Beginner Song Recommendations

[RYLUNDO]

I now have a very basic understanding of reading sheet music and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for songs to learn. I am trying to search for songs that are beginner-friendly and preferably some sort of folk song maybe polka or waltz. In a previous thread, I mentioned issues I've had with not having certain notes on my layout when trying to learn Greensleeves so I trying to find a way around this, my layout does not have the accidentals. Thank you.

 

[David A]

Hi @RYLUNDO
Here's a link to a collection of British folk tunes you might like to look at, put together by Tuneworks. They are traditional tunes so no copyright issues

https://www.tuneworks.co.uk/_files/ugd/d6448b_974724120ad6465fbf8f417ff89daf0b.pdf

The book starts with some well-known but simple tunes, some of which you will be able to play on your instrument. Look at page 1 of the collection, which has four tunes on it. You will be able to play Speed The Plough and Winster Gallop. You will be able to play both tunes on Page 3 but not able to play the tunes on Page 2.

The technical reason why you can play some of the tunes and not others is because the tunes you can play are written in the key of G, while the ones you can't play are written in the key of D. This may be beyond your current understanding of reading music so don't worry too much about it. Instead, look at the first tune, Speed the Plough. You'll see that it has a single "sharp" symbol at the beginning of each line, after the "treble clef", whereas tune 2 on that page, "Morpeth Rant", has TWO "sharp" symbols after the treble clef. The rule is, you will be able to play the tunes which have one sharp symbol, or no symbols at all, but not those that have two or more sharp symbols.

I hope the above paragraph helps, but if it is "teaching Grandmother to suck eggs" I apologise, I don't mean to talk down to you.
Best of luck

David

 

[RYLUNDO]

Thank you for the resource!

I apologise, I don't mean to talk down to you.

You don't have to worry, I have little knowledge so any information helps me greatly.

The rule is, you will be able to play the tunes which have one sharp symbol, or no symbols at all, but not those that have two or more sharp symbols.

That is fairly disappointing. There is a song I wanted to learn at some point that has more than two. There are still plenty of songs I can attempt to learn instead.

 

[Snoopz]

There is a song I wanted to learn at some point that has more than two

You could always transpose to C major/A minor, so no sharps or flats. If you have a score in a format MuseScore understands, it can do the transposition for you.

 

[dunlustin]

You seem to have decided that your priority is to learn traditional notation rather than the 'tab' used by many diatonic players.
UK sourced tunes are biased towards tunes in G or D or A. If using tab this is much less of a problem.
An additional difficulty is that you do not seem to have been able to make use of advice already given.

 

[Corinto]

Lots of easy tunes in G at Paul Hardy's Basic Tunebook
link = https://pghardy.net/tunebooks/pgh_basic_tunebook.pdf

Remember = one # is G tune.

 

[JeffJetton]

This book might work: https://www.mallyproductions.com/product-page/easy-peasy-tunes-dave-mallinson

(It's melody-only with the chords written above.)

 

[dunlustin]

Last try:
Look at your GCF layout and consider just the outer row. This plays in G. The scale starts on button 2
You can see that by pushing and pulling you go up the scale with one exception where you pull twice to get E, F# before playing the G again with a push (button 5). Repeat and you get another octave.
Look at the BbEbAb layout you posted on 11th April. On this chart, outer row, the Bb scale starts on button 5. If you do what I've described above, you will play a scale in Bb.
Think of a tune you know by heart. Check your 'box' does start the scale on button 5 or find where it does start. Pick out the tune by ear as if you are playing a mouthorgan. You have now played your first tune.
If you want, find where a scale starts on the middle row and pick out the tune again.
Do the same on the inner row.
You can now play the same tune in three different keys.
Now find the tune written down and see what it looks like.
Please: if you feel all this is unhelpful, then let me know. I will not be sad.

 

[murathan]

You can get visual ideas from YouTube videos and tutorials. I always see YouTube as to get an idea for what you may expect. Someone could teach you many things easily for you in lessons. I personally dont support self taught methods because they are too complex and too long. Lessons will make them much easier for you. But some things could be learnt in a melodeon from video visuals.

 

[RYLUNDO]

You seem to have decided that your priority is to learn traditional notation rather than the 'tab' used by many diatonic players.

It's not necessarily that I've decided on traditional notation, I just didn't know there was a common tablature for diatonic players. Aside from Griffschrift which I heard isn't necessarily good for instruments with no gleichtons.

Look at your GCF layout and consider just the outer row. This plays in G. The scale starts on button 2
You can see that by pushing and pulling you go up the scale with one exception where you pull twice to get E, F# before playing the G again with a push (button 5). Repeat and you get another octave.
Look at the BbEbAb layout you posted on 11th April. On this chart, outer row, the Bb scale starts on button 5. If you do what I've described above, you will play a scale in Bb.

I will have to ask one of my friends about this in person. I'm more of a visual learner and he has a very good background in music and will know what it means. I still don't know the different scales, I should probably learn them.

 

[dunlustin]

Rylundo, there are lots of people here who are more than happy to help you progress.

 

[SamW]

Here's a site I got a lot of tunes from when I was playing a lot of melodeon. I think most of the tunes are arranged to fit on a two-row GC box, so they'll mostly fit on yours. (You might be missing a couple notes at the bottom of the G row that a GC box would have.) Also, a normal GC bass layout has an F major chord on the push and pull, so you'll have to work around that.

I've attached a few favorite tunes that are on the easier side.