Laurie Hart

Danse ce soir! Table of Contents 

FOREWORD BY GUY BOUCHARD 5 
TRADITIONAL MUSIC IN QUÉBEC BY LISA ORNSTEIN 5 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 

INTRODUCTION 8 

About this collection 8 
Why a book of québécois tunes? 8 
How we chose the tunes 9 
How the book is organized 9 
Tune titles 9 
History and geography 9 
A short history of traditional québécois instrumental music and dance 9 
Maps of Québec 12 
Reading the transcriptions 12 
Tune types 12 
Tempo 12 
Metric irregularities 13 
Form, repeats and framing 13 
Keys and modes 13 
Versions and variations 14 
Ornamentation 14 
Rhythm 14 
Swing eighth notes 15 
Accents, the moveable accent pattern, and syncopation 15 
Rests, breaths, and staccato notes 15 
Style for melody instruments 16 
Fiddle 16 
Recommended listening 16 
Open strings and drones 16 
Cross-tunings (scordatura) 16 
Bowing 16 
Accordion 16 
Recommended listening 16 
The instrument 17 
Syncopation, ornamentation and articulation 17 
Adaptations of fiddle tunes 17 
Recommended listening for other instruments 17 

QUÉBÉCOIS ACCOMPANIMENT STYLE 18 

About the Chords in this Book 18 
Key to Chord symbols 18 
Pieds (feet) 19 
Recommended listening 19 
Tapping patterns 19 
Guitar 19 
Recommended listening 19 
Evolution of the style 19 
Characteristics 19 
Piano 19 
Recommended listening 19 
Recommended book 19 
The Piano Accompaniment Transcriptions 20 
Characteristics and Evolution of the Style 20 
Rhythm 20 
Chromatic Sequences 20 
Harmony and Phrasing 21 
Voicings 21 
Inner Tenor Voice 22 
Tritone Substitution 22 
Caveat 22 
KEY TO SYMBOLS 23 

