BCC# boxes

Subject: BCC# boxes
From: buttonbox
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 02:03 PM

Are there any 3 row BCC# players out there. As a minority we should get together and exchange info on techniques, availability of tuition, etcetcetc. Also is anyone interested in becoming a 3 row player - its easier and more versatile than the 2 row BC box.
Comments from enthusiasts, detractors and the plain curious awaited with interest!!!!

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: treewind
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 02:25 PM

Good Luck!

I used to play one (a Hohner Gaelic IV) but gave up when I discovered I could make enough noise in as many keys as I needed with a melodeon, and without having to carry so much weight about. I do miss the fully chromatic system sometimes though, and all the stuff you can do on the bass buttons. I've made the transition from piano accordion to B/C/C# to D/G to 1-row!!! (I still play D/G mainly, and a new 2+1/2 row)

Have you see John Kirkpatrick's ? He's got some info on how to play the button accordion. Basically the systems a complete mess and you just have to learn each keay individually, but that's no different from most other instruments really..

The intriguing thing is that such a strange system is/was the choice of two of the greatest players - Jimmy Shand and JK.

Anahata

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 03:05 PM

I have had a Hohner B/C 4 voice box for about two years and the transition from D/G (for a person of limited talent like myself) is to only play some tunes on B/C and others on D/G. I haven't spent a lot of time on the B/C but everytime I pick it up I end up telling myself to invest more effort in it because it's a very interesting box.

I am not a session type person so I tend to learn all the bad tricks first then refine them until I have something resembling the tune.

I agree that it's best to treat every button as a unique plaything and ignore the holistic system. It sometimes makes for slow learning but as I play mainly by ear I can run over the tune until I find the missing note and then commit to memory.

The bass buttons on my B/C are just a mystery. The nature of a chromatic with only 8 bass buttons must leave lots of keys one can't play on the left hand.

Still , I just love the ultra wet tuning of one of the voices. Hints of france with overtones of old upright overstrung untuned piano. Such a wide voice between the reeds make it difficult to tell If I am playing correctly or not!!

Spot

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: mooman
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:42 PM

Dear Spot,

You undersell yourself! I've heard you play some excellent box!

Best regards,

moo

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: treewind
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 04:51 PM

Sorry about the broken clicky - it's meant to be a link to John Kirkpatrick's web site, and it does work but....

Spot - the B/C/C# is a very different box from yours as it has stradella (piano accordion system) bass buttons. B/C boxes have useless bass buttons by default but are ofetn retuned so they will work most of the time for D and G, but many Irish players (and it's very much an Irish players instrument) don't bother with the basses much even so.

Anahata

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 07:36 PM

And they never said a word of this on the instruction manual. It just said. Open case. Loose the leather straps. Play!!!.

Thanks Mooman. Sometimes a person is never happy with what they are. Being told that I can do it occasionally made me feel real good.

So how can I learn more about this B/C melodeon then. I live in Lancashire (UK) and would love to hear from people who :-

1. Like melodeons (and perhaps Bhodrans because I am learning to use one of these too)
2. Know a lot about B/C two row boxes.
3. Have a magic wand that makes me play like
   a) Sharon Shannon
   b) John Kirkpatrick

As a little aside. Sometimes this mudcat thing really works. I have just recovered my B/C from the spare room and started to play it again. It is just as difficult and not as quick as my G/D Tommy but all the reasons I should invest more time in it came flooding back.

Spot.

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: GUEST,stevethesqueeze
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 08:42 AM

The bassess on a regular B/C box, like hohner boxes, are arranged to accompany tunes played in the keys of B abd C which is useless to most players. many Irish players I know in Kerry take the bass reeds out and use the buttons as extra air buttons.

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: Dave Wynn
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 12:02 PM

There is a valuable tip. If the irish players don't use the bass keys then I don't have to waste valuable learning time on them.....

Spot

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: pavane
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 12:40 PM

As I understand, the B/C/C# with accordeon basses was INVENTED by Jimmy Shand, so no wonder he played it.

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: buttonbox
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 07:05 PM

HI spot the dog! & others!
the bass on a BC can only be used as a form of ornementation & not to drive a rythm as on a DGbox. This is because playing accross the rows ther are only a limited number of instances where a boss note will harmonise with a trble at the same time. Most BCC# boxes have stradella (accordion) bass which will provide harmony and rhythm as requireds.

Yes Sir Jimmy Shand played BCC# because he invented the bugger. Starting on single row 10 key melodeon he progressed via 2 row & then a hohner organola 36 bass 2 row ( on which his early recordings were made) the 3 row coming in about 1936 as the Shand Special which in turn developed into the famous Shan Morino after the war.

If it is any help to anybody I am in merseyside?westLancs and teach melodeon and button accordion i.e. DG, BC & BCC# & also continental chromatic up to intermediate level.
If anyone has any specific problems I will try to answer them.

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: Crane Driver
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 10:43 PM

A friend of mine called Anne recently moved to Lancaster from Swansea - she can usually be found in the vicinity of John O' Gaunt's Morris - she plays a three-row Gremlin BCC# - and having sat next to her in a ceilidh band for several years, I can assure you she plays the bass buttons a lot! Give her my regards.

Andrew

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: pavane
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 02:36 AM

Is she by any chance ex-Men of Sweyn's Ey?
(and Five Bar Gait?)

Subject: RE: BCC# boxes
From: Crane Driver
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 06:33 PM

Yes, that's the one.