Oompah Band

van · Post by **van** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:28 am

If you can find it, check out the old LP of the "Guckenheimer Sourkraut Band".

Ah, yes, my favorite LPs. I have two different records by this fine group and I still listen to them occasionally when I need an escape from serious music. Does anyone know if their "music" has been put on CDs, or even cassette tape? My turntable is almost as ancient as the records.

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 1:40 pm

bloke wrote:Doing that stupid "Chicken (Bird, whatever) Dance" as it gets faster and faster...

The TubaMeisters version of the Chicken Dance follows the traditional pattern, except that it has a key change where the second tuba plays the melody very slowly with a lot of power. It's a reversal of the expected trend, and it works well to highlight what a tuba quartet is about.

For a general-purpose polka gig, you can get away with a tuba, accordian, and clarinet. Those are the three essential sounds, and I've done gigs with just that instrumentation. A tuba quartet is a novelty group, and it will be hard to sustain long sets unless you do a lot of schtick to go along with the music.

Rick "who suggests choosing the accordian player well" Denney

Dan Schultz · Post by **Dan Schultz** » Tue Dec 21, 2004 1:46 pm

Lowdown wrote:I knew I could rely on you guys. Thank you.

I sent you a private email, but in case you didn't get it.... I sent you a set of Hungry Five in Germany booklets and several sets of other popular German tunes. You should have them early next week. I also sent a hand scrawled transcription of the infamous 'Dance Little Bird'... not a German tune at all, but highly popular with either kids of drunks! On the 'Chicken Dance', have the clarinets begin with the melody line... then the rest follow in. Otherwise, you'll have a heck of a time kicking it off.