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[Matt (Kings Norton)]

I love listening to Irish music, I listen to it a lot at the moment.  All this talk about people playing it nastily, diddly diddly, no one likes hearing it etc. has inspired me to start learning some Irish tunes (which was not part of the plan before).  I am enjoying this, and it is also teaching me to get around the box better due to the twisty nature of some of these tunes.  In 25 years or so if I keep practicing them and listen to good musicians, I might be able to play them nicely.  Anyway: I have not got the cash for a semitone box for the foreseeable future so I am learning them on one row.  Any flaws in this plan (technical or musical)?

[xgx]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC8vuMZTVMQ  1:38 mins   

Interesting reading http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/connolly.htm

[Mike Hirst]

There has been a resurgence of interest in one row playing amongst Irish musicians. Of particular note is  Dan Possumato who uses his Castagnari Max in C to great effect.

http://www.danpossumato.com/

Also look out for recordings of Jimmy O Se (C melodeon), Michael Darby O’Fatharta,  (D-Melodeon, Castagnari-Max), Brendan Begley (D Melodeon), Paul Brock (D Melodeon), Bobby Gardiner (Hohner, Melodeon G), Johnny Connolly and Joe Cooley.

[deltasalmon]

It's an event at the All-Ireland Fleadh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_All-Ireland_Fleadh_champions#One_row_melodeon_.28Mileoideon.29

I've been considering getting a 1-row D melodeon and giving it a try. Let me know how you like it!

[Mike Hirst]

It's an event at the All-Ireland Fleadh http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_All-Ireland_Fleadh_champions#One_row_melodeon_.28Mileoideon.29

I've been considering getting a 1-row D melodeon and giving it a try. Let me know how you like it!

An interesting list. I've not seen that before. I recognize plenty of the names from the Leeds scene c. 1980-1990 (Martin Joyce, John Ferguson, et al. )

Thanks 

[Chris Ryall]

Search out John O'Halloran of Galway (also plays in D) - see this thread

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,9953.msg123173.html#msg123173

[Matt (Kings Norton)]

Thank you everybody, superb response as always.  I had looked for previous threads under "one row" but not "single row", so I missed the other thread, sorry to duplicate.  I knew Johnny Connolly but there is so much more there.  Right then, I had better get on with it, I will let you know how I get on in 25 years time.

[KLR]

If you go to the Comhaltas Archives you can hear tons of old recordings on the old style instrument:  John Kimmel, PJ Conlon, Flanagan Brothers.  They played all sorts of classic tunes on the one-row.  There are a couple of out-of-print LPs with wonderful melodeon playing, one by Michael J Kennedy, another with Terry "Cuz" Teahan and Gene Kelly (each playing solo), called "Old Time Irish Music in America." 

Only thing about the melodeon is that if you ever get a two row you'll need to relearn all the tunes in G, which on the one row you play in D, assuming you want to play with other musos. 

[Stiamh]

There has been a resurgence of interest in one row playing amongst Irish musicians. Of particular note is Dan Possumato who uses his Castagnari Max in C to great effect.

No disrespect, but he wouldn't be in my top 20. 

The following page used to link to one of my favourite pieces of one-row playing, a live performance by a young lad brought up in London (also one of the hottest 2-row players around).

http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/new_mown_meadow_bonnie_kate

Since it doesn't seem to work any more I've taken the liberty of putting the clip up here, where I'll leave it for a few days. Enjoy!

[smiley]

Since it doesn't seem to work any more I've taken the liberty of putting the clip up here, where I'll leave it for a few days. Enjoy!

Onya Steve! I was amazed at Damien's melodeon playing when this clip first appeared on the Comhaltas website years ago and I tried unsuccessfully to convince them to keep the clip available after it disappeared. So your temporary link is a boon to me.

[Matt (Kings Norton)]

Just wanted to say thanks again for these links and resources now that I have had a chance to take more of a look.  I don't know enough to say how Dan Possumato compares to others but I am enjoying his style, he seems to have a way of making the phrasing sing and putting in the ornamentation where it counts.  I would defy anyone to listen to that clip of the New Mown Meadow without a smile on their face (who is it, Damien who? Amazing playing).  There is a lot of very interesting discussion on this forum of playing for dancing and John O'Halloran and Johnny Connolly are obviously both complete masters of this as you can see on that video of Johnny Connolly and also on this clip I found of John O'Halloran http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZg3YIoy13E&feature=youtube_gdata_player.  Watching that film of Johnny Connolly in particular you can see and feel that although his style is subtle and understated, he is putting so many deliberate differences of emphasis, dynamics, note length etc into his playing.  It shows how a tune can have eight quavers to a bar and still be full of rhythmic interest and subtlety.  I am sure  that all these links show a very high level of musicianship, not just speed.

I am having Adobe flash player problems with the Comhaltas Archives but thanks for drawing it to my attention.  Thanks again for all this, expect my posting of The Wise Maid some time in 2037.

Having some adobe flash player problems with

[Tyker]

I am having Adobe flash player problems with the Comhaltas Archives but thanks for drawing it to my attention.  Thanks again for all this, expect my posting of The Wise Maid some time in 2037.

I have had problems with Firefox and Flash , when IE9 and Chrome are both fine .

[EeeJay]

Search through the clips of Sean Nós (old style) step dancing... all manner of good players to be found there too - fella called Stephen Doherty is a good one row player... also plays a damn good C#/D box too... and umpteen other instruments (makes you sick, it does )...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_fS7BQShJA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuTaJ4yuUSE

Another fine YT resource (surprised it's not got a mention yet) is Gilles Poutoux's channel. Loads and loads of stuff to try out... and things slowed down, so you can yet the ornaments and nips and tucks into the tune right...

Ed J

[Stiamh]

I would defy anyone to listen to that clip of the New Mown Meadow without a smile on their face (who is it, Damien who? Amazing playing).

Damien Mullane, who must still be in his early 20s. Wonderful B/C player - great technique and great musicality to go with it.

[nfldbox]

Great collection of tunes:

http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,4885.msg61974.html#msg61974