Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Grape Ape on August 20, 2019, 07:58:00 PM
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Recently ran into a monthly bluegrass session near my home and after talking to some of the participants, they suggested I bring a box and join them. What would be the best keys for trying this out?
I have boxes in GC, GCF, AD, CF, and BbEb.... but something tells me I need a DG...
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Phone one of them up and ask what keys most bluegrass is in? I have a sneaking feeling that your GC or your AD are the best bets.
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They said D and G, so you are probably right. Just wondering if anyone had some personal insight.
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i did a "hustory of American music" expedition in 2002, driving from Chesapeake Bay to the Mississippi. My bluegrass stop was in Ashville, N Carolina. It was very pub based
i've also tried a festival here in Yorkshire, and a session at my daughter's more broad based festival in Wales. All three played mostly in D mixolydian (Cnatural).
But my takehome in all cases was that Bluegrass and melodeon don't mix. It seemed an entirely string based genre, best on banjo fiddle or guitar. I tred on the D row, and on thr pull, G row, but the dynamic was wrong. (There were no other squeezeboxes at any of these ) 🤔
Might have been me, of course, but I do like the music. In contrast Blues sessions are … just fine, though again I'm generally the only squeezebox. (Expedition stop was Beale St, including a very instructive BB King concert.
"Country" (Main St Nashville) seemed similarly "plucky" though I've managed a few songs since. I didn't get as far as Louisiana.
So good luck! Has anyone else had more success?
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Grape, I have not found much synergy with bluegrass. Actually, none.
With OTM, not too bad if the sessions are open to accommodation with free reeds as the tunes are often the same as or derived from Euro folk.
Find thee some Irish sessions. Or contra dances. Open arms may await.
My experience in NC over 45 years...
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I've been asked to leave bluegrass/old-timey sessions - "no accordions here mate!"
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Which is a good segue.
I haven't been around here at all.
Opted to sell my accordion and devote the time to Bluegrass banjo.
Went from a world of Delicq 6ths and delicacy, to pull-offs, hammer- on's, and slides.
Actually BG Banjo is capable of delicate music as well, but this is another matter.
Anyway, just saying hi if anyone remembers me.
Carry on, and thank you for the conversations over the years I was active.
Steve
Oh I almost forgot. G and A.
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Oh I almost forgot. G and A.
In that case the best box for any American music in those keys is a C box for G tunes and a D box for A tunes, both played on the pull.
If you try playing this style on the G or A row it will sound pretty tame.
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Hmmm. I play mostly across the rows. One rows are difficult to me. So. Any suggestion for the best 2 or more row to use if I decide to ignore the advice that has been given? (They did invite me afterall) I should add they use fiddles in their sessions.....
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Hmmm. I play mostly across the rows. One rows are difficult to me. So. Any suggestion for the best 2 or more row to use if I decide to ignore the advice that has been given? (They did invite me afterall) I should add they use fiddles in their sessions.....
The limited experience I have of Bluegrass suggests to me that the favoured keys are D, G and A (fiddle-friendly keys). Fortunately I play guitar & bass, so the few Bluegrass sessions I have been to didn't involve a box. Seems to me Bluegrass is an essentially string-based genre - but do let us know how you get on if you take up the invitation!
GRaham
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GPS, there are apparently very few examples of the box being used with blue grass, but I am told they exist.
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GPS, there are apparently very few examples of the box being used with blue grass, but I am told they exist.
Early in his career Bill Monroe had a piano accordionist. If the accordionist plays a strict staccato rhythm/comping accompaniment (mimicking the mandolin rhythm) there really shouldn't be a problem. Keep the volume low, don't use a heavy hand on the bass: in fact no "oom-pah" at all but just "pah." I've followed my own advice and the piano accordion sounded fine within the group.
For American Old Time I used a single-row, either C or D depending on the tune, to play the melody. So far no one has complained--to me!
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The ones I’ve attended were playing in D G A C and a lot of E , because that’s the key the player (or players) liked to sing in.
So it probably would depend on who’s singing, most bluegrass music is song and not many tunes.
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GPS, there are apparently very few examples of the box being used with blue grass, but I am told they exist.
I'm sure they do.
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Get ready to play fast. (:)
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Get ready to play fast. (:)
(:) true!
I had to thin out the notes to keep up , on some tunes.
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I've always found the diatonic accordion to be a fantastic reggae instrument, and fits right in.
Certainly sounds better than those cheap Casios you hear in very old recordings, although admittedly that was part of the charm.
Unlike bluegrass "purists," Reggae most musicians would probably find the melodeon a good fit for a band. There are melodica players who front Reggae bands for that matter.
It would be an easy and fun mix, especially if the band played some zydeco as well to mix it up a bit.
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Self evidently accordion is great for Cajun (:) but surely it's a completely different tradition and feel?
1. Central French, rather than peripheral British Isles roots?
2. It's about a 10 hour drive from NC to LA !
Cue Steve C, who knows about such things …
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Trying to work out where reggae fits in to the equation. Yes, a melodeon is indeed a good reggae instrument, but Jamaica to Kentucky is a pretty long leap.........
