How many box players are here?what key and make box do you play and what style do you tend to use?I play a castagnari Dinn2 in b/c and i like to play mairtin o'connor,david munnelly style
I play a Saltarelle Irish Bouebe B/C. I love Mairtin O'Connor's playing, but seriously doubt anyone could hear his influence in my rather primitive attempts at squeezebox music.
I have been playing D/G for over 30 years ( am I one of a few?) My influences would be any good box player really but the playing of Tony McMahon, Mairten O'Conner, Jacky Daly & Joe Cooley, I am more familiar with. Currently play a Castagnari (inexpensive) 2-row, a Hohner Primatona C/C#, a Hohner Club II D/G with 1/2 row, and a Paolo Soprani B/C/C# (I am a learner on that one but enjoying the challenge, late in life). Would love to here from other D/G ITM box players.
Giustozzi b/c wood box (very similar to a Casti) with modified "Burke arrangement' bass. Tuned very dry.
45 years on PA. 2 on Box
Players I try to emulate-Tony McMahon, Sharon Shannon, John Whelan , the player in Brock McGuire's band whose name I don't know and John Williams for more showey things.
And I would be remiss not mentioning the fellow at the Scotsman in Donegal. I think his name is John. Plays a red Soprani. He just closes his eyes and plays.....
Also no claims of showing any influence yet. My technique is nowhere near me even mentioning my play in the same paragraph as the players I listed. But we gotta have goals.
I play a C#/D Saltarelle Irish Bouëbe. I'd cite Máirtín O'Connor as an influence but It would be difficult to determine in what manner; my playing probably doesn't reflect this.
Saltarelle Nuage C#D, Super Nuage DD#, Castagnari 1 row.
Loads of time for the one and only Jackie Daly, but I've picked up tunes and inspiration from many others, including that rare Scottish bird (?) which frequents these forums as well as Tom's in Ballycastle on a Friday night. Nope, he doesn't play the box, but he does play almost everything else....
b/c, castagnari roma, mengascini two-voice. don't like a low reed sound......i use middle reeds tuned to about 10 cents of tremolo.
i find five-note rolls as done on accordion to take too much airspace (or perhaps earspace) from the melody for my taste, so i do a clean line using same-note triplets & half-rolls, though i do quiet five-note rolls on concertina. my b/c touchstones include: the younger paddy o'brien now of the band chulrua, johnny mccarthy of ennis, mary rafferty, josephine marsh, verena cummins, christy mcnamara of east clare, john canny of east clare. c#/d touchstones include: joe cooley RIP, johnny o'leary RIP, tony macmahon, charlie piggott, andrew macnamara, jackie daly, conor keane.
Serenellini B/C
I enjoy the music of both Paddy O'Briens, Mary Rafferty, Jo Marsh, Damien Connolly, Billy McComisky, Joe Burke just to name a few. They give me great inspiration.
Castagnari Tommy B/C. I listen to and enjoy lots of box players with lots of different styles, both B/C and C#/D (and others), but I don't think I would want to imitate any one of them to the point where it becomes my "style".
Sorry i should have frased that diffently.What I meant was who you listen to for insperation.What i meant by style was for example Mairtin and Joe Burke have a different take on tunes.Mairtin puts variations into his playing but Joe fills his with cuts and rolls. its this diversity that makes the accordion such an interesting instrument to listen too and play.
I'm another lucky posessor of a Serenellini 3Voice (MMM) B/C . I've been influenced by the Paddy O'Brien tune collection lately, I enjoy the variations of his tunes from what you often hear. I'm going to buy a C#D(in addition to, not to replace my BC) with my St. Patrick's week earnings. This is so I can play along with my fiddling friends, playing all these Canadian and Scottish fiddle tunes in A, that I haven't been able to master on my BC.
Mengascini B/C (surprise, surprise!), and I've just bought a PA so I can play Scots tunes....Phil Cunningham started it all for me, and Tony McMahon & Caoilte O’Suilleabhain give me something to aim for.
yeah....my list of style touchstones are also my inspirations....these folks melt my heart & send chills up my spine....but to the "inspiration" list i'd have to add a few in the tipperary/nenagh ornamental roll style that i'm not really doing.....seamus bugler, ann conroy burke, joe burke, john nolan......kevin keegan, paddy o'brien RIP.
boxielady, you seem to be in the lucky geographic position of being near another of my inspirations.....the lovely east-galway style b/c player ena o'brien?????!!!! her cd "the galway rambler,"is one of my alltime favorites.
