traditional music; Waltzes, Marches (2/4, 4/4, 6/8), Jigs, Reels, Polkas, Two-Steps, Scottish songs etc. In addition to the Scottish tunes I would have a few country songs and easy listening tunes to mix it up.

I use a musette tuned, standard piano accordion with midi on the left side giving a piano/bass effect.

Ideally I would play as a trio or up to 4 piece band: accordion, fiddle, guitar/singer and drums. But sometimes I just play solo with the midi bass/chords. I occasionally use a drum machine when there are no drummers available.

The videos I have shared previously on the Accordionists Forum with me using a Quint free bass accordion is not representative of what I would play at a gig. I would not use a free bass accordion there, it's unneccesary. The 3 pieces you have heard, are just me noodling about with a free bass accordion for fun and experimenting stylistically.

However, a number of years ago I wrote and published a book of tunes in the Scottish style called The Kitchen Two-Step. It contains 30 new tunes in the traditional style to fill the house with music (an old fashioned house party/kitchen ceilidh theme). I think I still have one or two copies left, if you PM me your address Tom, I would like to send you a copy, if that's alright with you.

All the best buddy.​

 

[cat]

It's incredible, Dingo. Time travel through the medium of music and musical instruments. The makers of these instruments were so clever too.

Uh oh, going down another rabbit hole...

Dingo posted Andrew Lawrence-King, whom i followed for his work with the Harp Consort. Another one of my passions is Gaelic harp... Concur with Walker - endless realms of experience to exploit through the old forms.