First Octoberfest Gig!

[MN_TimTuba]

I'm pretty excited. This Friday and Saturday I'll be playing my first Octoberfest gig at the Roundhouse Brewery in Nisswa, MN. No music, just a song list with keys. Still deciding whether to take the King (most comfortable) or the Miraphone Eb (fun challenge). Probably half of the song list I know at least a little bit, but I've been listening to polkas, schottisches, and waltzes for a couple of weeks to get familiar with more of them. My dad and I used to listen to the local polka radio station when he and I were driving, so I've got a deep appreciation and fondness for the music.
I'll post more after the deed - it'll be great fun! Oh, and it's one of those fairly rare (up here) paid gigs - makes me more happy.
Tim

[bloke]

Let me know if you bump into a couple of friends of mine...
(NOT work appropriate...)

https://i.imgur.com/7m5Uxzh.jpg

[Dents Be Gone!]

I agree, guys. This is the way to go.

[bort2.0]

That's great, have fun Tim!

I've been up north exactly once, and I distinctly remember driving right past the Roundhouse Brewery, it was a pretty cool looking place. IIRC, the major intersection directly north of there has the fanciest looking Wendy's that I've ever seen.

[MN_TimTuba]

Brett,
That Wendy's was managed by my sister and her sons for over a decade. Very fancy! Fireplace, lounge chairs, Northwoods decor. Nicest fast food around!
Tim

[MN_TimTuba]

Let me know if you bump into a couple of friends of mine...
(NOT work appropriate...)

https://i.imgur.com/7m5Uxzh.jpg

Ah, your bosom buddies!
Tim

[BopEuph]

Let me know if you bump into a couple of friends of mine...
(NOT work appropriate...)

https://i.imgur.com/7m5Uxzh.jpg

I just want to know how long it took any of y'all to notice the number of fingers or that they're joined at the shoulder...

[MN_TimTuba]

Let me know if you bump into a couple of friends of mine...
(NOT work appropriate...)

https://i.imgur.com/7m5Uxzh.jpg

I just want to know how long it took any of y'all to notice the number of fingers or that they're joined at the shoulder...

Bob,
Every time I look, I don't even know what you're talking about!
Tim

[MN_TimTuba]

The performances went very smoothly and were well received. At the last minute I was given photo copies of hand-written chord changes for each song, so that was good. Well, being hand-written they weren't always accurate, but it was easy to correct as we played. Had friends there for each performance, including a fellow who'd played tuba with me in high school. In our group, the keyboardist is a long time friend who is also a tuba player and for decades was the conductor of the local community college concert band, of which I was a member. The drummer was a friend of a friend and a solid artist. The older fellow in the middle was our leader. He played Flugabone and sang lyrics in both German and English on every single song, and has a fun stage persona, kept the crowd involved and happy. I'm really pleased to have had this gig, and hoping for more in the future.
Tim

Polka Nisswa Quartet.jpg (157.71 KiB) Viewed 19336 times

[bloke]

not portraying myself as any sort of "expert" , but...

Just as 1920's-1930's jazz songs usually have pretty specific bass lines (when the actually melodies to the songs are played or sung - bass lines which harmonize with the melodies, and - often - just about follow "Bach chorale" rules), traditional central European music is the same - in this regard.
When you hear a melody pattern (which - in a certain oft-heard chord progression - dictates a fairly rigid/predictable bass line), your guess is usually going to be correct. In these genre of European traditional songs, you'll find (more often than in 20's-30's jazz) a good bit of contrary-chromatic motion - between the melody and bass (when not - simply - oompah-ing). Thankfully (unless over-wind-player-ized - just as many of the original keys of the 20's-30's jazz songs are - very often - forsaken), you're going to encounter a wider array of keys (ie. other than B-flat, F, E-flat, A-flat)...such as two-to-four sharps, etc. The MORE LIKELY that the accordion player is the LEADER, the MORE LIKELY you'll be playing those songs in their (presumed-to-be...) "original" keys.