Ceemonster
You are very right about Ena O'Brien. She has taught me with utmost patience, almost every thing I play and she is a dearest of friends. I am very lucky, indeed.
Heather
Rob, I miss playing with you, too. This year, as you probably already know, we have Paddy O'Brien coming for the Chris Langan weekend and there should be lots more box players! It will be a great weekend of music and look forward to seeing you.
Heather
I'm a DG box player,playing for over 30 years, favourite box at the moment a Castagnari Tommy. It might interest Hetty to know that I have lived in Ireland for over 20 years and these days play mostly ITM. Last year I went in for the Cork fleadh just for a laugh really as I've never done it before, and to prove the point that ITM is possible on a DG. I came 2nd, so went through to the Munster, and nobody complained thaty I was playing the wrong sort of box for ITM, so I think I proved my point.
"The player in Brock McGuire's band" You are thinking of Paul Brock (the fiddle player is Manus McGuire).
Me - C#/D, Serenellini 3v. I'm still a complete sponge and am being influenced by just about everybody I hear, including a lot of players already mentioned of course, but others less famous too. For instance Mary Staunton whom I heard a bit of on TG4 the other day.
Hi Ian(dogbox),
I don't have any soundclips at the moment, what would be the best way to send you some if I got round to doing any? I have a high F natural on my box, but its awkwardly positioned at the top end of the G row,no low F nat. so I don't play many tunes needing F nat, the only tune I can think of offhand where I use it isTabhair dom do lámh. I tend to stick with tunes that work well on the box, and play the ones that don't on the fiddle.
I'm another long-in-the-tooth player of the DG melodeon - I began in 1980, having played whistle before.
My first box was a Hohner Pokerwork, the standard model (then) for playing English music, including Morris. I stuffed a bit of hot water bottle cover under the keys so they wouldn't go so far down when I pushed them - but trying to play Irish reels on it was like trying to win a race on a donkey when you need a racehorse. I have been ready to repeat the cry, "ITM can't be done on one of these!", but evidently Cathy above can do it, so could someone I heard not long back on an Australian clip, and so can Chris Parkinson, who I saw c20 years back playing one tuned dry and "bendy", with the action definitely improved from the normal model.
In the late 80s I got a good BC Paolo Soprani and resolved to take on the challenge of Irish music with an indubitably powerful instrument that Irish players actually use. But for years I practised and got nowhere - and continuing to play the DG didn't help; I never "crossed over". Eventually I just got rid of both.
In due course I decided to get another, and found just what I was looking for: a two-and-a-half row DG "Connemara", by Saltarelle. It cost a bomb (nearly £1600, I think), but has the qualities I want. Good action and sound, for one thing, which the Pokerwork didn't have; the half-row of extra notes (accidentals); two more pairs of basses; and the D/G rows as they should be, with low D , C# , B, , A, , F#, , left in place, and then chromatics below.
There are two ways of playing the DG, which of course one can instinctively mix or alternate. One is to play straight up and down the rows; the other is to cross the rows a lot and make the best use of the rich chordal effects this instrument can summon up.
That gets me on to musical heroes. On the DG (and also the CF), the Norfolk player Tony Hall, who crosses the rows to the limits and set me off learning to play the instrument by doing the same; Jackie Daly; Martin O'Connor; and PA player Phil Cunningham. (There I was, trying to "do it like Phil Cunningham" on that piddly little Pokerwork - it would have summoned tears from a stone...) But one thing I picked up from listening to Phil and other Scots players was the desirability of being able to knock out a correct and steady bass on the left-hand side. Still working on that one...
I've tried adding non-diatonic notes at the top end too, but the experiment didn't last. I''ll contact you via the session email re attaching sound clips.
I play an Hohner Erica in B/C, is an old box from the fifties, with wooden keyboard and tuned by Charlie Harris. The sound is gorgeous and the action as well.
