Folk songs for piano

28 Mar 07 - 05:07 PM (#2009907)
Subject: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,ian

Are there many folk songs which are written for piano rather than guitar?Seems like the piano p/f's missed out along the way.

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28 Mar 07 - 05:18 PM (#2009915)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: DMcG

As usual, much depends what you mean. I just happened to have Lucy Broadwood's "English County Songs" next to the PC. That was published in 1893, and so everything is arranged for piano. This is typical for folk music published before, say, the middle of the 20th century. If on the other hand you mean modern compositions in folk style (trying to avoid raising a certain issue), its probably just that far more modern homes have a guitar than a piano.

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28 Mar 07 - 05:23 PM (#2009922)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: The Vulgar Boatman

Depends on your viewpoint. If you see folksongs as little more than the popular music of any given era which have been allowed to grow old through the graceful process of being passed on from generation to generation - those written with the piano in mind will be along shortly.
If you're impatient, or rather more arty, there's any number of settings by the "collectors" - Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, Philip Heseltine.
And to state the blindingly obvious, a piano isn't all that portable, which would tend to detract from that much vaunted spontaneity which we're all supposed to burst out with...
Rather more to the point, there are precious few pianists who have the art of accompaniment at the centre of their playing to a degree necessary successfully to accompany folksong. If you can, get out and do it - the music (to quote Dave Swarbrick)doesn't mind.
KYBTTS

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28 Mar 07 - 05:26 PM (#2009926)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,ian

I was just trying to suss out the reasons for as why there is so little in the way of piano versions of folk.Even in the days not so long ago,when a lot of homes/bars/clubs still had piano's.There seems to be a lack of piano stuff in folk.Maybe it was just lost along the way.

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28 Mar 07 - 05:52 PM (#2009956)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Scoville

In the U.S., a lot of it is dance-oriented. Pianos are not portable enough, and a lot of dances were house dances that didn't have a lot of extra room and a lot of people didn't have the money for a piano. They are relatively common, though, as back-up in Midwestern old-time music (often in place of a stand-up bass).

And of course you hear of a lot of musicians who learned piano either in church or in whorehouses. I guess those were the two entities that did have the money and space for a piano.

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28 Mar 07 - 05:55 PM (#2009961)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Bert

Many music hall songs were written for the piano and some of them are considered folk.

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28 Mar 07 - 07:20 PM (#2010041)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,teachers pest

in the u,k i think for many years until the early 70s lots of homes had piano's.Rich or poor it was common to have inherited piano's.As for today i think the piano has become more portable.The variety of playing the piano is very great and can play with much more emotion than guitar.

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28 Mar 07 - 07:29 PM (#2010049)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,ian

I agree,there was a wide and varied selection of players in every street in every town for many years not so long ago.Do you think the guitar has killed off a lot of the potential for other instruments within folk ?

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28 Mar 07 - 07:38 PM (#2010060)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Jack Campin

Get Kerr's Caledonian Collection for the piano (still in print after about 120 years). Lots of Scottish dance tunes. From the 1760s on, almost all Scottish dance music was first published in keyboard arrangements. Published single-line melody arrangements for the fiddle or flute only took off in the middle of the 19th century.

Cape Breton piano accompaniment has evolved into a spectacular idiom in its own right. Also look up Violet Tulloch's accompaniments to Shetland fiddling - quite different but still innovative. But don't expect to find either in book form. (There are teaching videos on Cape Breton piano, I haven't seen them).

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28 Mar 07 - 07:39 PM (#2010061)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Tootler

On several of my Kathryn Tickell CDs, the piano features as accompaniment on some of the tracks. It seems that when people were playing together in each other's homes, if the house had a piano, it would be used.

Also, dances were often held in village halls which would usually have a piano.

As someone said earlier, the piano is not very portable and its modern substitute, the electronic keyboard, which is reasonably portable, needs to be plugged in.