SECTION I: TRADITIONAL TUNES 24 

André Alain 24 
1 Le p'tit bûcheux (tr. the little lumberjack) 24 
2 Fisher's Hornpipe 24 
3 Jack Delad 24 
4 Reel en ré (in D) 24 
5 Reel des esquimaux (version 1) (tr. Eskimos' reel) 24 
6 Reel des esquimaux (version 2) 24 
7 Step à Ti-Phonse 24 
8 Le voyageur (tr. the traveler) 24 
9 Marie, sauce ton pain (tr. Marie, dip your bread) 24 
10 Le rêve de Quêteux Tremblay (tr. the Beggar Tremblay's dream) 25 
Joseph Allard 25 
11 Gigue des capuchons (tr. hood dance) 25 
12 Gigue du forgeron (tr. blacksmith's dance) 25 
13 Reel des chantiers (tr. logging-camps reel) 25 
Louis Beaudoin 25 
14 La guenille (tr. the rag) 25 
15 Reel à pépé (tr. Grandpa's reel) 25 
16 Galope or Chamberlain's 25 
Lévis Beaulieu 26 
17 Reel en la (in A) 26 
Napthalie Billette 26 
18 Reel en sol no. 1 (in G) 26 
19 Reel en sol no. 2 (in G) 26 
Louis Blanchette 26 
20 Reel Como 26 
La Bottine souriante 26 
21 La grande gigue simple (tr. the great simple step-dance) 26 
Guy Bouchard 27 
22 Cotillon des Baies-des-Rochers 27 
Jos Bouchard 27 
23 Carnaval 27 
24 Galope 27 
25 Galope de la Malbaie/Mackilmoyle's Reel, version 1 27 
26 Galope de la Malbaie/Mackilmoyle's Reel, version 2 27 
27 Quadrille Bouchard, 2e partie (tr. 2nd part) 27 
28 Quadrille Bouchard, 3e partie (tr. 3rd part) 28 
29 Reel Béatrice 28 
30 Reel de Pointe-au-Pic 28 
31 Saint-Antoine 28 
32 Saut du lapin no. 1 (tr. rabbit's jump) 28 
33 Partie du lancier (tr. part of Lancers) 28 
Louis «Pitou» Boudreault 28 
34 Reel à Célina 29 
35 Le batteux (tr. the threshing mill) 29 
36 La belle Catherine 29 
Philippe Bruneau 29 
37 Fitzmaurice Polka 30 
38 6/8 en ré (in D) 30 
Jean «Ti-Jean» Carignan 30 
39 Reel du pendu (tr. hanged man's reel or hangman's reel) 30 
40 La ronfleuse Gobeil (tr. the snoring Mrs. Gobeil) 31 
La Famille Corrigan / The Corrigan Family 31 
41 6/8 en sol (in G) 31 
42 Elmer's Tune 31 
43 Sheepskin and Beeswax 31 
44 Valcartier Set, First Part 31 
Gustave et/and Benoît Denis 31 
45 Le foin (tr. the hay) 31 
Théodore Duguay 32 
46 Reel Saint-Jean 32 
Georges Ferland 32 
47 Danse du barbier or Danse du sauvage (tr. barber's dance or Indian dance) 32 
Firmin Francoeur 32 
48 Reel des vieux (tr. reel of the old ones) 32 
Aimé Gagnon 32 
49 Reel à Raymond 33 
50 Reel de la bourgeoise (tr. townswoman's reel) 33 
William Gagnon 33 
51 Le brandy 33 
52 La cardeuse (tr. the wool-carding woman) 33 
Joseph Guilmette 33 
53 Valse-clog Guilmette 33 
Gabriel Labbé 33 
54 Valse de mon père (tr. my father's waltz) 34 
Henri Lacroix 34 
55 Valse-clog Lacroix 34 
Henri Landry 34 
56 Reel du gaucher (tr. left-hander's reel) 34 
Gilles Laprise 34 
57 Reel en ré (in D) 34 
Robert Lasanté 34 
58 Gigue 34 
Normand Legault 34 
59 Première partie du lancier (tr. first part of Lancers) 34 
Fortunat Malouin 35 
60 La ronde des voyageurs (tr. travelers' round dance) 35 
Lucien Mirandette 35 
61 La bonne-femme Noël (tr. Noël's wife) 35 
62 Saut du lapin no. 2 (tr. rabbit's jump) 35 
Alfred Montmarquette 35 
63 Clog de Pariseau 35 
64 Marche des raquetteurs, version 1 (tr. snowshoers' march) 35 
65 Marche des raquetteurs, version 2 36 
Lisa Ornstein 36 
66 Reel du Faubourg 36 
Vincent Ouellet 36 
67 La grondeuse (tr. the grumbling woman) 36 
Edmond Pariso 36 
68 Hommage à Edmond Pariso 37 
Denis Pépin 37 
69 MacDonald's 37 
Marc Perreault 37 
70 Reel en la (in A) 37 
Jean-Louis Picard 37 
71 Les petites visites (tr. the little visits) 37 
Arthur Pigeon 37 
72 Eugène 37 
Harry Poitras 37 
73 Cotillon de Baie-Ste-Catherine 37 
Hermas Réhel 38 
74 La marmotteuse (tr. the muttering woman) 38 
Isidore Soucy 38 
75 L'acadienne (tr. the Acadian woman) 38 
76 Reel de Ste-Blandine 38 
77 Reel des poilus (tr. hairy people's reel) 38 
Joseph-Marie Tremblay 38 
78 Air du Saguenay 39 
La Famille Verret / The Verret Family 39 
79 Clog à Ti-Jules 39 
80 Reel Saint-Joseph 39 
81 La promenade, 2e partie du lancier (tr. second part of Lancers) 39 
82 Reel à Bacon 39 
83 Reel en ré (in D) 39 
84 Rencontre des dames (tr. meeting of the ladies) 39 

SECTION II: TUNES COMPOSED BY FIDDLERS 40 

Michel Bordeleau 40 
85 Fleur de mandragore (tr. mandragora flower) 40 
86 Nuit sauvage (tr. wild night) 40 
87 Quatre fers en l'air (tr. four horseshoes in the air) 40 
Michel Faubert 40 
88 Valse des jouets (tr. waltz of the toys) 40 
Éric Favreau 40 
89 Les soeurs Cotnoir (tr. the Cotnoir sisters) 40 
90 Le violon confesseur (tr. the confessing fiddle) 41 
Richard Forest 41 
91 Le releveur (tr. the meter-reader) 41 
92 Rythme 41 
Daniel Lemieux 41 
93 La tuque carreautée (tr. the plaid cap) 41 
Lisa Ornstein 41 
94 Le bal des accordéons 41 
95 La galope à Denis 41 
Martin Racine 41 
96 Viva El West Side, or Dedicado à Jos 42 
Jean-Marie Verret 42 
97 Gigue du lac 42 

