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dlight - Posted - 10/13/2008: 14:27:04
Well, up here in Canada it's Thanksgiving Day, and I can smell that turkey cookin' away in the kitchen! We're enjoying the many blessings of the day while we can because tomorrow is our Election Day for Prime Minister (our President, if you will).
That sparked a bit of nationalistic spirit in me earlier today, and I tried my hand at our national anthem, composed in the mid-19th century by Callixa Lavallee in the key of Eb (the original lyrics were in French, by the way).
That got me thinking about national anthems from other countries (i.e.: the States, Great Britain, France, Germany, etc.)
I like to play tunes in their original keys, but I haven't a clue about national anthems other than my own (Gee! I sound almost American!! Just kidding!) I think "God Save the Queen" might be in G, but I'm not even sure about that.
That's the nice thing about a global fiddle forum: what can you tell me about playing the national anthem from your country? I know for certain that their are forum members here from Australia, Japan, etc., so wherever you're from, I'd be interested in hearing from you! Such stuff as key signature or either standard or abc notation would be fantastic!
So who''s smarter?? You or the stupid fiddle??
fiddlepogo - Posted - 10/13/2008: 15:17:53
"The Star Spangled Banner" (US anthem, of course) is notoriously hard to sing,
although I have just enough vocal range to do so. It is actually rather easy to play on fiddle,
since the tune is actually from England and dates from the era when a lot of great Old Time
tunes were being written. It sounds so "Old Time" that I naturally want to play and sing it as
an Old Time song or tune, with the archaic ornamentation.
I both play and sing it in G- it goes from the low G on the fiddle
to the D note on the "fifth fret" of the A string- something like an octave and a half!
With an octave an a half range, there is no wiggle room
It could easily be played in D, but that would be too high for many people to sing.
I can imagine that A or C might be better for some people, but I haven't tried them on fiddle yet.
My wife is Swedish, and I know her national anthem is
"Du gamla, du fria" but I haven't learned the tune yet, maybe
because I haven't yet spent that much time in Sweden.
Michael- Old Time 90% of the time! 
"It''s hard to take yourself seriously when you''re singing about chickens!"
http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1088
for mp3s, blog, and "Michael''s Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Hour" (hifi & lofi audio streams)
bsed - Posted - 10/13/2008: 18:11:52
No disrespect intended, but I'd rather consider tunes that are anthems instead of national anthems.
To wit, the anthem of Surrey County, NC is.....................Sally Ann
The anthem of Baseball is...................................................Take Me Out to the Ball Game
There might be some interesting national anthems out there. But most of them just sound like western Euro-American marching tunes-----including the ones from many African & Asian nations. Much better if they would adopt a representative song from their own culture(s) rather than try to sound like something they're not.
Just call me Dwight.
transplant - Posted - 10/13/2008: 19:00:05
A lot of national anthems are marches, but the Star Spangled Banner is in 3/4. The tune is from an old English drinking song, which explains the wide range and interesting jumps in it.
I can sing verse 2 at the drop of a hat, but would have to brush up on verses 3 and 4. Verse 4 hardly ever gets sung much. The lyrics to it would be considered politically incorrect, these days.
In high school, the band played a whole lot of anthems on Armistice Day, but the only one I remember is the old (WW I era) Italian anthem. Lots of peppy flourishing brass fanfare going on in that one.
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kindly remind me what I''m supposed to do with this thing, now
Edited by - transplant on 10/13/2008 19:40:57
bj - Posted - 10/13/2008: 21:43:28
GAH! Much as the Star Spangled Banner is actually a FUN song to sing (yeah, I'm nuts, but I actually have the range for that one, plus some) I can't IMAGINE making it sound good as a fiddle tune!
Whereas Baseball's Anthem might be kinda trippy . . . Thanks, bsed!
^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^.^
Me on the Web --
http://doneinstyle.com
My inspiration:
http://www.pandora.com/?sc=sh14633812588807237
fiddlepogo - Posted - 10/13/2008: 23:42:35
bsed,
I do know what you mean about a lot of anthems.
Many are quite forgettable.
And "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" makes a great waltz-
and a crowdpleaser at gigs!
bj,
"Star Spangled Banner" is no harder than a waltz
or any otherslow tune- but it can be a while before a beginner develops
enough bow control to make waltzes and slow tunes sound good.
Think of it as being played something like "Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine".
Michael- Old Time 90% of the time!
"It''s hard to take yourself seriously when you''re singing about chickens!"
http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/1088
for mp3s, blog, and "Michael''s Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Hour" (hifi & lofi audio streams)
Bill - Posted - 10/14/2008: 00:39:22
Stacy Phillips has a book called "Fiddle solos for the beginner". I bought it long ago and had never heard of the songs in it! With the exception of Take me out to the ballgame. It became the 3rd song I learned...Twinkle<bloody> Twinkle, Danny Boy, and the peanut song....
"Never met a fiddle I didn''t like." anon
Bird Dog - Posted - 10/14/2008: 12:21:11
Ah, but Take Me Out to the Ball game is no longer sung at ball games - the new baseball "anthem" is that 1940s pop song, America the Beautiful.
Robin
dlight - Posted - 10/14/2008: 13:37:44
OK, OK, enough with the "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" stuff! 
In the interest of securing some edification for all concerned (myself included), I came across a wonderful site from (I think) the Netherlands featuring the sheet music for some 40 or 50 national anthems (including lyrics) from countries around the world. If nothing else, they'll make a marvelous sight reading exercise.
I was especially pleased to see included the wonderfully stirring anthem of the old Soviet Union! Politics aside, it was one of the best!
So who''s smarter?? You or the stupid fiddle??
TimK - Posted - 10/15/2008: 05:13:29
At the start of the Minnesota State Championships, the Canadian & US anthems are played by a solo fiddle. Both are quite stirring when played by a good fiddler. I really enjoy the Canadian anthem Dlight.
TimK
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Wrangle up yer mouth parts, drag yer banjer out, tune yer ole geetar till it twangs right stout, for the snow is on the mountain and the wind is on the plain, so we''ll cut the chimny''s moanin with a livelier refrain.
Edited by - TimK on 10/15/2008 07:16:11
Marc Metzger - Posted - 10/15/2008: 07:49:31
I have not really heard a version of Star Spangled Banner that sounded good fiddled. I have heard some of the so called "unofficial" U.S. anthems that some people prefer that sounded great on the fiddle, Battle Hymn of the Republic and My Country, 'Tis of Thee are the two which come to mind, that sounded great. Battle Hymn was a real stomper, actually.
marc
[Violinist and future Stooge Larry Fine to Ted Healy, who said he''d pay $100 a week for his act, but to "forget the violin"]
"For $100, I''ll forget everything!"
transplant - Posted - 10/15/2008: 07:57:11
If you count a cello as a big fiddle, Matt Haimovitz does a good Star Spangled Banner, all Hendrixed up. The track is called "Anthem."
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kindly remind me what I''m supposed to do with this thing, now
Eric Sprado - Posted - 10/15/2008: 12:53:55
Wow-I had forgotten about Matt Haimovitz !! He played at a local bar here in Eugene a few years ago. He had decided at that time to do a tour of the country playing in small places. He was spellbinding with versions of songs going from hilarious to tear jerking. Eric