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28 Mar 07 - 08:11 PM (#2010096)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Herga Kitty

Oh dear, this reminds me of Johnny Handle playing the piano at Herga (in the upstairs room at the Royal Oak) which wasn't in tune.

Kitty

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28 Mar 07 - 08:26 PM (#2010112)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Yes, I have a fairly good collection from circa 1890 to 1920.

They are not condusive to Digital Tradition type collection.

As the western states were settled and before the gramaphone "they all laughed we I sat at the piano."

Tunes - haunting melodies - like "The Black Hawk Waltz" or a rousing piece like "Ben Hur's Charriot Race" were published in the back pages of bound collections such as "Beautiful Gems of Thought and Sentiment."

Rather mushy - overdone stuff -

Within mine are included peculiar - non musical - handwritten copies - things like - "The Midnight Murder" with notation (an unpublished piece by E.A. Poe)

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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28 Mar 07 - 08:30 PM (#2010116)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

I also have a collection of over piano 300 jigs and reels (suitable for midi)- when offered to the DT collection years ago - I was informed that they fell "outside" the area of American Collections - and were better suited to a European Location.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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29 Mar 07 - 02:43 AM (#2010324)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST

Are any folk songs written with a particular instrument in mind? Surely you can play whatever you like on piano. As has been said before, it depends what you're looking for.

I'm a hopeless pianist but get lots of pleasure from the Eleanor Franklin Pike series of traditional songs (op 20) which are very easy arrangements but you I guess you can feel free to add such complication as you wish to suit your playing level.

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29 Mar 07 - 04:31 AM (#2010383)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

I'm very much into the piano these days. Certain folk/rock stars e.g. Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne, have used the piano to great effect. Also, I can remember hearing Helen Watson( is that the right name?) playing piano on Nic Jones' version of "Master Kilby", and thinking, " Why play guitar when you can get this great sound out of a piano".

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29 Mar 07 - 04:48 AM (#2010392)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Jim McLean

Were folk songs written for the guitar?

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29 Mar 07 - 05:12 AM (#2010401)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Geoff the Duck

I am sat next to a couple of copies of the Francis & Day's Community Song Album songbooks. Each contains about 30 songs Including "popular" music hall and folk. No date on them, but these were priced at 1 shilling and sixpence. The colour of the paper suggests this copy was 1950's.
To quote the cover - "With full words, music, tonic sol-fa & ukelele arrangement". There was not even a mention of guitar when these were printed.
If you look at popular recorded music in England, the guitar didn't really get popular until mid 1960's. Pete Townsend learned by playing his father's banjo before guitars started to be popular in pop music.
Quack!
GtD.

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29 Mar 07 - 06:07 AM (#2010430)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: mandotim

Look up and listen to anything at all involving the extraordinary Beryl Marriott. Folk pianist supreme, and also Dave Swarbrick's first music teacher.
Tim

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29 Mar 07 - 06:11 AM (#2010434)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,Johnmc

I have long puzzled as to why the guitar's sound captivated me so much when the piano is capable of so much. I've decided that in my case it's because there is as much a percussive quality to the sound as anything, which creates great rhythmic drive, and, secondly, my ears were too accustomed to the piano sound to appreciate it fully.
    And yet ....... Burns songs, THE SINGERS" REQUEST, Joan Sutherland, Peter Piers,
Jun Tabor et al.

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29 Mar 07 - 07:03 AM (#2010452)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: Dave Hanson

The English folksong tradition is unaccompanied, the early collectors merely arranged songs for piano because it was convenient, in vogue and to make it easily available, obviously the guitar is much more suitable for its portability, availability [ much cheaper than a piano ]
and its in fashion.