SECTION III: TUNES COMPOSED BY ACCORDIONISTS 42 

Philippe Bruneau 42 
98 Hommage à Dorothy Hogan 42 
99 Hommage à Jos Bouchard 42 
Guy Loyer 42 
100 Hommage à Philippe Bruneau 43 
Danielle Martineau 43 
101 Valse d'hiver (tr. winter waltz) 43 
Marcel Messervier 43 
102 Hommage à nos musiciens (tr. tribute to our musicians) 43 
103 Le petit bal à l'huile 43 
104 Reel des accordéonistes 43 
105 Reel Joseph 43 
106 Reel Ti-Mé 43 
107 Valse à Jessy 44 
108 Valse Bernadette 44 
Raynald Ouellet 44 
109 La bonne rivière (tr. the good river) 44 
110 Valse du vieux moulin (tr. the old mill waltz) 44 
111 Xiphos 44 
Lorenzo Picard 44 
112 Reel du père Bruneau (tr. Father Bruneau's reel) 44 
Adélard Thomassin 44 
113 Gigue du père Mathias (tr. Father Mathias' step-dance) 45 

SECTION IV: TUNES COMPOSED BY OTHER INSTRUMENTALISTS 45 

Jean-Paul Loyer 45 
114 Marche au camp (tr. camp-walk) 45 
115 Le tourment (tr. the torment) 45 
116 Reel en la (in A) 45 
André Marchand 45 
117 Valse des bélugas (tr. waltz of the belugas) 46 
Jean-Claude Mirandette 46 
118 Rock 'n Reel 46 
119 Reel de l'orient (tr. reel of the East) 46 
120 Valse du mois d'novembre (tr. month of November waltz) 46 
121 La veuve du pendu (tr. the hanged man's widow) 46 
Daniel Roy 46 
122 La pipe 46 

APPENDICES 47 

I: Accompanists' Index 47 
II : Piano Accompaniment Transcriptions 47 
Carnaval 48 
Galope à Denis 48 
Valcartier Set 48 
III : Organizations, festivals, music camps 48 
IV : DISCOGRAPHY/BIBLIOGRAPHIY 50 
V: Tune Type Index for Contradance Musicians 58 
VI: Players, Composers and Ensembles Index 59 
VII: Title Index 61

About the book  

(Français plus bas...)

Danse ce soir! tunebook by Laurie Hart and Greg Sandell, published by Mel Bay, 2001. A collection of 122 traditional and composed tunes by a wide variety of québécois players and composers, it is a broad and informative collection of québécois repertoire.  

Order this soft-cover book (9x12", 192 pages) directly from Mel Bay Publications.  They also sell it in ebook form.

The table of contents (below) includes the list of tune titles. The text, in both French and English, gives extensive background information about the repertoire and history of instrumental dance music in Québec, an analysis of the fiddle, accordion, guitar and piano style, and biographies of the musicians. Also included is historical, stylistic and discographic information for each tune. Tunes are carefully transcribed complete with ornaments and guitar/piano chords.  

The book includes maps, photos, discography, bibliography, indexes, resources, and an extensive discussion of piano accompaniment, including three full piano transcriptions. Appropriate for the beginner or accomplished player on any instrument, for the folklorist and musicologist, and for the listener or dancer who wants to learn more about the beautiful and varied traditional music of Québec.  

A companion album is also available where Laurie & Greg are joined by Paul Marchand on guitar and Stéphane Landry on button accordion, and they play about a quarter of the books 122 tunes.  Also on this page you can watch 3 videos of Laurie & Paul playing several more of the book's tunes (and a couple bonus tunes that are not in the book!).

REVIEWS

(Français plus bas...)

“This ground-breaking effort presents an extensive and captivating introduction to the wonderful world of québécois fiddle and accordion music...a thoughtful and carefully-researched collection...Never before has such a comprehensive book been compiled....a grand tour de force." -- David Papazian, review in Fiddler Magazine, Fall 2001. 

"An incredible piece of scholarship and functionality.”  -- Charlie, California 

"The book is wonderful. I found the introduction and notes preceding the tunes as interesting as the tunes themselves. It is an impressive, thorough piece of work. We are looking forward to many hours of tunes from the book, especially the crooked ones." Margaret Matthews, pianist 

“To us the book is a gold mine -- we're the only band around here to have picked up on French-Canadian music, and dancers are coming to anticipate it when we play. Probably our greatest delight has been the entire new landscape of chord progressions like those in Carnaval.”   Chuck and Katrina Weber 

“You did an amazing job.  We have been reading, listening, & playing everything.  The selection of tunes is great, the transcriptions are accurate (and I am notoriously picky about transcriptions) and the background information is just enough and really well chosen/well written. The stylistic information, discography, chords and piano accompaniments are a big help too.  It's as thorough as you could have been in one volume but still well balanced and clear.  We've collected everything we could lay our hands on about Quebecois music since the mid-1980s and this is the best book anyone has done yet.  Our most sincere congratulations/felicitations on your accomplishment!” -- Faith Kaufman, fiddler 

