Irish & Quebecois Dilemma
Lucie Couture
Hello list !
I'm new to the list and just getting into button accordion. I want to play
French-Canadian trad (I mean Quebecois really) music AND Irish trad. Trying
to decide on keys. I could get a 2 or 3 button (or 1 !). I've heard that a
lot of Irish trad is in D, and I've also heard C#-D and B-C are necessary
keys for Irish music, though some use A-D.
A friend of a friend across the pond says for French music, most players use
G-C (but I'm not sure whether he was talking about France or
French-Canadian.
I just bought (and I have 'til thru Saturday to return this box) a Vienna
style Hohner D-G. I figured this will give me the "D" for Irish and the "G"
for Quebecois trad music.
My question is, is there some other configuration (I almost veered toward
B/C because of an instructional (Irish) video I recently bought) I should
buy INSTEAD of this D-G that would allow me on one box to play Irish and
French-Canadian trad music?
Maybe I should think about chromatic instead?
tired of all this wavering. Thank you a million for some help.
Lucie Couture
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Jeff Hildreth
Bonjour Lucie..
Oh Secour!!
The D/G will NOT do it for you...
Strongly recommend a single row D and later add a GCF
Reason...simple...80% or more of Quebecois is on a single row D four
stop melodeon....and prior to WWII the majority of Irish music was on
a single row D and even now lots of Irish music is on a single Row D
Melodeon..If you would like references, resources, players and
available Cd's just let me know...
Virtually no traditional Canadian music is played on a D/G..there are
some transplanted Scots and others but the are playing Scot influence
fiddle tunes..
RETURN the box and get a simple single row D..
Another reason...you have suggested playing French music in G on the G
row of a D/G..sounds good but wont work..
A..French play G/C primarily and the G row is an octave lowere than
the G row on a D/G..next reason..most of the music is played "cross
row" and here the D/G for the French is not so good..
Yes I know Andy Cutting and otheres do it..but these are rare and on
specialized instruments ..mostky with 2 1/2 rows and a third basson
reed for a lower octave sound..the G row in the upper register on a
D/G is strident ..and worse on a 2 reed Hohner...and Hohners Stock
tuning of Approx 17 cents is way too wet..
Back to Canadian...check out the web site Thirty Below Zero...
all Single row D with only some exceptions...and then it is G/C/F or
G/C with accidentals like Alain Chatry who plays single row D and
G/C with accidentals...
GCF is the multi row box of choice for Canadian...virtually no
Canadian music is played on a 2 row with some exceptions..notably
Joe Derraine..very specialized D/C# (Gailliard) not for a neophyte..
Want to play English Morris and New England fiddle tunes ala Contra
dance..keep the D/G...
Canadian and Irish...bag the box..get a single row D..repeat single
row D
Later get a G/C based instrument..
Tons of music played on the D and video available...
deux centimes
Jeffroi
PS Chromatic? as in 1/2 step...are you 6 years old with wealthy
parents so you can do nothing but play box for the next ten
years..this is for you..
Continental Chromatic...intelligent choice if you want to hols an
instrument the size of a Pontiac Parisienne...
D s i n g l e r ow DDDDDDDDDD
PPS go to the Web site of Felix Et Formanger in Nova Scotia..
Three row ADG
Get CDs from Gaston Nolet and Oullett and Denis Pepin and Messervier
Michael Berenstein
>
> Tons of music played on the D and video available...
Can you mention the titles of the videos?
Thanks.
>
>
>
> PS Chromatic? as in 1/2 step...are you 6 years old with wealthy
> parents so you can do nothing but play box for the next ten
> years..this is for you..
Not according to Mitch Gordon (sorry Mitch. I keep on mentioning you).
>
> Continental Chromatic...intelligent choice if you want to hols an
> instrument the size of a Pontiac Parisienne...
Hey hey! Hold yer pferden.
For a chromatic weight is not an issue. The opposite is true: the heavier (to
sertain degree, never reached by accordions) - the better, the more stable it
is.
>
>
> D s i n g l e r ow DDDDDDDDDD
>
> PPS go to the Web site of Felix Et Formanger in Nova Scotia..
> Three row ADG
They are incredible! I bought this CD from their web page. Only took a month!
>
>
Jeff Hildreth
Go to the website Thirty Below..scroll down ..youll find a video by
Denis Pepin ..
Jeff
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Mitch Gordon
last few days - we've been busily hashing through the issue of which diatonic
boxes make sense for which styles of international music. CBA (chromatic button
accordion) or PA (piano accordion) provide your only "one box fits all"
solutions, and I also consider them easier to learn than the diatonics.
However, the half-step diatonic boxes for Irish (B/C and C#/D) are more
traditional for that genre. B/C has two good introductory videos that I know of
- the John Williams (which I've used) and the PJ Hernon. There aren't any
instructional videos for C#/D so far. Check www.buttonaccordion.com for a
discussion of the differences between B/C and C#/D.
As regards French and French-Canadian music, I'm not much of an expert, but I
play C/G diatonic, and when that doesn't work or gets too intimidating, I take
out out my PA.
You can get away with playing French/Quebecois tunes in C on a B/C Irish box,
but it's not a particularly ideal solution. For one thing, a French box is
usually tuned pretty wet, and an Irish box should be pretty dry (unless you're
a big Joe Burke fan). But it will work. Make sure you've got a pair of bass
buttons that plays the F chord on at least the draw (on the push too is that
much better), and that your A and E chord buttons have the thirds removed (you
can get a shop to make these modifications for you).
Hope some of that helps.
Mitch Gordon
Guerneville, CA
Jimattheboxofc
>However, the half-step diatonic boxes for Irish (B/C and C#/D) are >more
traditional for that genre. B/C has two good introductory videos >that I know
of- the John Williams (which I've used) and the PJ >Hernon.
John indeed has a video with lots of good info -- however, I find his
presentation a bit on the dry side. PJ's on the other hand starts out by
showing you how to play Maggie in the Woods -- to me this is the best of the
lot. Peter Browne also has one that says b/c and c#/d I only watched a bit of
it -- was too much with the ornamentation and no attention to the melody of any
tunes..
We also have a 2 video set on how to play Cajun music that goes from raw
beginner to virtuoso playing on the one row melodeon - Cajun style. this is by
Dirk Powel (the legendary Dewey Balfa's son in law).
And a Tex Mex video instructor with flaco Jiminez and Tim Alexander.
All are available at the Box office.