As already stated, the piano is a great instrument for accompanying dance tunes, much used in the Scottish tradition.

eric

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29 Mar 07 - 07:55 AM (#2010487)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: bubblyrat

When I first became "involved " with British folk music, I was at Primary school , and listening and participating were compulsory !!So, apparently, was piano accompaniment, as most schools, both primary & secondary, had both a piano AND a music-teacher. One sat in front of the other, and a folk-song ensued !! This arrangement was entirely satisfactory given the circumstances, although in retrospect, some things did sound a little odd.However, as the piano existed principally for the purpose of facilitating music ( ie Piano ) lessons, then its use was not considered by us novices to be either detrimental, or,indeed, even controversial.HOWEVER---!! As we, alright then, I , grew older , one ( that"s better ! ) became aware of other ways of accompanying folk-music , and the other instruments that were suited to this role, whether "traditionally ", or not.By these one means, usually, the guitar,concertina,harp,accordion,recorder,fiddle, and maybe the organistrum (hurdy-gurdy) , although there were not that many " orgasmatrons " around at the time . Oh !---and not to forget the Portative Pipe-Organ, as played by Dolly Collins !! After that, it all became a matter of personal taste. I personally DETEST the sound of the piano in certain situations, and appreciate its subleties in others. For example, the sound of a good Shetland fiddler being accompanied by a pianist is, for me, UNBEARABLE !! I never understood why Dave Swarbrick did some work with piano accompaniment, but then I always preferred him on mandolin ( Stunning !! ) anyway. Whereas,some modern 'bands', especially those from Cape Breton, just wouldn"t sound the same WITHOUT a piano, albeit electric, and I LOVE the sound !! So, you see, it"s like beauty , in a way, in that it"s all in the ear of the listener. As to whether ANY instrument can be described as being "traditional", I really couldn"t say. With regard to folk-music, however, I WOULD tend to discount the piano,although it was "fashionable " in Victorian & Edwardian times,whilst coming down on the side of more portable stringed instruments such as the lyre and hammered dulcimer, which have existed for millennia, and are much more "Portative " !!!

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29 Mar 07 - 12:03 PM (#2010776)
Subject: RE: Folklore: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,teachers pest

As the new style of electric piano is becoming more portable and better quality,does anyone think it may make a return as accompaniment to other instruments and vocals at more venues ?

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29 Mar 07 - 12:17 PM (#2010786)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Rasener

Well 2 of the residents at Faldingworth live use keyboard and it makes a nice variation to the rest of the evening.

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29 Mar 07 - 12:21 PM (#2010788)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Joe Offer

Odetta and Paul Robeson are two "folk" performers who recorded with a piano accompaniment - very nicely, I might add.

-Joe-

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29 Mar 07 - 12:24 PM (#2010792)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: bubblyrat

Mary Humphreys uses one in the Sidmouth Big Band, or has done, and for the last few years there has been a player ( and singer of very funny parodies ) in the main-bar session of the Bedford Hotel, also at Sidmouth . There is also a very good player from Manchester who comes to the Irish session in Slough on Monday nights ( Herschel Arms ) occasionally.

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29 Mar 07 - 01:02 PM (#2010834)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Richard Bridge

As a matter of personal preference, (and avoiding, for once, that OTHER potential controversy obviously raised by the topic) I HATE the piano in either folk or neo-folk. It just sounds horrid, horrid, horrid no matter how skilled the user.

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29 Mar 07 - 02:47 PM (#2010950)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Rasener

Oh Richard, there is no hope for you :-)

It would be sad if we all liked the same thing.

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29 Mar 07 - 05:46 PM (#2011113)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,teachers pest

That's what i like,someone who says it like it is even if i don't agree.Not many play piano out there or they would be on your back like a shot Mr Bridge.As for horrid horrid horrid piano,i think that takes it too far.After all they are not bagpipes or over active guitarists who almost do a folk jazz thing.

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29 Mar 07 - 10:15 PM (#2011305)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Interesting memories stirred in this thread.

My brother learned banjo first (in the olden golden days perhaps it might have been a mandolin)

A popular play around the USA is "dueling pianos."

Bubblyrat (I hope your name is in reference to Sommerset Scrampy)

I have couple of my Brit School days (overseas) music books packed away....it will be interesting to dig them out and see if the DT has classics... emblazoned in my brain....like "Little Man with a Hood, hidden in the darkest wood." or..... "Trot, Trot, Trot, go and never stop...where it's hilly, where it's stony, come along my little poney."