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I play piano box for old-time (Appalachian dance team) due to the variety of keys and speed required. It's not a popular instrument and not welcomed in some OT sessions; although there is a lot of accordion music from the Appalachians, it tends to relate to the East European emigrants further North - the Appalachians stretch into NY state.
In ensemble, I play staccato offbeat as above. Leading, I've been told that I play fiddle double-stops on the melody hand and Carter-style bass-chord runs on the other. Neither would be wholly possible on melodeon. A lot of my ornamentation comes from Cajun / Zydeco accordion.
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Chris has it about right. There is a huge connection between the Quebec/LA traditions.
What there is as evidence of crossover are band like the Red Clay Ramblers and other contemporary Southern "trad" bands that don't mind any boundaries. They use horns, piano accordion, etc.
But diatonic? Most folks I know say "too hard to play!"
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Should have noted to Chris' comment that there are are members from Q and the Provinces much more knowledgeable than me.
Going out on a bit of a limb (and sorry for the thread drift, Grape) I would say that, absent a festival, one is most likely to hear diatonic melodeon in the States along the Texas border.
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DG box G row for
An instrumental version, as collected by John A. Lomax under the title "Angelina the Baker"[3] is a popular fiddle or banjo tune, and differs from the Stephen Foster melody. It is part of the old time fiddle canon, but is also played by bluegrass musicians.[4] This old time tune was also played as bluegrass by Stuart Duncan at the 2007 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival.
Also Shove the Pigs Foot
Good fun to play and certainly is a surprise to throw into the mix in a session.
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I've been asked to leave bluegrass/old-timey sessions
I've been asked to leave sessions in general... :|glug
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I've been asked to leave bluegrass/old-timey sessions
I've been asked to leave sessions in general... :|glug
Including ones you were running? >:E
I can't find an emoji for "I'll get me coat"......
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Good Morning from the State of Jefferson The 51st state of the United States
(So Oregon)
I have some experience with Bluegrass having played banjo for same from 1971-79.
My current appreciation of the genre is limited.
By my observation, Bluegrass is a "closed" society with an appearance of being welcome.
They take themselves ( and sometimes the music) very seriously.
Keep in mind resonator guitar was not allowed for many years, though now a mainstay.
As to keys. For Bluegrass, .. consider fiddle keys and mandolin as the primary influence.
Keys of A,D,G the relative minors sometimes C, "fancy" players will wander off into the flat keys.
Olde Tyme music is a different story.. often welcoming and not so closed, nor elitist.
In recent years I have been playing clawhammer, one of the main styles adopted by the genre.
Here is a link to a group out of Baltimore, Maryland fronted by B/C box player and son of Billy MComiskey.
They play quite a variety of tunes to include Old time, Contra , Bluegrass and Americana.
Note the use of open back banjos and played mostly in the clawhammer style..
I have their CD "Charm City Junction" in play at this moment... quite good.
They have several youtube videos to include this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Aa_7THMWCo
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That was very nice, thanks. I found it very easy to listen to, but I've little idea of keys.
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By my observation, Bluegrass is a "closed" society with an appearance of being welcome.
Olde Tyme music is a different story.. often welcoming and not so closed, nor elitist.
Very nicely put, in both cases IME 🤔
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Here is a link to a group out of Baltimore, Maryland fronted by B/C box player and son of Billy MComiskey.
They play quite a variety of tunes to include Old time, Contra , Bluegrass and Americana.
Note the use of open back banjos and played mostly in the clawhammer style..
I have their CD "Charm City Junction" in play at this moment... quite good.
Charm City Junction (2015) was Charm City Junction's first CD, their second, Duckpin (2018), is also worth a listen.
https://charmcityjunctionmusic.bandcamp.com/releases (https://charmcityjunctionmusic.bandcamp.com/releases)
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Thanks for the heads up Alan.
Was not aware there was a second CD.
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I like their sound. Thanks for the link Melodeon. The B/C does seem a bit like an afterthought, tho. OT is a banjo/fiddle driven style when played in a band. Solo, tho, anything goes. I am particular these days to OT on Anglo.
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Currently ? Do you have an Anglo concertina ?
Are you familiar with Jody Kruskal.. concertina player ?
I believe he often plays a G/D Anglo.
I like concertinas.. and though I have owned some of the best to include Wheatstone, Jeffries and Lachenal..
I preferred the Button Box TAM Italian reeded Anglos.
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Some thread drift here, but Jefe, you must be looking in our windows (thought we had the shade down!)
Last Fall I decided I had to have a Morse GD Anglo TAM, I mean they are hand made, I have been there many times and seen the folks building them from the raw... No idea how to play. (70th birthday present to self) Sold a Tommy to cover.
And yes, have been to NESI and seen Jody and others playing all sorts of tunes. Also discovered Gary Coover, the patron saint of Anglo learners.
Anglo: an easy instrument to play badly, hard to play well, especially in the harmonic style....
Grape: sorry for the drift, but relates slightly to your OP re: bluegrass/OT
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Drifting home:
The G/D Morse Anglo may be perfectly suited to Blue Grass.
I also think an A/D melodeon or a D/A Anglo would be well suited.
I see no reason NOT to use a diatonic box for Blue Grass.
Much as with Cajun music, the fiddle/violin may have been first but now the 1 Row defines the Cajun sound. A band in a box.