Waltz of the bells? - please help identify!!

Subject: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 07:52 AM

The very first tune I learned on guitar - and believe me when I say I have not progressed much further in the last 40+ years! - was taught to me by my Dad. He is 87 now and cannot remember how or where he learnt it.

Bit of background - He is Polish, from near the border with Russia and teh Ukraine - Byalistok. He is good guitarist and, in his youth, played in a 'gypsy' band using both 7 and 11 string guitars. For this tune he used a six string tuned to dgdgbd. Now, it is a slow waltz and does sound like it could be Polish or Russian but then again when he played 'The beer barrel polka' and 'Goodnight Irene' they sounded east european as well - It was his style.

So, the song could be from anywhere. I have, recently, re-learned it. Played it to Dad and he says I am playing it right. I have searched the web of course but amongst the various hits I cannot get one that actualy plays or gives me the music:-( After from the fist six notes (2 bars?) the rest is made up chord and note sequences that I would have no idea how to put across symbolicaly in any way. Anyone any advice on how to find anything about it?

Not got the guitar here at work but I think, using string/fret and remembering it is dgdgbd, it starts 3/1 4/2 6/0, 3/2 4/1 5/0. I will try to confirm that in about 6 hours when I am home.

Cheers

DeG (Run out of things to break at work...)

BTW - Considering some of the other threads going - Seeing as I learned this by word of mouth as it were, presuming my Dad had put his own slant on it and I have never seen it written - Is it a traditional or folk tune? :-)

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 07:59 AM

Oh - Sorry - forgot an important bit. Dad calls it Waltz of the bells - That does not necessarily mean that this is it's official title. I could not get the 'ting-a-ling' version to play anywhere but the tune I know has a slow, almost mournful, sound - Maybe a minor key? Anyhow, I cannot imagine it would be entitled 'ting-a-ling'.

D.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 08:04 AM

Just mentaly timed it - Tempo around 100bpm

Gawd - I am bored aren't I!

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 09:28 AM

Your post is most intriguing, Dave. I would like to hear the piece.

One thought - is there any way you could make a video of yourself playing and put it on YouTube?

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 09:39 AM

Good idea leeneia - As I said though, I am not a good guitarist (or pretty to look at - a sound clip may be a better idea:-) )but it may at least give people an idea. It would not be for a good while either so if anyone has any other ideas feel free to post!

DeG

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 24 Feb 10 - 02:35 PM

Good job I checked - I was a fret out! The first 6 notes go

3/2 4/3 6/0, 3/3 4/2 5/0

If anyone wanted to try ity that is! I will probably try to record it to a sound file on the computer.

D

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Feb 10 - 10:05 AM

'The beer barrel polka' in Czechoslovakia (Yes it was at the time) I was told they knew the tune as "Skoda Lasky" (spelling?). It would appear to be pretty European in its homing instincts.
Much like "Oh Tannebaum" has spread it's wings "Internationale"lly.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 25 Feb 10 - 10:30 AM

I guess Polkas are Particularly Polish anyway - How's that for Aliteration? :-)

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Mar 10 - 12:40 PM

OK - I now have a WAV file of me playing it. Recorded with Audacity and with noise reduction applied but I am reasonabaly happy with the result. Where can I post it so people can listen and tell me where it is from?

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 05:35 AM

Anyone?

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: semi-submersible
Date: 08 Mar 10 - 02:47 PM

Please? (I'd like it posted so I can hear it too.)

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 09 Mar 10 - 11:15 AM

Send an e-mail to Joe Offer with the WAV file attached.

[e-mail]

Be sure to give him the title of this thread. Maybe he can put the WAV in the DT and let us know about it here.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 08:23 AM

It's on it's way to Joe. Slightly under 10Mb WAV file called bells.wav Not exactly perfectly played but not too bad for me:-) recored as stated above.

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 06:41 PM

Dave pared it down to a workable size, and sent it on to me. It's very familiar, but I can't put a name to it. Take a listen, and let us know what you think - and what the origins of the song are.
-Joe-

---

Click to Play

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 03:35 AM

Thanks Joe - It is now an MP3 of around 3.5Mb.

