Howdy
I'm a concertina player who has played lots of instruments (piano, guitar, clarinet, etc). I have musical experience, and I can generally manage to teach myself instruments (thats what Ive done so far with the concertina). I got a C/G button accordion from a friend. Does anyone out there play the accordion? I know that in the Irish style, the tuning is generally B/C or something, but I'm wondering if anyone plays with a C/G. Also, I'm confused about the chords on the left hand. I know what they are, but in typical session tunes (jigs, reels, etc) when are they used, and how? Thanks for any help.
joe
People play Irish-style on various sorts of button boxes, but by far the most common tuning schema for the two-row diatonic box are B/C (inner row in C major, outer row in B major) and C#/D (inner row in D, outer row in C#). The first accordions used in the tradition were single-row instruments, eventually pitched in D major, and described specifically as "melodeons." This D major tuning (and the D major focus of the C#/D) lead to a style of more frequent bellows changes, thus a more rhythmically choppy, "press-and-draw" style (eg, requires more frequent pressing and drawing of the bellows). The B/C tuning was exemplified by Paddy O Brien (from Tipperary, now deceased), who made a series of very influential 78s in the 1950s, in which the more extensive "playing across the rows" (to execute common Irtrad keys in the B/C tuning) led to more infrequent bellows changes, a more fluid sound, and the ability to more closely mimic influential fiddle recordings. People play Irish style on other boxes (including C/G) but it's much less common. "Playing the basses" in the left-hand is a highly varied art with a number of different conceptual approaches (and some players leave out the basses entirely).
Two leading online purveyors of boxes, whose sites include information:
Chris Moran http://www.erinbreeze.com (lots of good information about tuning options, models, technique, etc)
Button Box in Amherst, MA http://www.buttonbox.com
(as wide a selection and as competitive prices as I've seen online)
I'm sure others will have other suggestions and info.
I think the CG is mostly used on the Continent and is well suited for the keys used for dance tunes in France and for singing but I think you'll find it lacks a few accidentals you'll need in Irish music. Which is not to say it can't be done but if you want to use quint tuning a DG would be better. BC and C#D are more suited for Irish music.
Button Accordion
Button Accordion
Howdy
I'm a concertina player who has played lots of instruments (piano, guitar, clarinet, etc). I have musical experience, and I can generally manage to teach myself instruments (thats what Ive done so far with the concertina). I got a C/G button accordion from a friend. Does anyone out there play the accordion? I know that in the Irish style, the tuning is generally B/C or something, but I'm wondering if anyone plays with a C/G. Also, I'm confused about the chords on the left hand. I know what they are, but in typical session tunes (jigs, reels, etc) when are they used, and how? Thanks for any help.
joe
# Posted on August 10th 2003 by joebrew
Re: Button Accordion
Joe:
People play Irish-style on various sorts of button boxes, but by far the most common tuning schema for the two-row diatonic box are B/C (inner row in C major, outer row in B major) and C#/D (inner row in D, outer row in C#). The first accordions used in the tradition were single-row instruments, eventually pitched in D major, and described specifically as "melodeons." This D major tuning (and the D major focus of the C#/D) lead to a style of more frequent bellows changes, thus a more rhythmically choppy, "press-and-draw" style (eg, requires more frequent pressing and drawing of the bellows). The B/C tuning was exemplified by Paddy O Brien (from Tipperary, now deceased), who made a series of very influential 78s in the 1950s, in which the more extensive "playing across the rows" (to execute common Irtrad keys in the B/C tuning) led to more infrequent bellows changes, a more fluid sound, and the ability to more closely mimic influential fiddle recordings. People play Irish style on other boxes (including C/G) but it's much less common. "Playing the basses" in the left-hand is a highly varied art with a number of different conceptual approaches (and some players leave out the basses entirely).
Two good reference sources:
Han Speek's box pages at http://home.hccnet.nl/h.speek/irishbox/
(fingering charts, basses, discussions of varied tuning systems, influential recordings and artists, and so on)
Yahoo group's irishbox list:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/irishbox
(search the archives)
Two leading online purveyors of boxes, whose sites include information:
Chris Moran http://www.erinbreeze.com (lots of good information about tuning options, models, technique, etc)
Button Box in Amherst, MA http://www.buttonbox.com
(as wide a selection and as competitive prices as I've seen online)
I'm sure others will have other suggestions and info.
cjs
# Posted on August 10th 2003 by coyotebanjo
Re: Button Accordion
I think the CG is mostly used on the Continent and is well suited for the keys used for dance tunes in France and for singing but I think you'll find it lacks a few accidentals you'll need in Irish music. Which is not to say it can't be done but if you want to use quint tuning a DG would be better. BC and C#D are more suited for Irish music.
# Posted on August 10th 2003 by Paul_draper
Re: Button Accordion
Do Michael and Michelle email each other, I wonder?
Trevor
# Posted on August 11th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Button Accordion
If you like harmony get a C#D, if you don't care
about diatonic sounds get a BC.
Either way you will be louder than mostly everything
else (at a session)
# Posted on August 12th 2003 by sorefingers