The Bulgarian

polka

Key signature: Aminor

Submitted on June 6th 2007 by Joe CSS.

This tune has been added to 12 tunebooks.

Also known as The Belgian.

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

The Bulgarian Polka

This one's really fun. I learnt it at Folkworks in 2004, and only just remembered that I knew it today. It's short and sweet, but it has the coolest chords you've ever seen. ITM puritans, look away now:
Am Ab(aug5)|C/G F#dim+7|G - |E - |Am Ab(aug5)|C/G F#dim+7|G - |Am E:||:Am - |Am - |C - |D - |Am - |F - |G - |Am E:|

# Posted on June 6th 2007 by Joe CSS

Btw, it's from Co. Bulgaria, near Sliabh Luachra

# Posted on June 6th 2007 by Joe CSS

Hmmmmmmm? County Bulgaria? More like great uncle Bulgaria...

Well damn Joe, it don't sound like any Bulgarian music I've ever heard, not that I profess an unlimited knowledge there. So, seeing as the place is very geographically and culturally varied, what area or 'tribe' is this one from? Anglonisky? Americanishka? Is it recorded anywhere? I think, this being another 'Folkworks' number it might be someone's fantasy of a composition failing miserably to sound like anything from that neck of the woods. But hey, you can always call it "Bulgarian" just to add a bit of that supposed mystique of origin, or excuse for this little flutter on the notes lottery?

Mind you, there's so much British and American cross-exchange going on that it might even have been composed by someone from the big city of Sofija. It might even be a Slovenian invfluence, a bit of the ol' Austro-Hungarian influence? :-/

Come on, tell us more... Confess up!

Folkworks
http://www.thesagegateshead.org/folkworks/index.aspx

Great Uncle Bulgaria ~ & his March 8-)
http://members.tripod.com/~MattWells/realuncleb.htm

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by ceolachan

But ~ I've no intention of stopping yours or anyone else's fun with it...especially with those chords... ;-)

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by ceolachan

Don't they teach you how to credit your source at Folkworks? Just saying "Folkworks" isn't enough. There are a lot of people involved in Folkworks, especially if you count in all the students. Are there any real live Bulgarians on the course?

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by Dow

OK, I don't know whether it's actually Bulgarian, or somebody wrote it and thought "Bulgarian" sounded cool. Quite possibly the latter. I learnt it from Joey Oliver, and the chords from Ian Stephenson (or at least, he taught the guitarists, and what I wrote here is what I think it sounded like). And I've no idea who wrote it.
Happy now?

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by Joe CSS

Sorry if I don't have an infinite well of tune-origin knowledge like your good selves, there's other things in life you know...

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by Joe CSS

Yeah I'm happy now :-)

Please tell me what these "other things in life" are other than tunes. I hope you don't mean songs...

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by Dow

Confession is good for the soul Joe...

Hey, what makes you think we don't partake in all those other things too? Dow and I are 'well-rounded'... No, I don't mean rotund, in either sense of that word...

We're happy and can now take our medicine and have a nap...

# Posted on June 7th 2007 by ceolachan

I swear the chords you taught me were different...
Or maybe they just look more complicated written down.
I can't be bothered to decode them.

# Posted on October 13th 2007 by mehitabel23

The above is my attempt at naming the chords I showed you. I'd take them with a pinch of salt, if I were you.
And thinking back, I think it might actually have been the Belgian Polka, not Bulgarian...
Damn.

But it's a cool tune anyway!

# Posted on October 21st 2007 by Joe CSS

And the weird-looking chords do look more complicated written down. If you work them out, you'll see that it's an Am chord, then the same chord, but starting on a G#, then starting on a G, then F#.
It sounds good, trust me!

# Posted on November 12th 2007 by Joe CSS