I don't like the virtuoso over ornamentated players. I dont like rolls. My favourites are Charlie Piggott, Andrew MacNamara, Josephine Marsh, Verena Commins. I was influenced by this kind of players, but also by no box players like the great Mary MacNamara.
Mairtin O'Connor (The KING in my books), Joe Derrane, J.J. Kimmel, Jackie Daly, Eoghan O'Sullivan, Aidan Coffey, Geoff Butler, Tony MacMahon, Andrew McNamara, Sean John and Johnny Og Connolly, David Munnelly
Weltmeister B/C . I bought it a year ago. I´m trying to get some Irish music from it by now, but it´s difficult to improve when nobody plays button box where you live, though.
Influences: Mr Tony Mcmahon, Sharon Shannon, Derek Hickey.
Box Players
Box Players
How many box players are here?what key and make box do you play and what style do you tend to use?I play a castagnari Dinn2 in b/c and i like to play mairtin o'connor,david munnelly style
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by dinn2
Re: Box Players
I play a Saltarelle Irish Bouebe B/C. I love Mairtin O'Connor's playing, but seriously doubt anyone could hear his influence in my rather primitive attempts at squeezebox music.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by AlBrown
Re: Box Players
Damn us b/c players
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by dinn2
Re: Box Players
I have been playing D/G for over 30 years ( am I one of a few?) My influences would be any good box player really but the playing of Tony McMahon, Mairten O'Conner, Jacky Daly & Joe Cooley, I am more familiar with. Currently play a Castagnari (inexpensive) 2-row, a Hohner Primatona C/C#, a Hohner Club II D/G with 1/2 row, and a Paolo Soprani B/C/C# (I am a learner on that one but enjoying the challenge, late in life). Would love to here from other D/G ITM box players.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by hetty
Re: Box Players
Sorry dinn2.
Giustozzi b/c wood box (very similar to a Casti) with modified "Burke arrangement' bass. Tuned very dry.
45 years on PA. 2 on Box
Players I try to emulate-Tony McMahon, Sharon Shannon, John Whelan , the player in Brock McGuire's band whose name I don't know and John Williams for more showey things.
And I would be remiss not mentioning the fellow at the Scotsman in Donegal. I think his name is John. Plays a red Soprani. He just closes his eyes and plays.....
Also no claims of showing any influence yet. My technique is nowhere near me even mentioning my play in the same paragraph as the players I listed. But we gotta have goals.
Hope Springs Eternal!
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by zippydw
Re: Box Players
I play a C#/D Saltarelle Irish Bouëbe. I'd cite Máirtín O'Connor as an influence but It would be difficult to determine in what manner; my playing probably doesn't reflect this.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by Libertango
Re: Box Players
Saltarelle Nuage C#D, Super Nuage DD#, Castagnari 1 row.
Loads of time for the one and only Jackie Daly, but I've picked up tunes and inspiration from many others, including that rare Scottish bird (?) which frequents these forums as well as Tom's in Ballycastle on a Friday night. Nope, he doesn't play the box, but he does play almost everything else....
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by red diesel
Re: Box Players
b/c, castagnari roma, mengascini two-voice. don't like a low reed sound......i use middle reeds tuned to about 10 cents of tremolo.
i find five-note rolls as done on accordion to take too much airspace (or perhaps earspace) from the melody for my taste, so i do a clean line using same-note triplets & half-rolls, though i do quiet five-note rolls on concertina. my b/c touchstones include: the younger paddy o'brien now of the band chulrua, johnny mccarthy of ennis, mary rafferty, josephine marsh, verena cummins, christy mcnamara of east clare, john canny of east clare. c#/d touchstones include: joe cooley RIP, johnny o'leary RIP, tony macmahon, charlie piggott, andrew macnamara, jackie daly, conor keane.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by ceemonster
Re: Box Players
Serenellini B/C
I enjoy the music of both Paddy O'Briens, Mary Rafferty, Jo Marsh, Damien Connolly, Billy McComisky, Joe Burke just to name a few. They give me great inspiration.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by boxielady
Re: Box Players
Castagnari Tommy B/C. I listen to and enjoy lots of box players with lots of different styles, both B/C and C#/D (and others), but I don't think I would want to imitate any one of them to the point where it becomes my "style".
