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Author Topic: One-row instruments  (Read 7803 times)

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bellmartin

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One-row instruments
« on: January 08, 2014, 05:34:47 PM »

The Theme of the Month for this month is music for one-row instruments, which has got me wondering what one-rows are all about. What are the types? What types of music are one-rows specific to? What are your favorites? What maker and model would you recommend? Etc.

Obviously, there's Cajun and there are Italian organettos.

I think the Beltuna Cajun at The Music Room is beautiful. http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/images/Beltuna-Cajun-Melodeon.jpg
« Last Edit: January 08, 2014, 05:46:15 PM by bellmartin »
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911377brian

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2014, 05:55:19 PM »

Well, just to get the ball rolling, the various Hohner one rows, properly set up by one of the fettlers found on this forum would take some beating for richness of sound, with the benefit of affordability. (I'm talking about the German made models before manufacture was exported to China) Unbeatable for Morris in my opinion with that unmistakable 'English' sound... :||: :M
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rees

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2014, 07:36:02 PM »

There's them Welsh ones: www.melodeons.com
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Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
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bellmartin

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2014, 07:38:36 PM »

There's them Welsh ones: www.melodeons.com

Really nice, I've admired these. Are there any for sale?
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rees

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2014, 07:57:46 PM »

Frayed not. Three more to finish off but all sold.
The last one (No.21) is for me - yippee!

There will be more sometime down the line but 2014 is looking increasingly busy, musically speaking.
Fun, fun, fun, of da autobahn ………...
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Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
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www.melodeons.com

911377brian

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2014, 09:01:03 PM »

Yep, there's them Welsh one Rees; I'd certainly swap my half dozen 1040's for one of those..... :|bl
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Ebor_fiddler

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2014, 11:51:29 PM »

And then there's the Chanson ...
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I'm a Yorkie!
My other melodeon's a fiddle, but one of my Hohners has six strings! I also play a very red Hawkins Bazaar in C and a generic Klingenthaler spoon bass in F.!! My other pets (played) are gobirons - Hohner Marine Band in C, Hohner Tremolo in D and a Chinese Thingy Tremolo in G.

triskel

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2014, 12:23:33 AM »

And then there's the Chanson ...

... or Baldoni, Bartoli;


Walters;


and the rest of the Irish-American crew.   :||: :||: :||:

Steve_freereeder

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2014, 08:07:58 AM »

For me, the whole essence of a one-row instrument is having one which has four voices LMMH. Such a rich sound! And assuming functional stops (not dummy stops attached to an instrument which is permanently voiced in LMMH), the range of additional sound types which can be achieved by the combination of the stops is lovely; e.g. M, MM, LM, LMM MH, MMH, LH, etc.

Cajun 'just' temperament tuning works well for Cajun music especially when the instrument is played in 5th position (i.e. in G on a C box) but can sound distinctly odd ( = out of tune :o ) for most other types, especially English music and East Anglian music in particular. It's better to have conventional tuning for most non-Cajun music. 
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Bob Ellis

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2014, 09:51:49 AM »

Steve: I agree entirely with your first paragraph, but I am not so sure about your second paragraph. My Acadian and Junior Martin boxes are both Cajun tuned (the tuning having been recently checked and serviced on both boxes by Rees, who knows a little bit about Cajun tuning  >:E). Both also sound good when playing other types of music: I play Yorkshire Dales, East Anglian and French music on them and neither box sounds ' distinctly odd' when playing these non-Cajun genres.
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Bob in beautiful Wensleydale, Les Panards Dansants, Crook Morris and the Loose Knit Band.
Clément Guais 3-row D/G/acc.; Castagnari 1914 D/G; Karntnerland Steirische 3-row G/C/F; Ellis Pariselle 2.6-row D/G/acc.; Gabbanelli Compact 2-row D/G with lots of bling, pre-war Hohner Bb/F; Acadian one-row in D.

Theo

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2014, 11:29:52 AM »

I agree with you Bob, it's very much a personal matter I think.  For me it's the major third in equal temperament the screams 'out of tune' to me and "Cajun" tuning helps with some of those intervals
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bellmartin

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2014, 12:05:08 PM »

Here's a link to the Albrecht Melodeons website, where there are beautiful German-made one-rows: http://aaccordion.com/

And a video of one of Kay Albrecht's instruments being played: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0lL9rrQsSc

These are currently being discussed in another thread (Interesting new one-row melodeon maker).
« Last Edit: January 09, 2014, 12:10:54 PM by bellmartin »
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911377brian

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2014, 12:19:48 PM »