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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29 Mar 07 - 10:19 PM (#2011308)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,.gargoyle

Bound to be an "outcast" .... I added on accordian only because piano's or organs were not transportable....and a recorder was too limited.

I like being self sufficent...a keyboard gives you the entire orchestra.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

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30 Mar 07 - 12:43 AM (#2011408)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: leeneia

If you are looking for music to play, check out the Dover Publications site. They have lots of books of folk music. I suspect that whenever it doesn't say "for guitar" the music is for piano.

for example, they have a compilation called "Sixty (or fifty) Irish songs for High Voice." It is for voice and piano. I ordered it, then gave it to my sister-in-law, the soprano, for Christmas. She loved it.

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30 Mar 07 - 02:16 AM (#2011449)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Rasener

Doesn't somebody called Tabor play piano?

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30 Mar 07 - 03:51 AM (#2011488)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: shepherdlass

There are plenty of uses of piano in folk music - from dance groups such as occasional line-ups of Scan Tester's to the Scottish country dance bands. T

he North East of England had lots of pianos (there was a boost in miners' wages in the 19th century when various wars caused coalfields on mainland Europe to temporarily close) and people (ie the folk) would clearly sing to them. Tommy Armstrong, the pitman poet, certainly sang with pianists. And so many NE folk songs were set to piano accompaniments by local music hall performer Catcheside-Warrington - and his books became so popular - that in many senses piano was the default instrument for many of these songs for many years. Hence, I guess, Johnny Handle ...

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30 Mar 07 - 10:59 AM (#2011813)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Rockhen

Enjoying reading this thread. I play piano and cart it about everywhere as it is a 'portable' stage piano. There are few, I know, who can be bothered to lug their piano about and it is a pain, especially now I have got a more substantial, (and thus, heavier,) case. BUT it is portable and the piano itself is quite light. I have heard many many guitarists but much fewer pianists play. Perhaps, with lighter and lighter instruments and if they continue to become cheaper, they will become more popular, again. (Sorry, Richard, not good for you, I guess! lol)
I think many people identify the piano with memories of hearing people accompany others in a 'plonk as loudly as you can style' which is not the best one to judge the instrument by. Often, an unskilled pianist is arm-twisted to play for large gatherings because there is no one else around, who can play. It is possible to 'get 'by' on the piano because the notes are already there and don't have to be 'made'.
I accept that some just do not like the sound of a piano but think it is so much more versatile than many give it credit for. To accompany well is a totally different skill to playing the piano as a lead or solo instrument. I think it can be made to sound beautiful and not just a mechanical instrument. I don't expect to convert everyone to liking the piano but,just as every guitarist or other instrumentalist has their own style, so does every pianist. I look forward to trying some of the music suggest above. A few years back, I thought that the piano was in danger of nearly dying out, altogether which I think would be a tragedy. Now, I think, new technology may advance enough to bring the piano back into more accepted use in folk and similar circles.
It has evolved, and ...will be back!!!   :-)

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30 Mar 07 - 11:36 AM (#2011856)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: An Buachaill Caol Dubh

If you can find them, there are four volumes of "Irish Country Songs" arranged for the Piano (and indeed collected) by Herbert Hughes, first decade of 20th century. John McCormack recorded a few of these, notably "The Bard of Armagh", "Star of the County Down", "Ballynure Ballad", "Next Market Day". More recently, 1960s, there's Sean O' Riada playing accompaniment to Sean O'Se (and his son Peader has recently recorded some more traditional material with Sean O'Se), these accompaniments clearly influenced by traditional modes.

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30 Mar 07 - 11:43 AM (#2011862)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: leeneia

There was an aristocrat (whose name I forget) who lived in 19th C. Wales and wanted her staff to wear traditional costume and live in general in an old-fashioned way. Her employees, however, wanted to go with the modern instrument - the piano. When the boss came for a visit, they threw the laundry over the piano to hide it.

