Skip To My Lou (Page 3 of 3) in pdf

Notes used in this tune - as found on the Black Diamond 60 bass B system chromatic button accordion.

Please note: Row 1 is the row nearest the outside of the instrument/Row 3 is the middle row etc.

Button 1 is the button nearest the "chin end".

*Right Hand Fingering: T = Thumb /1 = Index Finger/

2 = Middle Finger/3 = Ring Finger/4 = Little Finger (not used in this tune!)

Note

Names

Row3/button1

Row1/button2

Row3/button2

Row1/button3

Row2/button4

Row1/button4

Row2/button5

*Right Hand

1&2

2&T

2&1

3&2

Fingering

This tune contains all of the notes that are found in the scale of C major.

Once again, some of the notes have alternative fingering to make it more comfortable for you at various points in the tune.

Notice how in the Verse the two quavers occur on beat one of Bars 2, 4 and 6. The Chorus is very similar but the two quavers

occur on beat two of Bars 10,12 and 14. If in doubt, look at the counting underneath the bars.

To help you get the timing right, sing the following lyrics (relevant words in italics):-

Verse:

Lost my partner what'll I do?

Skip to my lou my darling

Chorus:

Lou, lou, skip to my lou

Skip to my lou my darling

Lou" is the Scottish word for love

Left Hand - At various points in this tune we are playing a slightly more complicated bass line. It works in a sort of "triangle".

We do this on Bars 1, 3, 5, 9, 11 and 13.

In Bar 1 we play the C bass note with our ring finger on beat one, our C major chord with our middle finger

on beat two, our G bass note with our index finger on beat three and the C major chord again on beat four with

our middle finger. The G bass note is just above the C bass note.

In this way we make our bass sound more interesting by adding that extra G bass

- this gives us the classic "1st" and "5th" bassline.

We don't do this in every bar as it doesn't always fit very well with the right hand - notice how in Bar 2

we play the standard C bass note and C major chord twice without adding the extra G bass note. We do this (or its G equivalent)

in bars 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14 and 15.

In Bar 3 we play the equivalent of what we played in Bar 1 but this time on the G chord.

So, it's G bass note with ring finger, G major chord with middle finger, D bass note with index finger and back to the G major chord

again on beat four with our middle finger. The D bass note is just above the G bass note.

Once again on Bar 4 we return to the more straightforward bassline without playing the extra D bass note.

On Bars 8 and 16 we play the C bass note and C major chords together on beats one and three.

The way we achieve a C6 chord in Bar 16, at the very end of the piece, is by adding a note of A with our right hand.

Thus on the third beat of this bar we play the right hand notes C and A at the same time as we play the C bass note

and C major chord with our left hand. Notice how we reverse the direction of the bellows at this point so that we have plenty

of air to play with for that final combination of right hand and left hand notes and chords. In this bar play beat one staccato

(short and detached) and then pull fairly hard on the bellows on beat three to get that classic accordion ending!!

Skip To My Lou Page 3

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