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[Caroline]

I've had my Wesson Clipper around 6 weeks now and a very fine instrument it is too   
I'm kind of stuck though, its taken me a while to get used to actually handling it so I've only been playing tunes I know well already  in D as it is in D.  Can you suggest a few tunes to tax my brain a little that would make a nice set and are not just in D.

Many Thanks,
Caroline

[rees]

Awight missus? Aforementioned Wesson here.

It's not common in the English tradition to play tunes on the one-row melodeon in any other than the home key - in your case D, but......

You know all those D/G tunes that play the A part on one of the rows and the B part on the other?
Try playing them on your one-row in D and A or D and G.
A couple that I use are the old chestnuts Walter Bulwers 1 and 2 (or is it 2 and 1?) - in D and A.

Normally these tunes have the A part in G on the G row and the B part in D on the D row. Start the tune in D as if you were playing on your D/G, G row. Easy enough so far.
Now, play the second part of the tune in A.
(Clue: the first note of the B part in either tune is E).
It works fine on the first tune but you will have to invent a slightly different phrase in the B part of the second tune as you have no G sharp.

That limitation is the joy of the one-row melodeon.
It sounds a bit confusing but persevere.
Cajun and Irish styles rely heavily on playing in other keys on the one-row.
there are a huge amount of English tunes suitable for one-row in the East Anglian tune book "Before The Night Was Out"

[Caroline]

G'evening Mr Wesson - I'm awight, you too ?

Thankee sir for giving my tiny frozen brain some idea ideas, 'tis cold up here on Mendip and old chestnuts would be just the ticket.
I'll give old Walter B a go for starters and then get a copy of that book.  Have I mentioned what a truly beautiful sounding instrument the Clipper is ? Really, I am still besotted with it and took it to stave dance practice this week, not that the dancers noticed being too busy trying not to pierce each other with the  staves, Mr H however found it necessary to pull out all the stops on his Salterellininari but still was no match.  Anyway, thanks very much for tearing yourself from the hard life of  melodeon making in a cold and dank workshop and giving me the benefit of your knowledge 

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about your piccies, will get them done this w/end,

Bye
C

Edit:- actually, I read chestnuts as 'roast' not 'old' - thinking of food as usual, silly me