I'm sure, however, that they played familiar (traditional) tunes on those pianos as well as the music that was being composed at the time.

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30 Mar 07 - 12:22 PM (#2011886)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: shepherdlass

Leeniea, what a fantastic story!

It also occurred to me that the piano has been around longer than the concertina. Whatever, isn't it great when traditions are strong enough to adapt to different instrumentation?

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30 Mar 07 - 02:30 PM (#2011992)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,ian

I know a few who will get a lot out of this thread and i hope it gives them the confidence to play piano at more venues.Thanks for all the wonderful posts

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30 Mar 07 - 04:26 PM (#2012072)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

The piano is arguably the greatest musically instrument. It was the first choice for Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy etc, and Bach was first and foremost a keyboard man. Again, arguably the greatest talent produced by jazz was a pianist: Art Tatum. The history of blues, gospel, soul and rock is littered with piano players from Little Brother Montgomery to Ray Charles to Stevie Wonder and beyond. The piano can be a orchestra in the hands of Franz Liszt or be a beautifully sensitive companion to a Joni Mitchell song. The fact that it hasn't been truly embraced by Anglo/Celtic music - and it's close relatives - constitutes great missed opportunities.

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30 Mar 07 - 09:12 PM (#2012265)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: The Fooles Troupe

"I think many people identify the piano with memories of hearing people accompany others in a 'plonk as loudly as you can style' which is not the best one to judge the instrument by."

Unfortunately many 'folk musos' seem to know only that (fast and loud as possible) style - especially in sessions.


"Often, an unskilled pianist is arm-twisted to play for large gatherings because there is no one else around, who can play. It is possible to 'get 'by' on the piano because the notes are already there and don't have to be 'made'."

Accompaniment is a difficult skill that many of 'the great untrained' think they are experts at.


"To accompany well is a totally different skill to playing the piano as a lead or solo instrument. "

And really needs to be learned properly, it is not a skill that can just 'be picked up' on the fly by accident, unless the person has a natural talent for that style - and some do.

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30 Mar 07 - 09:52 PM (#2012287)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Rowan

My earliest experience of music was to various family members singing unaccompanied. Most of my subsequent ones (until the family bought a grampophone) involved a piano, often played by someone who had a good ear, sense of melody and rhythm and who could usually vamp accompanying chords with some versatility; much like most guitarists one hears in sessions. Much later in like I found out that many of these items were called folk music; many still are.

A few folkies I know are quite accomplished on guitar and that is what I first heard them play. Occasionally they found a piano that was in tune and within the area used by others playing/singing in sessions and they would play along with great skill and taste and to great effect. What I found interesting was their use of chords on the piano far exceeded what most guitarists (even themselves, when on guitar) seemed to think worthwhile. Most of these folkies now play other, quite different, instruments and I suspect they do so because they want to achieve particular experiences (like most musicians down the ages) but also because the instruments are now freely available. Which hasn't always been the case.

Pianos have been a status symbol for the middle class and I suspect many folkies have secret suspicions about the use of pianos in "their" music. It's been quite a while since guitars shed their associations with the middle classes so, these days, they seem much more acceptable.

And now I'm off to play at the National, where I'll no doubt trot out (on my concertina; now there's a middle class product of the Industrial Revolution) at least one Morris tune, which I'm told was specially written (on piano) by Percy Grainger; English Country Gardens.

And I've got my coat!

Cheers, Rowan

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31 Mar 07 - 06:35 AM (#2012478)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

I haven't read through every posting on this thread, but I don't think pianist(and professor of tradional Irish music) Michael O Suilleabhain has been mentioned yet. Everyone should have at least one of his cds.

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31 Mar 07 - 07:54 PM (#2012926)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,ian

Please read through this thread if you are a supporter of bringing back the piano in folk.Just add and keep piano alive.

