Review: Learn Scottish Accordion

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: Cluin
Date: 20 Nov 03 - 12:11 AM

Well, obviously in Scottish accordion, you have to learn to balance a tipple of Talisker on the box while you're playing.

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 19 Nov 03 - 11:56 PM

Skipjack8--

Yep, I did, and you explain it very well. Thanks for adding to my admittedly meager understanding of the various styles for free-reed instruments. There just ain't enough of us out there, IMO!

Lin

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: GUEST,Skipjack K8
Date: 19 Nov 03 - 08:45 AM

Lin, I am a bit of a duffer on concertinas, other than knowing they're either push-pull or chromatic.

Scottish accordion style is different from Irish principally because the Scottish ceilidh tradition (for the last century or so) is based on piano accordion, and the equally ancient Irish equivalent favouring the melodeon (if a free reed instrument is used). If you examine the difference in the dance styles of both traditions, you can start to perceive the difference in the music required. The fundamental difference is the use of the arms above the head and resting on the waist in the Scottish tradition, and the straight-by-the-side Irish equivalent. Both are wonderful art forms, so I hold no prejudice.

A musical difference would be that jigs are easier to play on the accordion than the melodeon. Also, the Scottish tend to use two piano accordions in a band, known as first and second box, which gives a massive sound.

You can hear the difference between the two traditions in the famous tunes. Tunes like Athole Highlanders, Dashing White Sargeant and Cock of the North capture the Scottish 'sound', whilst Father O'Flynn, Tobin's Favourite and the Kilfenora characterise the Irish sound, to my ear, at least. A musical difference is that the Scottish tunes tend to stay in major keys, whilst the Irish favour major/minor, or plain minor keys.

This is a ham fisted attempt at explaining my own take on this, and far finer musical minds can give you chapter and verse here. I can't even read music, so I really am ill equipped to postulate, but you did ask!

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Nov 03 - 08:07 AM

I'm not entirely sure what the difference is, to be honest.

I'm just a technical lackie.

Please don't burn me.

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 18 Nov 03 - 01:09 AM

Guest, Skipjack K8:

Please forgive my ignorance, but would you tell me what is a "Scottish" accordian? I've been learning concertina, but wasn't aware there were any country designations other than English and Irish!

Thank you for furthering my knowledge base.

Lin

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: GUEST,Skipjack K8
Date: 17 Nov 03 - 04:37 AM

Dignify your second-hand, tired wit with punctuation, Noddy, then maybe we'd roll in the aisles.

Sandy is a great teacher one-to-one, so I can easily assume this video is well worth the wonga. He taught me some neat left hand tricks at Folkworks Darlington a few years back, including a terrific bass run to the Jig Runrig. I reckon there's still a lot of stuff in this for me, and I'm at the upper end of intermediate level, so perhaps I'll lavish this video on myself.

Subject: RE: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: GUEST,noddy
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 08:05 AM

just when we thought it was safe..............


Whats the difference between a gentleman and an accordianist?






The gentleman understands the meaning of the words "Dont" and " Stop"

Subject: Review: Learn Scottish Accordion
From: GUEST,Brendan
Date: 16 Nov 03 - 07:56 AM

Hi people,

We have recently made "Learn Scottish Accordion, with Sandy Brechin" available again after a few hassles over the past couple of years.

It is available on DVD and VHS.

go to this site for more info, and a streaming clip to watch online.

http://www.learnaccordion.cjb.net

We'd appreciate any feedback on the video from people who've seen it before.