Portland Megaband 2024
Rehearsal Report #3
January 28, 2024
Ain’t Broke / Old Time Son / Goat Groove
Old Time Son, hit the syncopated notes hard, like the G at the end of the first bar.
Broke to Son: Last bar, pop off that second D half note and leave hole filled with the sound of silence. Then land on the Old Time Son assertively.
Son to Groove: Same as Broke to Son, pop off the second G half note and leave a tiny space, but be ready to play the pickups into Goat.
Ending: Bar B7, two staccato Ds (backups, two D block chords), then the last two eighth notes in that bar and the second ending, but wait with the final A until conducted. A notation of this ending is attached. Incorporate it into the music you already have. We will figure out a conductor signal that indicates leaving the big hole at the end.
Last Chance / Ducks on the Pond / Ice House
Last Chance, add lift in the B part by popping off the B in bars B2, B3 and B6.
Last Chance 1st time through, fiddles and piano/guitar. 2nd time through add plectra and flutes, 3rd time through add bass and all play.
On Ice House, hit those syncopated notes hard. That is, A1, A5, B1 and B5.
Variation in Ice House B part: All play bars B1-2, then fiddles and percussion only hern diddle* bars B3-4. Do the same in the second half of the phrase (B5-6 all melody, B7-8 fiddles and percussion only hern diddles). We may add dynamics to the variation. A notation of this variation is attached.
Chance to Ducks: Last two bars of B2, backups go to a G chord. The G chord is only the last time through the tune into the switch. Melody play the last bar as two B half notes and pop off the second one in preparation for Ducks.
Ducks to Ice: Bars B7 band B8, fiddles only play hern diddle on E/B potatoes into Ice House. Everyone else play through the G in bar B6 and leave a hole in preparation for the hern diddles.
Ending: Pop off the C# note at the end of B6 to leave a hole, then in the last bar just quarter notes F#, G# and hold out the A.
* A hern diddle is kind of like a heurn didda.
The Northern / Robin’s Bodhran / The Chicago
Last year on this set there was too much down beat. Emphasize the off beats, especially percussion. On Robin’s, bars A1 and A5, punch and pop off those first quarter notes to give the tune lift. Same thing with other jigs, like The Northern and in particular The Chicago on that first quarter note…really punch it out and lift the tune. Make these “Oompa, Oompa” types of jigs.
Northern to Robin’s: Leave a very tiny hole and skip the pickups to Robin’s first time through. After that play the pickups. Backups, no offbeat at the switch.
Robin’s to Chicago: Pop off the E at the end of the last bar and leave a quarter note hole (rest) and land on Chicago with both feet.
Ending: Leave a hole in B6 leaving off the last two eighth notes. Then hold out the D in the second ending. Backups block chords last two bars: D, A, A, D
Wagoner / Don’t Be Jumpin’ / J & K Rag
In Wagoner, watch the tied notes giving it syncopation. This whole set is really swingy and syncopated. Make sure it’s played that way.
Wagoner to Jumpin’: Pop off the last note and leave a little hole.
Jumpin’ to Rag: Pop off the last E half note and leave off the pickups to Rag first time through (do play the pickups after the first time through).
Ending: Pop off the C in bar B8 then land on another C note and chord.