Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
hmmmm. perhaps, but i believe there are at least as many pipers who play the concertina. and not small number of flute players who play the concertina.
but this is thought-provoking.....i first wished to play fiddle but gave it up due to extremely painful tendonitis in my bow-side wrist. it's a syndrome like carpal tunnel, but in this case called dequervain's syndrome (or something like that). a lot of dentail hygeinists & cellists get it.
so i switched to box initially as a second choice and was lucky enough to see box sincerely become my first choice, or so i thought. i still love box, but now that i am also playing concertina, i find that the expressive need i first chose fiddle for, seems to be filled better with concertina than on box. it has something to do with using both hands and something to do with the ease and lightness of the instrument.
but most of all, i can play fiddle-modeled "lines" on it. what with all the concertina virtuosos currently emulating the so-called "pipes-based" model of concertina ornamentation currently in vogue, with an extremely busy bass, fat bass chords, and blizzards of martial-staccato ornaments in the melody, i think it has been easy to forget that the concertina also lends itself beautifully to a cleaner, more pure-melody "line" a la the fiddle or the flute.
and the ease and fun of getting the sound of that kind of a fiddle-based "line" is what is making me so crazy about concertina---giving the melody very delicate cuts & triplets, with the bass only doing a double stop or a light tap here & there. what had drawn me to fiddle was that feeling of.....just the two of us, me and the melody, traveling light....and concertina does that really, really beautifully.....
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I always wondered why there were so many flute/concertina players. And then after playing both for many years it dawned on me. On both instruments your using basically the same fingers and the melody is divided between both hands in a similar way. That combined with the contrast in tone and it made perfect sense.
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I heard the Nervous Man also plays box and some other instruments. So, there's no definite connection between the fiddle and the concertina.
As far as I know, north connaught fiddlers tend to pick up the box as an alternative instrument. And of course, some fluters around the area play the fiddle too. But the concertina isn't very popular up there.
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
ha, dan, i love drones & doublestops also....i tend to associate them with the fiddle, being a big fan of hardanger and oldtime fiddle as well as some of the droney irish fiddle players--- but you're right, they are also pipes-linked....
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I enjoy messing with the concertina. The voice is similar to the fiddle, but the approach is vastly different. I also thought it would do my body good to have another instrument to play. The trouble is, I do not put enough time into it. I barely get enough time on the fiddle, so concertina practice is very intermittent. Still, I enjoy playing it when I can.
I really enjoyed Terry Bingham's tape that he put out years ago; and was also inspired by John William's playing. His rhythm on the concertina is outstanding. Plus, my Mom and Dad seemed to like the concertina, so I thought that was another good reason to pick the instrument.
By the way, I also have a mandolin, banjo and a cittern languishing in the basement. And, I have been messing around with the whistle and flute recently too.
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
after a few years with the fiddle, i am picking up the concertina as well. i think i first became interested after seeing a concert by Danu. one of the guys plays a button accordian and i loved it. unfortunatly, button accordians are usually 300 + dollars which i wasn't wiling to pay. they're also kinda big. So i set my mind on the concertina, thinking it would go along well with my fiddle. I have just gotten it through the mail this week and i love it.
What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I've been noticing this lately.. I know of about 5-ish fiddlers who double on the concertina... Any reason why?
It's the Nervous Man! He's the culprit, I bet!
But really, if you fall under this category, tell me how you took interest in the concertina! Just curious =]
Cheers and Berzerklee Party!
Armand
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by fiddlinviolinin
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
hmmmm. perhaps, but i believe there are at least as many pipers who play the concertina. and not small number of flute players who play the concertina.
but this is thought-provoking.....i first wished to play fiddle but gave it up due to extremely painful tendonitis in my bow-side wrist. it's a syndrome like carpal tunnel, but in this case called dequervain's syndrome (or something like that). a lot of dentail hygeinists & cellists get it.
so i switched to box initially as a second choice and was lucky enough to see box sincerely become my first choice, or so i thought. i still love box, but now that i am also playing concertina, i find that the expressive need i first chose fiddle for, seems to be filled better with concertina than on box. it has something to do with using both hands and something to do with the ease and lightness of the instrument.
but most of all, i can play fiddle-modeled "lines" on it. what with all the concertina virtuosos currently emulating the so-called "pipes-based" model of concertina ornamentation currently in vogue, with an extremely busy bass, fat bass chords, and blizzards of martial-staccato ornaments in the melody, i think it has been easy to forget that the concertina also lends itself beautifully to a cleaner, more pure-melody "line" a la the fiddle or the flute.
and the ease and fun of getting the sound of that kind of a fiddle-based "line" is what is making me so crazy about concertina---giving the melody very delicate cuts & triplets, with the bass only doing a double stop or a light tap here & there. what had drawn me to fiddle was that feeling of.....just the two of us, me and the melody, traveling light....and concertina does that really, really beautifully.....
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by ceemonster
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
That was deep, cee.
Unless...like Armand and I, you play an Old-Timey/pipes-based fiddle style with almost constant drones and double-stops : P
Why concertina? Simple. Elizabeth Crotty is awesome.
--DtM
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by Dan the Man
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I always wondered why there were so many flute/concertina players. And then after playing both for many years it dawned on me. On both instruments your using basically the same fingers and the melody is divided between both hands in a similar way. That combined with the contrast in tone and it made perfect sense.
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by Phantom Button
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I heard the Nervous Man also plays box and some other instruments. So, there's no definite connection between the fiddle and the concertina.
As far as I know, north connaught fiddlers tend to pick up the box as an alternative instrument. And of course, some fluters around the area play the fiddle too. But the concertina isn't very popular up there.
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by slainte
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I'm absolutely fascinated by the concertina and I play with a wonderful lady who's excellent on it.
I've tried it a few times myself but the whole 'one note this way, a different note that way' thing just drives me nuts.
Good on all you! This fiddler is envious, I'll just have to stick to my tenor banjo for a change of pace.
# Posted on June 16th 2007 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
ha, dan, i love drones & doublestops also....i tend to associate them with the fiddle, being a big fan of hardanger and oldtime fiddle as well as some of the droney irish fiddle players--- but you're right, they are also pipes-linked....
# Posted on June 18th 2007 by ceemonster
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
I enjoy messing with the concertina. The voice is similar to the fiddle, but the approach is vastly different. I also thought it would do my body good to have another instrument to play. The trouble is, I do not put enough time into it. I barely get enough time on the fiddle, so concertina practice is very intermittent. Still, I enjoy playing it when I can.
I really enjoyed Terry Bingham's tape that he put out years ago; and was also inspired by John William's playing. His rhythm on the concertina is outstanding. Plus, my Mom and Dad seemed to like the concertina, so I thought that was another good reason to pick the instrument.
By the way, I also have a mandolin, banjo and a cittern languishing in the basement. And, I have been messing around with the whistle and flute recently too.
# Posted on June 20th 2007 by Jode
Re: What's the dilly with fiddlers who play concertina?
after a few years with the fiddle, i am picking up the concertina as well. i think i first became interested after seeing a concert by Danu. one of the guys plays a button accordian and i loved it. unfortunatly, button accordians are usually 300 + dollars which i wasn't wiling to pay. they're also kinda big. So i set my mind on the concertina, thinking it would go along well with my fiddle. I have just gotten it through the mail this week and i love it.
# Posted on July 27th 2007 by fiddlergirl100