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by GaryAMartin
Re: Box Players
Plays Hohner and Castagnari B/C and A/D
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by TradLad
Re: Box Players
Sorry i should have frased that diffently.What I meant was who you listen to for insperation.What i meant by style was for example Mairtin and Joe Burke have a different take on tunes.Mairtin puts variations into his playing but Joe fills his with cuts and rolls. its this diversity that makes the accordion such an interesting instrument to listen too and play.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by dinn2
Re: Box Players
Bertrand Gaillard D/C# & melodeon. Derrane, O'Connor, Daly and Kimmel (long gone, unfortunately). Phil Cunningham on the PA.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by pennhorse
Re: Box Players
I'm another lucky posessor of a Serenellini 3Voice (MMM) B/C . I've been influenced by the Paddy O'Brien tune collection lately, I enjoy the variations of his tunes from what you often hear. I'm going to buy a C#D(in addition to, not to replace my BC) with my St. Patrick's week earnings. This is so I can play along with my fiddling friends, playing all these Canadian and Scottish fiddle tunes in A, that I haven't been able to master on my BC.
Rob
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by mellow_bellows
Re: Box Players
what key? The piano accordion can play in any/all keys. I play in my own style.
# Posted on March 30th 2007 by Fiddlebabe
Re: Box Players
Mengascini B/C (surprise, surprise!), and I've just bought a PA so I can play Scots tunes....Phil Cunningham started it all for me, and Tony McMahon & Caoilte O’Suilleabhain give me something to aim for.
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by bc_box_player
Re: Box Players
yeah....my list of style touchstones are also my inspirations....these folks melt my heart & send chills up my spine....but to the "inspiration" list i'd have to add a few in the tipperary/nenagh ornamental roll style that i'm not really doing.....seamus bugler, ann conroy burke, joe burke, john nolan......kevin keegan, paddy o'brien RIP.
boxielady, you seem to be in the lucky geographic position of being near another of my inspirations.....the lovely east-galway style b/c player ena o'brien?????!!!! her cd "the galway rambler,"is one of my alltime favorites.
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by ceemonster
Re: Box Players
bc_box_player, is the mengascini Da Bomb, or what! mine is like butter....
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by ceemonster
Re: Box Players
It's got the best sound of any I've heard - which makes me wonder why Hobgoblin Music stopped selling them...
It's certainly the smoothest box I've tried
Eno
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by bc_box_player
Re: Box Players
Ceemonster
You are very right about Ena O'Brien. She has taught me with utmost patience, almost every thing I play and she is a dearest of friends. I am very lucky, indeed.
Heather
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by boxielady
Re: Box Players
Cairdin mini deluxe b/c. I admire Seamus Walshe, Dan Herlihy and Connor Keane as well as all the other great box players.
# Posted on March 31st 2007 by millionyears_bc
Re: Box Players
Boxie Lady,
I hope you and Ena are doing well in Toronto, I miss coming up there and playing with you all. Maybe next Chris Langan Weekend.
Rob
# Posted on April 1st 2007 by mellow_bellows
Re: Box Players
Rob, I miss playing with you, too. This year, as you probably already know, we have Paddy O'Brien coming for the Chris Langan weekend and there should be lots more box players! It will be a great weekend of music and look forward to seeing you.
Heather
# Posted on April 1st 2007 by boxielady
Re: Box Players
I'm a DG box player,playing for over 30 years, favourite box at the moment a Castagnari Tommy. It might interest Hetty to know that I have lived in Ireland for over 20 years and these days play mostly ITM. Last year I went in for the Cork fleadh just for a laugh really as I've never done it before, and to prove the point that ITM is possible on a DG. I came 2nd, so went through to the Munster, and nobody complained thaty I was playing the wrong sort of box for ITM, so I think I proved my point.
# Posted on April 1st 2007 by cathycook
Re: Box Players
Cathy, I'd love to hear some sound clips of you playing the DG!
Have you added an F natural to the standard tuning, or do you give those tunes a miss?
Ian
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by dogbox
Re: Box Players
"The player in Brock McGuire's band"
You are thinking of Paul Brock (the fiddle player is Manus McGuire).
Me - C#/D, Serenellini 3v. I'm still a complete sponge and am being influenced by just about everybody I hear, including a lot of players already mentioned of course, but others less famous too. For instance Mary Staunton whom I heard a bit of on TG4 the other day.