I'm with Bellmartin on this. I bought I think the third Albrecht one row that he made and it is a joy. My only criticism would be the press in air button as opposed to the slide down Hohner type that I'm used to... and the helicon bass (which I love) might not be to every ones taste...
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ButtonBox21

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #13 on: January 09, 2014, 12:30:19 PM »

The one row box was, at one time, used for Irish music. You would be surprised at how many tunes can be played on a one row. Eventually the two row half tone box was developed which furthered the range. In Cajun music, the one row is still the dominant style. The one row is fun to play as long as you can live with the limitations. I think you will find that the one row was used in every genre of european folk music. :||: :|||:
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Steve_freereeder

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #14 on: January 09, 2014, 02:24:25 PM »

Steve: I agree entirely with your first paragraph, but I am not so sure about your second paragraph. My Acadian and Junior Martin boxes are both Cajun tuned (the tuning having been recently checked and serviced on both boxes by Rees, who knows a little bit about Cajun tuning  >:E). Both also sound good when playing other types of music: I play Yorkshire Dales, East Anglian and French music on them and neither box sounds ' distinctly odd' when playing these non-Cajun genres.

I agree with you Bob, it's very much a personal matter I think.  For me it's the major third in equal temperament the screams 'out of tune' to me and "Cajun" tuning helps with some of those intervals
Both my Wesson Clipper in C and my Stowmarket 'Golden Box' are tuned in 'Rees temperament'  ;).  Essentially, the thirds and sevenths are tuned 5 cents flat from ET. Both instruments sound fine with non-Cajun music. Full Cajun tuning has the thirds something like 15 cents flat and the sevenths getting on for about 10 cents flat. To my ears that's too much for English music, especially when playing along with others.

The French maker Eric Martin gives the you option of having either Cajun or 'Quebecois' tuning when you buy a one-row instrument from him. I believe the latter is much the same as Rees Temperament.  (:)
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Steve
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triskel

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #15 on: January 09, 2014, 02:38:21 PM »

Cajun 'just' temperament tuning works well for Cajun music especially when the instrument is played in 5th position (i.e. in G on a C box) but can sound distinctly odd ( = out of tune :o ) for most other types, especially English music and East Anglian music in particular. It's better to have conventional tuning for most non-Cajun music.

Which is why I got Marc Savoy to tune my Acadian "Québécois" instead of "Cajun" - in fact the Cajun tuning isn't proper 'just' temperament at all, but only a half-assed attempt to achieve the sweeter tuning of the old German melodeons, especially their beloved Monarchs and Sterlings. My 1920's Globe (the same instrument, produced by the same factory) is still in original tuning and sounds "just" great the way it is!  ;)

Bob Ellis

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #16 on: January 09, 2014, 02:51:59 PM »

Steve: I asked Rees to Cajun-tune my boxes, but didn't, until just now, appreciate the difference between true Cajun tuning and 'Rees Temperament' tuning, so maybe Rees did the latter. Perhaps he can remember.

Is 'Rees Temperament' the tuning he does when he is in a bad mood?  >:E
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Bob in beautiful Wensleydale, Les Panards Dansants, Crook Morris and the Loose Knit Band.
Clément Guais 3-row D/G/acc.; Castagnari 1914 D/G; Karntnerland Steirische 3-row G/C/F; Ellis Pariselle 2.6-row D/G/acc.; Gabbanelli Compact 2-row D/G with lots of bling, pre-war Hohner Bb/F; Acadian one-row in D.

Lester

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #17 on: January 09, 2014, 02:55:39 PM »

Is 'Rees Temperament' the tuning he does when he is in a bad mood?  >:E

No that's Rees Intemperate tuning

Bob Ellis

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #18 on: January 09, 2014, 03:05:05 PM »

Surely intemperate tuning is what he does when he's had one too many.   :|glug  (Sorry, Rees.)
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Bob in beautiful Wensleydale, Les Panards Dansants, Crook Morris and the Loose Knit Band.
Clément Guais 3-row D/G/acc.; Castagnari 1914 D/G; Karntnerland Steirische 3-row G/C/F; Ellis Pariselle 2.6-row D/G/acc.; Gabbanelli Compact 2-row D/G with lots of bling, pre-war Hohner Bb/F; Acadian one-row in D.

rees

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Re: One-row instruments
« Reply #19 on: January 09, 2014, 05:56:48 PM »

You lot, eh!

@Bob. Your boxes are fully Cajun. The Acadian is -15 cents on 3rds and 7ths. The Jnr Martin is the same and also +10 cents on the 4ths.
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Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
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