I play a trusty Hohner black dot and am looking to buy a new box. The question arose whether to buy another B/C or a C#/D as I have heard that finding a teacher in Northern California where I live will be easier for the C#/D. Also which is easier to learn - the B/C or C#/D?
Slan
Brian
Brian - This is a subject that comes up from time to time. So if you click on Home, then on Search, then type in Accordion Info in the Find panel. That should take you to eight pages of discussions on just this subject. I teach B/C but I'd say that C#/D would be easier to learn, for the simple reason that the Key of D is easier to play on a C#/D then on a B/C, and there is an awful lot of ITM written in D.
Not too many teachers of the C#D box in Northern California. There is that kid Aiden O'Donnell in Pacifica.... And maybe Marla Fibish in San Francisco.
Try learning a bunch of tunes in C on your B/C and see how it feels. If you like what you get, go for the C#/D. It's a whole different ball game, and obviously what you like is going to be a matter of personal preference.
Me, I like B/C, but if someone handed me a C#/D box, I think I could enjoy playing that as well.
As someone who's making the jump at the moment from B/C to C#/D, I'm changing because I have grown to like the more bouncy, less slurred sound of the C#/D. Also I found tunes in A really really hard on B/C. The one tune in A I've tried on C#/D was an absolute piece of cake (Stan Chapman's). Ornamentation techniques are more or less the same on both (I gather) - will know a lot more when my new box arrives.... (drumming fingers)
If you do a lot of listening and talking to good players in both systems you'll quickly know which you prefer.
you hear people say a lot, that c#/d is the more bouncy, or the more straightforward fingering, because it is the press-draw style box to play on, and that's understasndable because it's a cliche, so people say it. but it's not accurate.....
to be accurate.....b/c and c#/d are 100% equally "press-draw" or "bouncy" boxes. and they are also 100% equally "smooth" or "slurry" sounding boxes. the only difference is in which keys are "press-draw" versus "smooth" or "slurry" on each box tuning.
the b/c box is a C melodeon with an accidental row. the c#/d box is a D melodeon with an accidental row. and tunes played on the main row of each --- i.e., majorish tunes in the tonic name-row key, or majorish tunes in the tonic key of the fifth, plus minorish tunes in the relative minor of those two majors, will be press-draw, and thus finger more straightforwardly. this means, c majorish & g majorish and a minorish for b/c, and d majorish & a majorish, & b minorish, for c#/d.
but tunes in other keys on each, will be hairier to finger and many will be smooth & more fluid or slurry.
again---both boxes are "press-draw." both boxes are "slurry." if you love the press-draw sound AND you play tons of d majorish & a majorish tunes, c#/d is the box for you. personally, i love press-draw AND slurry, PLUS my fave keys are the flat keys, the dark keys, and the weird paddy kelly/paddy fahy/dwyer brothers keys, so i can play in c & f when i'm in a press/draw mood, and also get the benefit of the e minorish, g minorish, a minorish stuff i love, which are brilliant on b/c.....
also, you'll find lots of recordings by so-called press-draw maestros, are in fact played on a b/c box because of players' love of the flat keys......and some of the greatest so-called c#/d recordings are played on e-flat boxes.
"yes, maybe even mine... saltarelle irish boebe... for sale now"
No... get mine, also for sale now!
A "slurry" sounding box sounds just the thing for cleaning out the cowshed. So clearly cee one should play "The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre" on a B and C?
B/C or C#D button box
B/C or C#D button box
I play a trusty Hohner black dot and am looking to buy a new box. The question arose whether to buy another B/C or a C#/D as I have heard that finding a teacher in Northern California where I live will be easier for the C#/D. Also which is easier to learn - the B/C or C#/D?
Slan
Brian
# Posted on April 15th 2009 by bwilsonmd
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Brian - This is a subject that comes up from time to time. So if you click on Home, then on Search, then type in Accordion Info in the Find panel. That should take you to eight pages of discussions on just this subject. I teach B/C but I'd say that C#/D would be easier to learn, for the simple reason that the Key of D is easier to play on a C#/D then on a B/C, and there is an awful lot of ITM written in D.