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31 Mar 07 - 09:29 PM (#2012968)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: The Fooles Troupe

So, who wants to bring back the folk in piano?!!!!

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01 Apr 07 - 03:43 AM (#2013202)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST

Your day has arrived Trooping Fool.

Rejoyce and be glad in it....

It will be interesting to view how you will out foole the flagrant foulfishy of your fetid business.

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01 Apr 07 - 06:25 AM (#2013250)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Snuffy

In Britain piano and piano accordion were the pre-eminent accompanying instruments for Saturday night pub singalongs for many years, and I cut my eye teeth in such gatherings

Once guitars started appearing so-called "folk" music really began to diverge from the music that everyday people entertained themselves with and was passed to the new priesthood. Although much American folksong is unthinkable without guitar accompaniment, it is totally alien to much of the tradition of the British Isles

Richard thinks pianos are horrid, horrid, horrid. My opinion of guitars is not that strong - I don't hate them, I am just unable to listen to them or take them seriously. No matter how hard I try to concentrate on the words being sung, I will automatically switch off and my mind will just go "somewhere else" until it's over. It's like the adverts in the middle of a TV programme you want to watch.

Vive la difference!

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02 Apr 07 - 02:44 AM (#2014130)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,Tunesmith

It seems to me that - in England - in the first few decades of the last century - quite a bit of easy piano music was published with a folkie bent. This was probably to do with influence of the Vaughan William national music trend. I am fond of the the compositions of Thomas Dunhill. Many of his easier pieces have a decided "folkie" feel with obvious influences including shanties.

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02 Apr 07 - 03:01 AM (#2014135)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: The Fooles Troupe

"quite a bit of easy piano music was published with a folkie bent"

So just who was this bent folkie? Do we know him? Do we care?

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02 Apr 07 - 03:43 AM (#2014155)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,woodsie

Piano was used by Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, Dylan and lots more. Personally I don't llke it in folk - better in jazz - Mcoy Tyner & Herbie Hancock are two faves. In Rock/pop Nicky Hopkins was king. But folk ... can't really imagine it around the campfire, mind you I did like the old pub singalongs - used to be a great one down Walworth Road (London)in the late sixties/early seventies can't remember the name of the place but it was huge (for a pub) with a huge crowd gathered , all singing along to "Boiled Beef & Carrots" and the like.

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02 Apr 07 - 08:43 AM (#2014284)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: Snuffy

Is "community singing" the word for all that sort of stuff, or was it just at the Cup Final?

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02 Apr 07 - 02:25 PM (#2014550)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST

Further to GUEST Tunesmith, I recently heard a concert by M O'S on RTE Radio, of Carolan compositions played not on Harp but Piano; Jazus, that man's fingers can fly!

PS I'm still wondering quite what GUEST gargoyle meant.

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02 Apr 07 - 07:50 PM (#2014816)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: The Fooles Troupe

We all do that...

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03 Apr 07 - 10:05 AM (#2015277)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: leeneia

"Pianos are not for folk music"

"Guitars are for folk music"

Wise up! That kind of thing is just marketing! Don't let anybody tell anybody else not to play their instrument because it doesn't meet general expectations, expectations based on what is heard on the radio.

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03 Apr 07 - 01:10 PM (#2015371)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: GUEST,teachers pest

Such narrow minded folkies out there make the whole concept of what is folk rage on and on.Each to there own as far as i am concerned.If it works on piano or any other instrument,then why be restricted to guitar.Variety in music is a blessing.

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03 Apr 07 - 04:48 PM (#2015530)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: katlaughing

We grew up with all kinds of songs, including folk, being played by our mom on piano and on guitar, banjo, and fiddle by our dad. Seemed perfectly natural to us and still does. It's MUSIC!! As long as folks are enjoying it and it's MUSIC what does it matter?!

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03 Apr 07 - 06:46 PM (#2015621)
Subject: RE: Folk songs for piano
From: The Fooles Troupe

Still carrying on about the folk in piano, I see....

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