Can we talk about accordions please?

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: Escamillo
Date: 05 Sep 00 - 06:52 AM

Carol, and all who may be interested, in these sites you'll find technical and historical details about bandoneons, and even places to buy one:

Description

General Guide and details

Personality of Anibal Troilo

The music of Astor Piazzolla

There is a wide collection of Piazzolla's music in this last site, where you may find tango, but also jazz fusion and pure classical, symphonic works which will surprise you if you didn't have the experience. If you want to hear how the bandoneon makes the violins cry, listen to Lumiere, Nr.1

There are also lots of links to argentinian music. For anyone who likes tango, and have not listened to Piazzolla, I would say that his music is the most advanced wave of the urban folk, growing from its origins and entering the universe of classics while maintaining its roots. Enjoy.

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,Hoot & Fidget
Date: 05 Sep 00 - 07:33 AM

McComiskey play's an Irish button accordeon. To my knowledge he does not play a piano accordeon. Interestingly enough, I have a recording of him playing an Anglo concertina. I played for a couple of friends of mine without telling them who it was. There immediate response was whoever the artist was his primary instrument was a button accordeon; extraordinarily perceptive, I'd say.

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: CarolC
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 03:58 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: CarolC
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 06:01 AM

I want to tell everybody who has contrubuted to this thread, how proud I am to be in the company of so many wonderful people who share my love and appreciation for these fine instruments. This thread is a treasure, and you good people have made it that way. I have difficulty finding the words to express how much I appreciate your input.

I also want to thank Skipjack K8, who has provided me with some very helpful advice, although much of it is not on this thread.

I hope more people will feel inspired to post to this thread, and if they do, I'll probably have more questions. In the meantime, I just wanted to express my heartfelt thanks.

Much love to all,

Carol

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,Hoot & Fidget
Date: 06 Sep 00 - 11:37 AM

Well, I could use a little advice. I currently play an English Concertina and a Hohner 2815 Vienna, D/G melodeon. The melodeon is a lot of fun, but unlike the concertina, it's not fully chromatic. I've been looking at two-and-a-half row button accordions like the Castagnari Mory, Dony, Matty and Benny as I understand the two-and-a-half row instruments are fully chromatic.

Is my understanding correct?

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 12:48 PM

Brought this one back to life for my good friend Kit, who has recently caught a bad dose of accordionitis, and promises to be a very interesting case study.

Also for CarolC, its author, and throughly bloody nice blokess she is too.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,Kit
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 01:27 PM

I am indeed a new accordion junkie. Does anyone know the name of some fun tunes to play, either sweet waltzes or some speedy jigs & reels? For an indication, I love both Kate Martin's Waltz & Goodbye Liza Jane. Just getting into it, I really want to pick up some new stuff before I start uni in York & start going to sessions there. If I ask Skipjack nicely he might play them with me. Carol, it's great to have someone who is as new to the scene as me. Kit

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Sep 00 - 09:16 PM

Kit,

Maybe we should get into a sheet music exchange. I have music for some beautiful waltzes that I love, and wouldn't mind sending them to you. If you want, you can have Skipjack send me a personal message with your mailing address if you don't become a member yourself.

Carol

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,Kit
Date: 22 Sep 00 - 07:13 AM

Carol, that would be great, the waltzes sound brilliant. It would be handy to delay for a couple of weeks - I'm heading to uni on Oct 8th, from which date I'll have my own e-mail address, so I can have personal message exchanges. I'll get Skipjack to pass it on. I don't know my address yet at uni, but as soon as I do I'll get Skipjack to give you that too. Thanks for thinking of me, can't wait to get some new stuff! Kit

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: CarolC
Date: 24 Sep 00 - 06:44 AM

A good accordion resource, House of Musical Traditions

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: oggie
Date: 24 Sep 00 - 11:05 AM

Guest, Hoot & Fidget

Most of the 2 1/2 row melodeons are fully chromatic BUT the bass ends of course aren't. Personal preference of course but I find the beauty of melodeon is the natural double stopping in it's home keys and the strong bass it achieves. Playing in other keys loses a large of part of this and my preference is to acquire other melodeons (C/F) is next on my list and use other instruments to play in rarer (for folk music) keys.