I believe (as an example) the "correct/traditional" key for the Schützenliesel polka is E-major. Additionally (and come to think of it), that same polka features a good bit of that "chromatic/contrary motion" stuff between the melody and bass.

me...?? I probably put a few-to-many "runs" in central European traditional music bass lines. European players DO that, but - MORE OFTEN - they do them in triple meter songs. (I probably tend to add too many in duple-meter songs - thought doing so is not verboten).

also me: NEVER let anyone record you faking the Clarinet Polka on any sort of tuba or tuba-related instrument - particularly not a just-picked-up-from-Greyhound Chinese cimbasso on the way to the gig (when it's requested, and when the clarinet player is covering "accordion" with an accordion-sound on their electronic keyboard), lest you intend on incurring the cutting criticism of Mr. @edfirth.

[bloke]

@MN_TimTuba

This (below) is one of the sort of passages to which I was attempting to refer (via the previous meaningless rhetoric).

...Some of the stuff is actually (just like 20's - 30's jazz) almost like "real music".

...I saw no need to post the changes, but every one of those beats actually defines a different chord (if the accordionist actually knows how to play the polkas with all of the changes - rather than just the "Sears & Roebuck" leadsheet changes).

Playing bass lines which support the correct passing chords (rather than just oom-pah stuff) subconsciously fools the patrons into believing that they are hearing a "real/rehearsed" band - and (as far as the gig-leader is concerned) encourages them to hire that same tuba player again.

(If the clarinet player is clever - and has big ears, in this particular stereotypical passage they can - just about - play the same note - probably, mostly F-sharp - on every single passing change.)

(As anyone should immediately be able to ascertain, in my past life I was a professional copyist.)

(If "The Polka Era" was a music history/theory class...)
The contrary motion symbolizes quickly filling UP the pitcher and then quickly DOWNING the pitcher.

contrary 001.jpg (153.71 KiB) Viewed 19275 times

[UncleBeer]

This was my first Oktoberfest gig of the year. Truly unforgettable!

[MN_TimTuba]

@MN_TimTuba

This (below) is one of the sort of passages to which I was attempting to refer (via the previous meaningless rhetoric).

...Some of the stuff is actually (just like 20's - 30's jazz) almost like "real music".

...I saw no need to post the changes, but every one of those beats actually defines a different chord (if the accordionist actually knows how to play the polkas with all of the changes - rather than just the "Sears & Roebuck" leadsheet changes).

Playing bass lines which support the correct passing chords (rather than just oom-pah stuff) subconsciously fools the patrons into believing that they are hearing a "real/rehearsed" band - and (as far as the gig-leader is concerned) encourages them to hire that same tuba player again.

(If the clarinet player is clever - and has big ears, in this particular stereotypical passage they can - just about - play the same note - probably, mostly F-sharp - on every single passing change.)

(As anyone should immediately be able to ascertain, in my past life I was a professional copyist.)

(If "The Polka Era" was a music history/theory class...)
The contrary motion symbolizes quickly filling UP the pitcher and then quickly DOWNING the pitcher.

contrary 001.jpg

Joe,
And you claim to not be a teacher.
Tim

[MN_TimTuba]

This was my first Oktoberfest gig of the year. Truly unforgettable!

Fun music, and it's great to see all the dancers!
Tim

[UncleBeer]

Fun music, and it's great to see all the dancers!

Yep! In 50 years of professional music, I've done every type of gig imaginable (pretty high profile, too). This was by far the most fun, connected music-making, especially considering how classical audiences tend to sit politely and clap only when it's time (assuming they're still awake). This is a great band as well: won 2 Grammys in their 44 years of existence. A ton of tunes, and zero charts.

Great fun!

[bloke]

Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states and regions have great traditions in preserving the music of their European immigrant forefathers. Tennessee - not so much, as far as the polka music is concerned. Unclebeer, I didn't hear enough of you in the mix, but I'm sure that everything you played was great.
I miss my deceased friend who was such a fine accordionist and really paid attention to the chord changes - including both hands. Typically there were rarely more than four of us though occasionally as many as six. When it was only four , we never had lead sheets on music stands, but did have them in a box. Drummer was also the best singer , the horn man played sax's, flute, clarinet, trumpet, and bass trumpet and was dazzling on the woodwinds . I played tuba, bass trumpet, euphonium, and trumpet. I could set the tuba down, because the accordion player was so strong on the bass buttons, including walking bass lines. . I also played some bass guitar sometimes when we were also expected to play some country western,top 40, and standards. There certainly were no written out parts. He didn't keep his chops up as they were up when he was on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour in the 60s, which was just about the only reality show there was, but he had chops to spare. I feel like he never practiced for any of our polka gigs, but his fingers would fly, and his correct chords and correct bass lines taught me the correct bass lines to hundreds of polkas and waltzes, and I even memorized a whole bunch of strains several of the Strauss waltzes with their correct bass lines - the motivation being not clashing with his correct bass lines.

