French Folk Songs.

[Caleb]

What are some of your favorite French folk songs (not tunes) to play? I found a bargain bin CD called Mediterranean Lullaby that has a couple good ones on it (Fais Dodo, Au Clair De La Lune) and I'd like to learn some more. YouTube links welcome.

[M.Marmot]

[M.Marmot]

http://mezzovoce.wmaker.tv/Lo-Cor-de...rale_v209.html

[M.Marmot]

Aimer n’est pas un crime

Là-bas dans la prairie j'ai entendu la voix
La voix de ma bergère Ah je m'en vais la consoler
Qu'avez-vous donc la belle qu'avez-vous à pleurer
Ah si je pleure c'est de tendresse mon cher amant c'est de t'aimer
Aimer n'est pas un crime Dieu ne le défend pas
Ça n'vaudrait pas la peine de vivre la belle si on ne s'aimait pas
Les moutons dans la plaine sont en danger du loup
Et nous oh ma bergère nous sommes en danger de l'amour

http://lamachine-gang.blogspot.fr/

[Caleb]

Interesting stuff for sure, but I guess I was picturing more of a guitar/voice setting, something more like a folksinger doing old French songs. A French version of Kate Rusby or even Pete Seeger. Thanks for the suggestions though, M. Marmot.

[DavidKOS]

There's a lot of hurdy gurdy and cabrette music from Massif that is very cool and sound great on mandolin.

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=140151

http://www.lesession.co.uk/music/La%20Bourree.abc

http://www.paperbackswap.com/Massif-...ok/1872277055/

http://www.larkcamp.com/LarkLibrary/French/French.html
direct link

http://www.larkcamp.com/LarkLibrary/...renchMusic.pdf

[crisscross]

Auprès de ma Blonde
A la claire fontaine
Not a folk song but works in a guitar/voice setting: Aux Champs Elysées

[M.Marmot]

Interesting stuff for sure, but I guess I was picturing more of a guitar/voice setting, something more like a folksinger doing old French songs. A French version of Kate Rusby or even Pete Seeger. Thanks for the suggestions though, M. Marmot.

AH ... ok, that's a bit more specific than the OP

[Beanzy]

When she sings French songs Madeleine Peyroux is pretty special http://madeleinepeyroux.com

and, delightfully bonkers, Flossie Malavialle is wonderful live https://www.facebook.com/flossie.malavialle

[M.Marmot]

Interesting stuff for sure, but I guess I was picturing more of a guitar/voice setting, something more like a folksinger doing old French songs. A French version of Kate Rusby or even Pete Seeger. Thanks for the suggestions though, M. Marmot.

By the by, your original post only gave examples of french children's songs - is this still the case?

If not, there are a lot of French folky singer-songwriters (like Rusby and Seeger) that could be suggested - i mean, someoen like Georges Brassens mixes traditional and original material - his 'Les Copains D'Abords' is very much a chestnut in french songwriting circles.

[M.Marmot]

A French version of Kate Rusby or even Pete Seeger.

[Beanzy]

Hilary James and her Sister have a few on their album, with Simon Mayor on mandolin too (with very pretty voices & English accents)
http://www.acousticsrecords.co.uk/th...-chansons.html

[Caleb]

By the by, your original post only gave examples of french children's songs - is this still the case?

If not, there are a lot of French folky singer-songwriters (like Rusby and Seeger) that could be suggested - i mean, someoen like Georges Brassens mixes traditional and original material - his 'Les Copains D'Abords' is very much a chestnut in french songwriting circles.

Thank you for all the suggestions, and I'm sorry if I was unclear. They don't have to be children's songs, but sometimes old folk songs that have endured end up in the children's genre by default. I'd like to find some songs with simple melodies, that an English speaker could handle. When there are too many words, and when spoken too fast, I can't keep up. Ha. Since lullabies go slower, they work well for a beginner.

[DavidKOS]

What are some of your favorite French folk songs (not tunes)

Sorry for my tune suggestion, I must have missed that phrase first time.

[Martin Jonas]

Here are a few I play -- these are all my own mandolin recordings, but they are all on Youtube in various vocal renditions, too:

Domino:



La Petite Tonkinoise:



Le Bal De La Marine:



(This is at the original speed of the song -- I've also recorded a more leisurely slow version which may suit the melody better).

Or for more traditional folk songs:

Bonne nuit les petits:



J'ai du bon tabac (in a set with "Hercules"):



C'etait Anne de Bretagne:



Martin

[catmandu2]

I'd like to find some songs with simple melodies...

At the risk of being presumptuous: when (simple) melodies of songs (pieces, works, etc.) become well-known - through the usual cultural mechanisms - it may be increasingly difficult to maintain definitive, discrete boundaries among melodies and tunes, etc. FWIW.

I love Satie, and one of my great interests is playing Satie on free-reeds (accordians). Here are some 'folk' tunes, mostly, that I play, which have vivid and well-known melodies.

La Valse Des Chevaux De Bois
Sous les toits de la rue Tiquetonne
Nadiejda - Stephen Delic
Mazurka De Salou
La vie en Rose
La Marianne
Valse Israëlienne
La Valse D'Amelie

And well-known (pieces/works) I transposed from guitar - Satie, Ravel, Debussy, Rebikov

[crisscross]

I'd like to find some songs with simple melodies, that an English speaker could handle.

This one may be a bit difficult: in "Encore un carreau d'cassé" it says: "v'la le vitrier qui passe", but it's sung so fast, that it sounds something like "flaftrié qui passe", but when singing in french you better get used to these shortcuts.

[Simon DS]

Solidarity! Happy May Day!!!!

[Jim Garber]

http://mezzovoce.wmaker.tv/Lo-Cor-de...rale_v209.html

What language is that? It doesn’t sound or look like modern Parisian French. Is that Occitan? Very cool songs though

whoops! Another oldish thread… oh well…

[JeffD]

I have had whole lot of fun going through this particular tune book.

Lots of gems.

If you are not a reader, find a fiddle friend who can read and offer coffee and vanilla wafers if he or she will play a handful of these tunes for you to record and learn.

If you are a reader, make a pot of coffee and get a box of 'nilla wafers and have at it.


Joy and delight awaits. (I especially recommend Guatemalan whole beans, but that is up to you.)

[vonbiber]

Georges Brassens (1920-1980) singer and songwriter

Je me suis fait tout petit


Embrasse-les tous (Italian translation)

[Jim Garber]

I have had whole lot of fun going through this particular tune book.

Hmmmm... big bucks for that book. And that is only for Western Brittany. I guess you habe the shell out another $75 for Eastern Brittany. Seriously, though, are these songs in Breton language or in French?

Embrasse-les tous (Italian translation)

I think this video is actually a translation of a French song into Italian.

[vonbiber]

I think this video is actually a translation of a French song into Italian.

That's what I wrote above (Italian translation), it's a song written and sung in French by Georges Brassens.

[Jim Garber]

That's what I wrote above (Italian translation), it's a song written and sung in French by Georges Brassens.

Like this?

[JeffD]

duplicate