Need suggestions for French songs

[Jim2010]

Songs by Jacques Brel (Don't shoot...I know he's Belgian)

Ne me quitte pas. English: If You Go Away


Amsterdam. English: Port of Amsterdam

 

[wirralaccordion]

Of course, you will be limited to what you can get the sheet music for. And not all of the ones mentioned above will have accordion versions. I hope you're allowed a break or two in each 2 hour slot.

 

[bluesette]

RobertKennedy said:

La Foule is not a French song but everybody thinks it is (and the French version was a big hit) so you're good with that one. Just remember to be pedantic about the fact that it isn't French.

You are absolutely right : the original music is a Peruvian Valse composed by Angel Cabral in 1936:

 

[bluesette]

Some French songs (including La Foule, La Mer, La Javanaise, La Vie en rose, Les Feuilles mortes, etc.) among the 200 in this Django Fakebook 2008:

https://geosci.uchicago.edu/~archer/jazz_band/sheet/fakebook_django_2008.pdf

 

[donn]

Naturally there are a variety of types of music from France that may be played on accordion. You could do the whole thing with bal musette classics. The only one I sort of know is Germaine, like many of them by Joseph Colombo. Indifférence as you mention. Mon Amant de Saint Jean is a nice tune that's fairly simple, and it appears everyone does it.

 

[vivdunstan]

The 110 Succes Musette Acoord books by publisher Paul Beuscher are a huge source of accordion arrangements of musette tunes. Well worth checking out for anyone who wants to play music in this genre. I think there have been 6 books. I had some difficulty sourcing them some years ago, but managed it in the end. With 110 tunes in each book (if I’m remembering right) there is way, way more than you may ever need, but you definitely wouldn’t be short of tunes ?

 

[Mike K]

Thanks everyone.....think I have gotten enough to learn in less than two weeks. I will have other music with me....yeah a lot of the musette/waltz stuff starts to sound the same after a while. They restaurant is doing some special that is supposed to be based on a french restaurant concept, special seetings, 2 hour sessions, no menu, one specialty. So I guess I will focus on the French atmosphere but be ready with others.

 

[Mike K]

Thanks everyone.....think I have gotten enough to learn in less than two weeks. I will have other music with me....yeah a lot of the musette/waltz stuff starts to sound the same after a while. They restaurant is doing some special that is supposed to be based on a french restaurant concept, special seetings, 2 hour sessions, no menu, one specialty. So I guess I will focus on the French atmosphere but be ready with others.

The Arigo Tomasi and Don Quatrocci sites are great with helping find some free stuff.

 

[Monty [IIIII]]

For the serious devotees of French accordion music there is the Musette Recueil De 110 Succes collection from Paul Beuscher - Arpege of Paris. It is a multi volume collection of French favorites from the year 1900 forward. The first volume is devoted to songs from 1900--1940. Volume 2 is music from 1940--1960. Volume 3 is popular music from 1960--1980. Volume 4 covers popular music from 1980 -- 1990. Volume 5 is a compilation of Musette from all these previous eras. There may be additional volumes created since the printing of Volume 5. Each volume is about 300 pages with over 100 tunes per volume.

I bought Vol 5, published in 1994, 20 years ago in Quebec for 25 dollars Canadian from Archambault. I see their price is now up to $70 Canadian each for the 4 other volumes. Volume 5 isn't listed anymore and the other volumes appear to be republished in 2016. I find these volumes in the US from various on line sources, at around $40, but Volume 5, (the best one, I believe) is currently sold out. Used copies may be available through Amazon, etc.

The Beuscher collection contains fairly easy transcriptions of this music -- melody line with chord symbols a la "fake book" I have two other books of French music for Accordion from Mel Bay Presents. These are transcribed by Larry Hallar in treble and bass cleff staff with no chord symbols indicated. Instead it follows the notation of Palmer- Hughes accordion music books, among others. These are not difficult transcriptions, but a little more advanced than the Beuscher books. They contain roughly 200 tunes.

I don't perform, for French restaurants or otherwise, so I don't know which of these pieces for accordion would be appropriate for casual diners. However, if one wanted to get away from the old standards while staying within the tradition of French music, these books would be great sources. But I agree with others. Some people might find a whole evening of authentic Musette, too much. I knew a guy who strolled in a popular German restaurant, and played only a few of the German standards in an evening of music. The rest was a mix of popular music for accordion (no Stairway to Heaven). He had the gig for many years and many devoted followers, which he cultivated by generously taking requests. Being a virtuoso, he knew most everything that ever came his way.

Anyhow, that's probably way too much information, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[JerryPH]

Better known in the US as "Beyond the Sea."

I found my version from a German music shop, so.. "Das Meer"... lol

How about the 2 that I recently found?

Mademoiselle de Paris
Fleur de Paris

 

[Mike K]

Squeezebox Circle Vancouver Accordion - Homework

All Things Accordion for Vancouver BC (Canada) repairs lessons musicians bands resources events gigs performances

www.zisman.ca

The Vancouver Sqeezebox Club has a lot of French Music you can access....as well as other stuff. Have plenty I think and will likely add in some other music....See how it goes.

 

[JeffJetton]

How about the 2 that I recently found?

Mademoiselle de Paris
Fleur de Paris

Heck, put those in a medley with Sous les Ponts de Paris and Sous le Ciel de Paris.

You know, I bet you can take just about any French (or French-sounding) word or phrase, put "de Paris" after it, and get a convincing title for a French accordion tune.

Les Hors d'œuvres de Paris
Résumé de Paris
Mes Dungarees de Paris
Le Crayon est sur la Table de Paris

 

[JerryPH]

Heck, put those in a medley with Sous les Ponts de Paris and Sous le Ciel de Paris.

You know, I bet you can take just about any French (or French-sounding) word or phrase, put "de Paris" after it, and get a convincing title for a French accordion tune.

Les Hors d'œuvres de Paris
Résumé de Paris
Mes Dungarees de Paris
Le Crayon est sur la Table de Paris

Haha... don't forget La Plume de ma tante de Paris!

 

[Tom]

....or My Toot Toot de Paris for all you zydeco/cajun French people among us.

 

[Chrisrayner]

Haha... don't forget La Plume de ma tante de Paris!

Plaster de Paris doesn’t really work.

 

[Ffingers]

Plaster de Paris doesn’t really work.

'Plastered' in Paris can create a few headaches.

 

[JeffJetton]

Plaster de Paris doesn’t really work.

Au contraire!

Heck, now I kinda want to write a musette pastiche (perhaps a response to Frank Marocco's "French Toast"), just to be able to call it "Plaster of Paris". ??

 

[Marcus]

This piece (see attached) sounds so French, it'll turn your fingers into croissants.

 

[Mike K]

Just an update. Played the French Restaurant this weekend and all went well. Small place and lots of background noise with all the conversations going on. Made it a little hard to concentrate and even hear myself although i was amplified but I guess people could hear since I got lots of favorable comments. Was pleased with the younger people enjoying a different style of music. For many it was the first time hearing an accordion live although two had said their father used to play. Thanks for your suggestions. Likely will be back there again.

 

[Beemer]

Buy Knobby's book.

What book is that? I don't see any reference to it in Knobby's posts.