I'm a 37-year old beginner (started January 2007) Melodeon player in Billings, Montana. I play a one-row Hohner melodeon in D, and a Boorinwood melodeon in D. Recently I've starting learning the C & G 20-button anglo concertina. Both instruments have their limitations, but the melodeon can handle tunes in Dmaj, Amaj, Gmaj (with no Cnats), Edorian, Bmin, and some Aminor. The CG concertina can handle Cmaj, Gmaj, Ddorian, Dmixolydian, Amin, and Emin (no Csharps). So, between the two of them, most tunes can be played (not that I can play most tunes!).
I'm lucky to have found a great group of session players here in town that not only tolerate my playing, but are very encouraging! My advice to other beginners is to seek out others to play with, even if you only know a handful tunes well (or not so well!) instead of just sitting at home on the couch playing alone. Getting in on a session is probably the best way to improve and expand your playing. This website is also very helpful to newbies like myself in learning some tunes, as well as history of the music, specific tunes, musicians, etc. And it's free!
Tunes in PatrickJWK's tunebook: 13
| Regional styles on CD? | September 13th 2007 |
| Discussions | Re: Is racism acceptable on Thesession.org? | November 25th 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Tunes most suited for melodeon | November 23rd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Hohner 114 melodeon tuning | November 5th 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: Hohner 114 melodeon tuning | November 3rd 2008 |
| Discussions | Re: accordion vs. concertina - 2 | September 17th 2008 |
| Name | Type | Key |
|---|---|---|
| The Boys Of Bluehill | hornpipe | Dmajor |
| The Butterfly | slip jig | Eminor |
| Drowsy Maggie | reel | Edorian |
| The Golden Keyboard | reel | Edorian |
| The Humours Of Ross | jig | Eminor |
| King Of The Fairies | hornpipe | Edorian |
| The Maid Behind The Bar | reel | Dmajor |
| May Morning Dew | waltz | Eminor |
| Pull The Knife And Stick It Again | jig | Eminor |
| Rolling In The Ryegrass | reel | Dmajor |
| Scarce O' Tatties | jig | Amixolydian |
| Si Bheag Si Mhor | waltz | Dmajor |
| Tommy Peoples' | mazurka | Dmajor |