If anyone does recognise it or know anything about it any information would be much appreciated.

I noticed I played it a little fas, but not too much so. If anyone wants to pick it up you may like it a little slower. If it ever gets off these pages into the wild world I would appreciate a mention that it was collected from my Dad - Antony Polakow of Bialystok.

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 08:21 AM

Thanks David, and thanks, Joe. That is a lovely piece, well worth preserving.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 01:59 PM

Refresh. Does anybody recognize this tune (click)?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Bettynh
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 05:36 PM

I've been trying to compare, and to my ears this sounds very similar to a piece by John Williams on his album The Ultimate Guitar called "Romance for Guitar and String Orchestra." The author is anonymous, so this might well be a traditional/folk tune. Amazon has a sample of it here

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 06:04 PM

Referring to the alliteration post earlier in this thread: I guess it makes sense for polkas to be Polish...the Polish-language word for a Polish woman: polka!
:-)
~CH.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Mar 10 - 06:07 PM

I dunno, Betty. They sound like to completely different pieces to me.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 04:51 AM

I think they are different - I had heard the Williams piece before and never assocated them either. Sorry Betty :-(

Dave

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Mar 10 - 05:15 AM

More apologies - I should have said thank you for taking the time to listen and reply anyway!

Mea Culpa

Dave

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Mar 10 - 06:35 AM

Refresh - Anyone?

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Mar 10 - 04:42 AM

I'll give it one more refresh before letting the bell toll one last time:-)

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 01:01 PM

Blimey - Was it realy back in March I started this??? Anyhow - If anyone wants to see it played as well as hear it I am now on YouTube playing it - Waltz of the Bells

Not the best performance but quit epassable, for me :-) You will also spot me playing another waltz, this time on Concertina, on the same channel. Agan I know little about it. It is in the excelent Bertrand Levi's (I think) Concertina tutorial. But I have probably massacred it by now. Called "Tommy don't go" it sounds, to me, quite Germanic. But the title suggest otherwise:-) Any ideas?

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 04:28 PM

Oh, this is really bugging me!!!

Can't somebody put a name on this and put me out of my misery? I know this is a common and well-known piece that has a name and a history. Can't somebody identify it? I added "please help identify" to the thread title in hope of getting somebody to end this frustration.

By the way, Dave - well-played! It's a beautiful melody.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells? - please help identify!!
From: Sorcha
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 04:59 PM

Well, I have sheet music for something called Ting A Ling, Waltz of the Bells, but I have NO idea where it is from.

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells? - please help identify!!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jul 10 - 05:13 PM

Spotify has a Dixieland recording called "Waltz of the Bells (Ting-a-Ling)" by Phil Mason's New Orleans All Stars with Christine Tyrrell - not the same song. I'd say Dave's song fits well into the "classical" genre - not Dixieland musicians have been known to take classical pieces and make them their own, but I don't think this is the case here.

Please!!! Somebody put me out of my misery!!!

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells? - please help identify!!
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Jul 23 - 06:58 AM

Blimey, 13 years since the last post to this thread. My Dad has passed away now but the tune lingers on! Here is a better video of me playing it

Waltz of the bells

I send the link to the very helpful and talented Mr Dow (Thanks Nick :-) ), who sent me this is reply. It makes a lot of sense.

Hi Dave,

I found this more than likely to have been taken from a working Gypsy Café band. c. 1935 to 45. This was a money making venture, and the tune may be composed for that purpose. It is rather nice. It probably is not a tune that would have been played privately. Like our own Folk songs the trad. Songs and tunes were more personal. The band may well have perished in the holocaust. 35000 Polish Gypsies were taken. The Waltz of the Bells does not sound especially Polish, it could well be Russian.

Following that and considering the proximity of Bialystok to other countries, I now find it likely that the band could well have been Belarussian, Lithuanian or Ukrainian. The tune sounds like it is from that area anyway. To me anyway!

Subject: RE: Waltz of the bells? - please help identify!!
From: leeneia
Date: 22 Jul 23 - 05:55 PM

Thanks for the performance, Dave. You did a good job. Sorry I can't identify the tune.