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Most common keys in Newfoundland traditional?

Most common keys in Newfoundland traditional?

I am learning Newfoundland Traditional accordion, and listen to the older NTrad accordionists (Harry Hibbs, Minnie White, Vince Collins, Dick Hewitt, etc., plus the Fogo Island Accordion Group.
All play/ed Hohner Erica's or Corso's in G/C or A/D. Hibbs used both, Minnie White A/D, Fogo girls G/C, Collins I think A/D. Anyone up in Newfoundland know which (G/C or A/D) is most popular? I am speaking more for NTrad playing rather than the typical Itrad you would hear in a session. Am I correct in my belief that Newfoundland Trad style seems more for square/set dancing, rather than what is played at a typical Irish session?
On a different note, who first recorded the songs Road to the Isle and O'Brien Has No place to Go?

Don

# Posted on March 26th 2009 by gdhow62

Re: Most common keys in Newfoundland traditional?

Regarding "Road to the Isles", some history here:

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4190

# Posted on March 26th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

Re: Most common keys in Newfoundland traditional?

This site has a lot of material fom Newfoundland and Labrador:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/audio/nfld/

# Posted on March 26th 2009 by Mix O'Lydian

Re: Most common keys in Newfoundland traditional?

I can't answer the question, but I can provide some data points.

1) At the Auntie Crae's session, I never saw Frank Maher play anything but his one-row in D. Vince Collins played a two row and a one row, I'm guessing the two row was A/D but I don't know that for sure.

2) Daniel Payne plays a three row. I believe it was G/D/A, but he "recently" had the A row retuned to Ab or Bb.

3) If you want to play Newfoundland fiddle tunes, the most common keys are G and D, with A and C appearing perhaps a bit more than in Irish music.

And I don't know about square/set dancing per se, but certainly reels (AKA triples in Newfoundland) are drastically less common than they are in Irish trad. I wouldn't be surprised if Emile Benoit wrote more reels himself than are found in all the rest of the Newfoundland tradition...

# Posted on March 26th 2009 by Sol Foster

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