Posted 15 August 2005

“Faking It”: a dozen examples

Roger Digby

 

The dozen musical examples below are presented to accompany the web publication of the text of “Faking It” by Roger Digby, which is available in full at this site. [Link.]

Playing along with other musicians is an excellent way of learning and practising, but many people don't have regular access to sessions. It's also possible to go for ages without ever seeing another Anglo player. These sound files are intended to help fill that gap. The tunes are printed without chords and you will notice that there are six in C and six in G so the most frequent Anglo keys are available. Add the 3 chord trick in the way I have described and then try playing along with my efforts. (Watch out for 'Greensleeves' (the Bacca Pipes Jig) which is 'minor' in the A part and therefore the trick is different. I use the occasional F chord in the A part which I think most purists would say is out of place!

I have chosen tunes that are common in English sessions and include most of the dance rhythms. They are not brilliant performances. Far from it! They were recorded in a few short hours for use at a workshop which I gave at the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust—an excellent organisation that is doing a lot for Traditional Music in my part of England. They are 'first takes'—I only re-recorded if I made a complete dog's breakfast or the phone rang! I do have 'practised items' which I use in performance, but session tunes vary each time I play them and this is the joy of playing in that context. It is relaxing and enjoyable. If you find you are not relaxing or enjoying when playing along then take a break and come back later. I believe that traditional musicians only ever played when they felt like it; we should do the same.

Good luck with your playing. I hope these tunes are useful.

(The small photographs of major traditional singers and musicians, like the tunes themselves, are from an event organized by the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust. Thanks to Mark Bazeley, John Cocking, Bob Davenport, Hubert Freeman, Jeannie Harris, Reg Hall, Tony Hall, Katie Howson, Ray Hubbard, Bill Murray, Will Noble, and Dan Quinn.)

tune 01 for digby, faking it (photo: jeannie harris) Tune 1: Dannish Waltz
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 19 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 2 for digby, faking it (photo: mark bazeley) Tune 2: Family Jig
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 1 mins 53 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 3 for digby, faking it (photo: reg hall) Tune 3: Greensleeves
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 1 mins 47 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 4 for digby, faking it (photo: katie howson) Tune 4: Harry Cox’s Schottisch
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 1 mins 56 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 5 for digby, faking it (photo: bill murray) Tune 5: Man in the Moon
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 48 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 6 for digby, faking it (photo: dan quinn) Tune 6: Three Around Three
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 3 mins 01 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 7 for digby, faking it (photo: bob davenport) Tune 7: Blaydon Races
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 22 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 8 for digby, faking it (photo: hubert freeman) Tune 8: Dorset Four Hand Reel
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 51 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 9 for digby, faking it (photo: john cocking) Tune 9: Galopede
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 3 mins 01 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 10 for digby, faking it (photo: ray hubbard) Tune 10: Keel Row
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 14 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 11 for digby, faking it (photo: tony hall) Tune 11: Shepton Mallet Hornpipe
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 59 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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tune 12 for digby, faking it (photo: will noble) Tune 12: Winster Gallop
by Roger Digby
Audio file in WMA or MP3 format, time 2 mins 50 secs.
Musical arrangement in PDF format, 1 page.
Posted 15 August 2005
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Author

Roger Digby ( ) has an academic background in the Classics and Education and he has spent his entire adult life teaching in the tough Comprehensive schools of Inner-London Islington. This random move in the early 70s found him living 100 yards from Crabb’s Liverpool Rd. workshop, close to some pubs where the Irish music was the best in London and joining the company of friends who in 1975 became ‘Flowers and Frolics’, a band at the sharp end of what has become known as the English Country Music revival. They released two influential vinyl LPs before calling it a day in 1985. A reunion in 1999 created a CD ‘Reformed Characters’ (available at www.danquinn.co.uk). With ‘Flowers’ as resident band, Roger joined with singer Bob Davenport to run the music nights at the Empress of Russia, a legendary music club which was famously described by Melody Maker as the ‘most adventurous acoustic venue in the country’. Bob and Roger still work as a duo and have released two CDs (www.topicdrift.com/davenport). Roger's most recent recordings are included in the three CD compilation ‘Anglo International’ (available at www.angloconcertina.co.uk). Roger has now moved ‘back home’ to his native North-East Essex where he reads, gardens, walks his dogs, brews beer and enjoys retirement. He is the Review Editor of Papers of the International Concertina Association (PICA).


Reprinted from the Concertina Library
http://www.concertina.com
© Copyright 2000– by Roger Digby

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