The B/C, C/C# melodeons (usually called accordions) are fully chromatic but the same caveat applies to the bass ends. Really it depends on what you want to play and the effect you want.

All the best

Steve

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,Kit
Date: 24 Sep 00 - 02:32 PM

Carol, cheers for that site, just been and it looks like fun. Feel like a kid in a sweet shop, Kit

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: Bernard
Date: 26 Sep 00 - 07:44 PM

After a bit of thread hopping, here's a link to my website. I've just added an audio file (poor quality, to keep the file size down!) so you can hear what my 'box' sounds like.

Hope you like it - it's 1.5Mb even at 11kHz 8bit mono sample rate... don't forget to save it from your media player (if you want to keep it!).

Visit my Website

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 24 Nov 04 - 05:38 PM

Am in process of writing a comprehensive button accordion tutor book covering BC button accordion (sometimes refered to as a melodeon) and also the BCC# box with accordion bass as played by the late Sir Jimmy Shand and also by John Kirkpatrick.
The BCC# is the natural box for BC players to move onto if they require a full accordion sound and is also a more natural progression for DG melodeon /diatonic accordion players than is a piano accordion.

Would appreciate any comments/ideas as to what to include/leave out etc.

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 25 Nov 04 - 04:38 AM

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: annie111
Date: 25 Nov 04 - 06:15 AM

talkin about squeeze boxes,check out"THE SULTANS OF SQUEEZE"Chris Parkinson and John Kirpatrick together! Parkys "GOLDEN TANGO is something else !!

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 28 Nov 04 - 12:10 PM

anybody interested in a comprehensive BC button box tutor which will include comprehensive section on British Chromatic BCC# button box.
comments as to what should/should not be included etc etc welcome as are general expressions of interest.

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 02:20 PM

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: dianavan
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 10:59 PM

Carol C. - Try oom pah oom pah and oom pah pah pah.

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 05:44 AM

Buttonbox- my daughter is a complete novice so doesn't even know what to ask for, but we'd be very interested to see what you come up with.

Allison

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 19 Dec 04 - 11:59 AM

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 02:06 PM

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: CarolC
Date: 10 Feb 05 - 11:04 PM

Wow. I can't believe I missed the posts that were added since 2000. Thanks for the heads-up, annie111! I'll have to be on the lookout for that one.

dianavan, I think that thread would be the "Can we talk like accordions please?"

;-)

buttonbox, since you don't seem to be getting much of a response in this thread, maybe more people would see your posts if you started a new thread with a title that gives some info about what you're doing. Maybe something with the words, "botton box tutor book", or something along those lines. Anyway, good luck with that.

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: buttonbox
Date: 13 Feb 05 - 05:00 PM

hi carol

have done exactly what you suggest i.e. thread - button box tutor book - with ;fairly minimal response - trouble is threads drop down out of site within a few hours and only the dedicated few root about for them.
thanks for the idea anyway

anybody else reading this - I will be publishing a comprehensive button box tutor book some time this year covering BC boxes and also the mysterious - or should it be misteriarse- BCC# 3 row boxwhich is the natural progression for the BC player wanting full accordion bass. The third row makes it easier not harder! comments or expressions of interest to this thread or by mudcat personal message

keep squeezing!

bb

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Feb 10 - 11:19 AM

i have a bell accordion made in italy with 34 diatonic bcc# treble buttons and 48 chromatic bass buttons. on the front it has casali yerona italia written on. can anyone shed any light on origins etc? my prof who is french has never seen one like it and has renamed it a diabolique! grateful for any info x a dedicated beginner!

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: GUEST,The accordion is a singing instrument
Date: 03 Feb 13 - 11:22 PM

I use my accordion to play arrangements of popular songs. It could be a challenge because in the absence of the words of the song and the ultimate instrument - the human voice, the arrangement could become very boring and monotone...But usually I think that my accordion starts singing the song if the arrangement has been done decently...No joke - the accordion is a very versatile instrument and if you practice it will reward you with a lot of fun and emotions...If you like you can watch my performance on youtube (the name of my channel is grigpit)...

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 May 13 - 03:52 AM

Exploding accordion:

Todd McLellan

Subject: RE: Can we talk about accordions please?
From: terrier
Date: 20 May 13 - 07:02 AM

Ouch! It'll take a lot of vinegar and brown paper to put that back together again ;)