"You did a really good job writing about our Québec music. You have all my thanks for this wonderful work. An external view always helps identify particularities." -- Michel, Ontario 

"This was a wonderful Christmas as I received both the book and the CD.  It is evident that both were a labour of love.  The book is amazing and especially generous.  There is certainly enough to keep one going for many long winter evenings in anticipation of a wonderful summer.  Between the disc and the book, one begins to understand why and how this music can be so magical." -- Jean-Jacques, Ontario

Review from Strings magazine by Paul Kotapish, May/June 2002:  Labor of Love: Authoritative new book/CD combo spotlights French-Canadian traditional music 

From the frontier fusions of the Athabascan fiddlers to the pure Scottish strains heard in the Maritime Provinces, Canada is home to some of North America's most intriguing folk-violin traditions. Quebec boasts a particularly fecund fiddle heritage rich with distinctive rhythms, unique phrasing, challenging bowing, and lots of deliriously "crooked" tunes. 

Despite thousands of 78 rpm commercial recordings of traditional music and a small-but-steady stream of new CDs by revival bands in the province, the Quebecois repertoire has been poorly documented in print, and the music has survived in the traditional manner—passed down from musician to musician. Outside the region, the music has been limited to a small coterie of devoted enthusiasts, including a burgeoning group of admirers south of the border. This splendid new volume was a ten-year labor of love by Yankee fiddler Laurie Hart and pianist Greg Sandell, and it goes a long way towards documenting this worthy tradition. 

The 122 transcriptions provide a core repertoire derived from many of the most significant practitioners of the tradition—mostly fiddlers and accordionists. The historic role of instrumental folk music in Quebec is the accompaniment of dancing, and the repertoire comprises reels, six-huits (equivalent to jigs in the Irish or Scottish traditions), galopes, marches, gigues, clogs, valses, and valse-clogs. Each form is well represented in the collection, and there are detailed notes about the quirks and characteristics of each rhythm. The extensive introduction also includes notes on the history of the region and its music, and player-oriented information about typical modes, idiomatic ornamentation, syncopation, bowing, and other matters of style. 

The authors organized the book by players, and each section begins with a brief biography of the source musician followed by several tunes associated with that player. There are specific notes on the provenance of each tune, as well as some handy style tips and accompaniment details, including suggested chords for accompanying each tune. Unlike the rudimentary backup styles found in many folk-dance traditions, accompaniment in Quebec is a relatively sophisticated affair, and Hart and Sandell have included a useful primer on the typical sequences, harmonies, substitutions, and voicings employed by pianists and guitarists in the region. The book also provides contact information for organizations, festivals, and music camps that feature Quebecois music, as well as an extensive discography and a brief bibliography. 

A companion CD featuring the playing of Hart and Sandell presents a selection of 32 tunes in a variety of settings, with fiddle and accordion taking turns on the lead voices, sometimes unaccompanied, other times with piano, guitar, or the spirited clogging associated with fiddling in Quebec providing the pulsating backup. The CD is nice listening, and it brings the details of the printed page to life as real music. 

In all, an excellent introduction for those new to the tradition, and an essential resource for anyone already smitten with the bounce and swing of Quebecois music.

Français 

Le livre Danse ce soir ! par Laurie Hart et Greg Sandell, est publié par Mel Bay Publications. Il est un recueil de 122 airs traditionnels ou de composition originale provenant d'un large éventail d'interprètes ou de compositeurs québécois, ce qui en fait le recueil le plus important et complet disponible à ce jour. Table des matières 

Le texte bilingue (français-anglais) donne des informations essentielles à la compréhension du répertoire et de l'histoire de la musique de danse au Québec, et fournit également, en plus des biographies de musiciens, une analyse détaillée du style instrumental pour violon, accordéon, guitare et piano. On y trouve aussi des informations historiques, discographiques et stylistiques pour chacune des mélodies qui sont scrupuleusement transcrites avec tous les ornements et les accords pour guitare ou piano. L'ouvrage comprend également des cartes, des photos, une discographie, des index, un annuaire des associations, festivals et camps musicaux, et un exposé fort complet sur l'accompagnement au piano, incluant trois partitions détaillée pour piano. 

Un recueil idéal pour le débutant comme pour l'instrumentiste chevronné, pour le folkloriste ou le musicologue, ou encore pour l'amateur de musique ou le danseur qui veuillent en apprendre plus sur la richesse et la variété de la musique traditionnelle du Québec. Il y a aussi un disque accompagnant.