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by Jeeves Tones
Re: Box Players
boxie, please tell ena to make another cd!!!
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by ceemonster
Re: Box Players
Hi Ian(dogbox),
I don't have any soundclips at the moment, what would be the best way to send you some if I got round to doing any? I have a high F natural on my box, but its awkwardly positioned at the top end of the G row,no low F nat. so I don't play many tunes needing F nat, the only tune I can think of offhand where I use it isTabhair dom do lámh. I tend to stick with tunes that work well on the box, and play the ones that don't on the fiddle.
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by cathycook
Re: Box Players
I'm another long-in-the-tooth player of the DG melodeon - I began in 1980, having played whistle before.
My first box was a Hohner Pokerwork, the standard model (then) for playing English music, including Morris. I stuffed a bit of hot water bottle cover under the keys so they wouldn't go so far down when I pushed them - but trying to play Irish reels on it was like trying to win a race on a donkey when you need a racehorse. I have been ready to repeat the cry, "ITM can't be done on one of these!", but evidently Cathy above can do it, so could someone I heard not long back on an Australian clip, and so can Chris Parkinson, who I saw c20 years back playing one tuned dry and "bendy", with the action definitely improved from the normal model.
In the late 80s I got a good BC Paolo Soprani and resolved to take on the challenge of Irish music with an indubitably powerful instrument that Irish players actually use. But for years I practised and got nowhere - and continuing to play the DG didn't help; I never "crossed over". Eventually I just got rid of both.
In due course I decided to get another, and found just what I was looking for: a two-and-a-half row DG "Connemara", by Saltarelle. It cost a bomb (nearly £1600, I think), but has the qualities I want. Good action and sound, for one thing, which the Pokerwork didn't have; the half-row of extra notes (accidentals); two more pairs of basses; and the D/G rows as they should be, with low D , C# , B, , A, , F#, , left in place, and then chromatics below.
There are two ways of playing the DG, which of course one can instinctively mix or alternate. One is to play straight up and down the rows; the other is to cross the rows a lot and make the best use of the rich chordal effects this instrument can summon up.
That gets me on to musical heroes. On the DG (and also the CF), the Norfolk player Tony Hall, who crosses the rows to the limits and set me off learning to play the instrument by doing the same; Jackie Daly; Martin O'Connor; and PA player Phil Cunningham. (There I was, trying to "do it like Phil Cunningham" on that piddly little Pokerwork - it would have summoned tears from a stone...) But one thing I picked up from listening to Phil and other Scots players was the desirability of being able to knock out a correct and steady bass on the left-hand side. Still working on that one...
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by nicholas
Re: Box Players
Thanks Jeeves
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by zippydw
Re: Box Players
in reply to Cathy:
I've tried adding non-diatonic notes at the top end too, but the experiment didn't last. I''ll contact you via the session email re attaching sound clips.
cheers, Ian
# Posted on April 2nd 2007 by dogbox
Re: Box Players
I play an Hohner Erica in B/C, is an old box from the fifties, with wooden keyboard and tuned by Charlie Harris. The sound is gorgeous and the action as well.
I don't like the virtuoso over ornamentated players. I dont like rolls. My favourites are Charlie Piggott, Andrew MacNamara, Josephine Marsh, Verena Commins. I was influenced by this kind of players, but also by no box players like the great Mary MacNamara.
# Posted on April 5th 2007 by Paolcer
Re: Box Players
Boxes:
C#/D Van der Aa
D/D# Bertrand Gaillard
Major Influences:
Mairtin O'Connor (The KING in my books), Joe Derrane, J.J. Kimmel, Jackie Daly, Eoghan O'Sullivan, Aidan Coffey, Geoff Butler, Tony MacMahon, Andrew McNamara, Sean John and Johnny Og Connolly, David Munnelly
# Posted on April 16th 2007 by dtb
Re: Box Players
Weltmeister B/C . I bought it a year ago. I´m trying to get some Irish music from it by now, but it´s difficult to improve when nobody plays button box where you live, though.
Influences: Mr Tony Mcmahon, Sharon Shannon, Derek Hickey.
Greetings from Sunny Spain!
# Posted on April 23rd 2007 by b-box