# Posted on April 15th 2009 by Free Reed
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Not too many teachers of the C#D box in Northern California. There is that kid Aiden O'Donnell in Pacifica.... And maybe Marla Fibish in San Francisco.
# Posted on April 15th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: B/C or C#D button box
yes, maybe even mine... saltarelle irish boebe... for sale now
# Posted on April 16th 2009 by maze
Re: B/C or C#D button box
I started with C#/D, switched to B/C, and never going back.
# Posted on April 16th 2009 by polkageist
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Try learning a bunch of tunes in C on your B/C and see how it feels. If you like what you get, go for the C#/D. It's a whole different ball game, and obviously what you like is going to be a matter of personal preference.
Me, I like B/C, but if someone handed me a C#/D box, I think I could enjoy playing that as well.
# Posted on April 16th 2009 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: B/C or C#D button box
As someone who's making the jump at the moment from B/C to C#/D, I'm changing because I have grown to like the more bouncy, less slurred sound of the C#/D. Also I found tunes in A really really hard on B/C. The one tune in A I've tried on C#/D was an absolute piece of cake (Stan Chapman's). Ornamentation techniques are more or less the same on both (I gather) - will know a lot more when my new box arrives.... (drumming fingers)
If you do a lot of listening and talking to good players in both systems you'll quickly know which you prefer.
# Posted on April 16th 2009 by buttons 'n' whistles
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Sorry the kid's name is John O'Donnell....
# Posted on April 16th 2009 by fedorastain
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Thanks for all the information, folks!
Brian
# Posted on April 17th 2009 by bwilsonmd
Re: B/C or C#D button box
you hear people say a lot, that c#/d is the more bouncy, or the more straightforward fingering, because it is the press-draw style box to play on, and that's understasndable because it's a cliche, so people say it. but it's not accurate.....
to be accurate.....b/c and c#/d are 100% equally "press-draw" or "bouncy" boxes. and they are also 100% equally "smooth" or "slurry" sounding boxes. the only difference is in which keys are "press-draw" versus "smooth" or "slurry" on each box tuning.
the b/c box is a C melodeon with an accidental row. the c#/d box is a D melodeon with an accidental row. and tunes played on the main row of each --- i.e., majorish tunes in the tonic name-row key, or majorish tunes in the tonic key of the fifth, plus minorish tunes in the relative minor of those two majors, will be press-draw, and thus finger more straightforwardly. this means, c majorish & g majorish and a minorish for b/c, and d majorish & a majorish, & b minorish, for c#/d.
but tunes in other keys on each, will be hairier to finger and many will be smooth & more fluid or slurry.
again---both boxes are "press-draw." both boxes are "slurry." if you love the press-draw sound AND you play tons of d majorish & a majorish tunes, c#/d is the box for you. personally, i love press-draw AND slurry, PLUS my fave keys are the flat keys, the dark keys, and the weird paddy kelly/paddy fahy/dwyer brothers keys, so i can play in c & f when i'm in a press/draw mood, and also get the benefit of the e minorish, g minorish, a minorish stuff i love, which are brilliant on b/c.....
also, you'll find lots of recordings by so-called press-draw maestros, are in fact played on a b/c box because of players' love of the flat keys......and some of the greatest so-called c#/d recordings are played on e-flat boxes.
so there's another few cents......
# Posted on April 17th 2009 by ceemonster
Re: B/C or C#D button box
"yes, maybe even mine... saltarelle irish boebe... for sale now"
No... get mine, also for sale now!
A "slurry" sounding box sounds just the thing for cleaning out the cowshed. So clearly cee one should play "The Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre" on a B and C?
# Posted on April 17th 2009 by Jeeves Tones
Re: B/C or C#D button box
no wags are waggish-er than the box mob! or, as i like to say, "the button community"!
# Posted on April 18th 2009 by ceemonster
Re: B/C or C#D button box
Hi,
Learning BC will give you the possibility to easily switch to, or take up C#D after if you like. The opposite is difficult.
# Posted on April 19th 2009 by Yilmaz