... he was the guy who mostly booked bands and taught vocal lessons for a living. As teenagers, he taught Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Both of them consistently speak of him extremely fondly, putting Miss Spears problems aside, as separate issues.

Every once in awhile these days a jazz trombone player - who is long-retired from playing lead in the Navy Commodores books some German band jobs, and we read out of books. I always feel like it's cheating...

[UncleBeer]

Unclebeer, I didn't hear enough of you in the mix

Nor did I. My very first gig with them, and being a total noob at amplified tooba, I relied on the house mix. Since then, I've added a big-ass on-stage amp so I'll have some degree of control in what gets out to both the band and the audience.

This was the next day (still the house mix, but quite a big better IMHO).

[bloke]

@UncleBear

It's easy to spend too much money, but there are some stretchy things that can fit various sizes of tuba bells with a powered mic and a wireless setup which you can either hand the receiver to the sound man or set it on top of your own bass amp. Obviously, the cost of all that mess is a consideration for how often it would be used and how much money would help you make, all in combination for how much more satisfaction you would get out of those jobs from playing them. Further, you know all this already...

The big crowd that you guys corralled there reminds me of the type of crowds that NOLA brass bands can corral here... it looked like a mini Hofbrau Haus... and not particularly mini...and ALSO proves that people don't need to know how to polka to enjoy polkas.

Here's my amazing/deceased keyboard/accordion player/celebrity vocal instructor, Bob Westbrook.
The Bob Westbrook Entertainment facebook page is still up...
...Other than polka/top 40/C&W/rock/R&B...He would book us into the craziest sorts of gigs, because - when potential clients would ask, "Do you have a _______ band that you can furnish for our event?" you KNOW damn well what his answer would ALWAYS be...(Hell...Just look at the expression on his face...)


Bob had a music degree...but ALSO (yup) a BIDNUSS degree.



re: Carl's last posted video...
That sounds like a polka-style adaptation of this idea...Yes...??

@MN_TimTuba The bass lines Barney Mallon invented for their cute arrangement are some that - I know damn well - you've heard before (as who - from our era - has NOT heard this LP?). They are the same types of bass lines that I'm encouraging to either realize or invent/reinvent when playing future polka gigs (well...unless you have written-out parts, and not just lead sheets).

...pointing towards how SIMILAR dixieland and polka music are - to each other...
Sometimes, we would play the same tune as a polka and then as a two-beat dixieland thing...without even changing the tempo...

[Doc]

This was my first Oktoberfest gig of the year. Truly unforgettable!

Brave Combo is top shelf. Even if someone doesn’t dig the music, they have to be impressed with the musicianship and showmanship. And I dig it!

———

Nobody asked, but…

I use a Shure PGA98H-XLR clip on mic, and it does a super job whether I’m in a dancehall or festival. I run to the PA (mic does need phantom power), and I ask for some tuba in my monitor. Sehr gut!

[bloke]

I'm replying here to APOLOGIZE for the "polka lecture"...

...When I played my first-through-(probably)-thirtieth polka gig and/or jazz combo gig - though, these are the sorts of things that I had not figured out (nor had occurred to me)...and it took one-hundred-or-two more to come fairly close to being able to consistently apply those things - and "on-the-fly" and - in particular - when digging a trench though and unknown-to-me tune (and with no lead sheet).

ie. The execution of the bass line is not "free" (ie. NOT free-STYLE), but (again) all of that part-writing stuff that we were taught in "theory/composition" classes was to a set of PURPOSES, and ignoring what we were taught (when playing other styles of music - and CERTAINLY ignoring those rules when playing music that - actually - is not all that dissimilar to Bach, though often a good bit simpler than Bach) is to (well...) just make a mess of things - harmonically (EVEN IF playing the correct "changes")...

...and yes - when we hear jazz super-star bass men (seem to) "go off on a tangent", it's going to be during one of the solo choruses, and it's going to be in conjunction WITH the soloist.