Apple Tree Wassail

[Rosie C]

I've meant to share an example of me playing accordion, but I suffer from wanting it to be perfect before sharing. Anyway, I'm struggling with laryngitis at the moment, so have a bit of time on my hands so I might as well share. This is "Apple Tree Wassail" - me on accordion and recorder, my partner on percussion. Really the chord progression should be G D C Am7 but I just can't get across the stradella quickly and reliably enough. Something to work on in 2024!

 

[Tom]

Cool, thanks!!!!!

 

[JerryPH]

Your first post, well done!

 

[dak]

I've meant to share an example of me playing accordion, but I suffer from wanting it to be perfect before sharing.

Like I delete every post of mine when I discover a typo. Or do I? Humans are good at filling in the blanks.

Really the chord progression should be G D C Am7 but I just can't get across the stradella quickly and reliably enough. Something to work on in 2024!

In the mean time you can take a page from the melodeon players called "harmonic cheating" (they tend to suffer from a dearth of Minor chords).

Am7 is "good enough" by playing the A in the counterbass row (above F) with the C major chord. That gives you the A in the bass, and all of C, E, G in the chords. Whether you like the A in the normal bass row better may be a matter of taste, but in Oom-Pah style the A bass is enough to evoke Am7 in connection with C Major: the "proper" way of doing Am7 by pressing both C Major and A minor chord buttons together is not really imperative when the bass provides the A in close vicinity.

 

[Rosie C]

Like I delete every post of mine when I discover a typo. Or do I? Humans are good at filling in the blanks.

In the mean time you can take a page from the melodeon players called "harmonic cheating" (they tend to suffer from a dearth of Minor chords).

Am7 is "good enough" by playing the A in the counterbass row (above F) with the C major chord. That gives you the A in the bass, and all of C, E, G in the chords. Whether you like the A in the normal bass row better may be a matter of taste, but in Oom-Pah style the A bass is enough to evoke Am7 in connection with C Major: the "proper" way of doing Am7 by pressing both C Major and A minor chord buttons together is not really imperative when the bass provides the A in close vicinity.

Ooh, I like the sound of that. I'll give it a go later, thanks!

 

[Ventura]

i very much appreciate and admire those of you who are dedicated to
keeping the old music and ways alive.. without the support of Musicians,
the Dancers and re-enactors would have a terribly difficult time of it..

meanwhile, i now wait, as always during the Winter, for Artemis
call to ring out once again..

 

[Tom]

i very much appreciate and admire those of you who are dedicated to
keeping the old music and ways alive.. without the support of Musicians,
the Dancers and re-enactors would have a terribly difficult time of it..

meanwhile, i now wait, as always during the Winter, for Artemis
call to ring out once again..

One problem is lack of new music to play. Not that there is not any good, new music. But good, new music that sits well on the accordion, that I want to listen to. Like “Frredom.” Cool video and song but how you gonna do it solo accordion style? I’m always ready to hear about the new music everyone is playing though. I mean, yeah, there’s Jackson Parodi who plays pretty much everything all over the board but I’ve never heard most of that new stuff (and don’t do video games). So maybe that’s the problem right there….

 

[boxplayer4000]

Rosie C:
I watched a TV programme recently about apple tree wassailing, which was very interesting. I'm surprised nobody, as far as I can see, has asked about the meaning of 'wassailing'. I'm sure it would add interest to your music if you were to expand on its meaning.

 

[Ventura]

not knowing any better except from the "here we go a wassailing" song
and as a land locked USA white boy of the last century:
i vaguely thought it meant something like Caroling, taking your Family
out for a sleigh ride to the neighbors and singing/wishing them a happy holiday
with a bit of steaming Punch for the sipping and cookies/sweetbreads hopefully

 

[Dingo40]

I'm surprised nobody, as far as I can see, has asked about the meaning of 'wassailing'. I'm sure it would add interest to your music if you were to expand on its meaning.

Here you are:

Google Search

 

[JerryPH]

Here you are:

Google Search

Well, I just learned something new!

 

[dunlustin]

Here's a few photos from just up the road (No, not me, not my photos) :

Wassailing gallery

Wassailing is an ancient West Country cider festival which ensures a good apple harvest by waking up the apple trees in January - if you've never been, you should go! It's great fun!

www.somersetlive.co.uk

 

[Rosie C]

Here you are:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wassailing+meaning

Yes, that's exactly it. At our Tudor band's gig a week or so ago we wassailed in the sense of people coming together and having a good time, singing, drinking, etc. But on Jan 20th our Morris side are doing the other type - we'll be re-enacting some ancient traditions and ceremony in the orchard of the local castle... to the soundtrack of my Hohner Concerto IIIN

 

[dak]

Yes, that's exactly it. At our Tudor band's gig a week or so ago we wassailed in the sense of people coming together and having a good time, singing, drinking, etc. But on Jan 20th our Morris side are doing the other type - we'll be re-enacting some ancient traditions and ceremony in the orchard of the local castle... to the soundtrack of my Hohner Concerto IIIN

Don't knock the Hohner Concerto series: I think it's the choice of royalty.

 

[Rosie C]

Don't knock the Hohner Concerto series: I think it's the choice of royalty.

I was not, I love my Concerto. But now I have a need to a fur-trimmed Concerto!