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Author Topic: what makes a good box player???  (Read 8420 times)

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sqwzboxstudent

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what makes a good box player???
« on: May 05, 2009, 08:17:47 AM »

i would be realy interested in what you fine folk think makes a great melodeon player????? :||:
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HallelujahAl

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2009, 09:48:23 AM »

Hi, this is far too dangerous a subject to get into ;)
I've written a great long and thoughtful response and decided to delete it. Basically, I think practice helps to make a good box player.
AL
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sqwzboxstudent

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2009, 10:02:23 AM »

i was thinking along the lines of clarity of notes, good seperation between bass and treble etc, any other ideas???
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Clive Williams

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2009, 11:12:19 AM »

i was thinking along the lines of clarity of notes, good seperation between bass and treble etc, any other ideas???

Musicality and interpretation, I think. There are a *lot* of technically good players out there, but the special ones for me are the ones where I stop thinking 'My, that's clever, I wonder how he does it', and get lost in the music itself. John Kirkpatrick and Andy Cutting spring to mind for me, with wildly different techniques, and from France, people like Bernard Loffet, Stephane Delicq, Marc Perrone who can (and do) play *solo* for a dance and lose you in their music for hours at a time. How they do that with a single instrument, and in Stephane Delicq's case, a single 2 row, 8 bass instrument with no tricks, I've no idea... because every time I try to analyze it... I just drift off into the music...  ;D

Cheers,

Clive

george garside

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2009, 12:36:33 PM »

no one single thing (and anyway there is no universal definition of 'a good' box player).  Having said that my thoughts aare  (amongst other things)

 - listening   constantly to what you are playing as you play it & making minor adjustments on the hoof to get it to sound right.

-  developing considerable manual dexterity so you don't have to think about fingering/bellows movement etc

-  treating phrasing & dynamics very seriously

-  enjoying playing the box  at every opportunity. i.e. not making hard work of it.

no doubt there will be many more views on this subject


george
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Owen Woods

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2009, 02:19:23 PM »

The obvious answer is someone who plays musically and that is the most important answer. Other than that, someone who appears not to be conscious of the instrument in front of them, someone who just *plays*
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Québécois

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2009, 03:19:59 PM »

A great player is one who knows the difference between "playing an instrument" and "doing music"  :||:
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TomB-R

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2009, 06:01:50 PM »

"Musicality"





(The difference between music and "one note after another."  Helpful, eh?)
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Nick Hudis

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2009, 08:14:34 PM »

Get an earful of Tony Hall, Stephane Delicq, Markku Lepisto, Riccardo Tesi, Andy Cutting,... and maybe many others I've yet to discover and hope that something of their wonderful muscianship rubs off on you.
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Nick

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2009, 08:37:45 PM »

Someone that can play really loud and really fast?   >:E
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HallelujahAl

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #10 on: May 06, 2009, 08:42:51 PM »

Quote
Someone that can play really loud and really fast?   

I'm ok then!
 ;)
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Québécois

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #11 on: May 06, 2009, 09:04:38 PM »

Someone people like to listen to her/his music!
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george garside

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2009, 09:21:18 PM »

Get an earful of Tony Hall, Stephane Delicq, Markku Lepisto, Riccardo Tesi, Andy Cutting,... and maybe many others I've yet to discover and hope that something of their wonderful muscianship rubs off on you.

there are 2 clips of tony hall on utube  - ships in the night & morris dance

george
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Andy Next Tune

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2009, 10:38:17 PM »

Musicality, phrasing, dynamics.......

In its simplest form, its the same quality that also makes a good comedian - timing.

Andy
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HallelujahAl

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #14 on: May 07, 2009, 06:26:08 AM »

On a practical note I've noticed that all the really good box players that I admire (with one or two notable exceptions) hardly ever spend their time posting on Mel.net Coincidence? Or are they all too busy actually 'playing'? Like I said earlier, I think that what makes a good player is practice.
AL ;D
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Graeme

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #15 on: May 07, 2009, 12:50:40 PM »

Oh boy! Endless definitions of a good box player available, quite rightly so! I think I'm good because I can manage a few tunes (some with both hands too using the BCC# & stradella). My daughter and family think I'm good. Fergie MacDonald thinks differently and perhaps sees some potential room for significant improvements. But, if you know why you're playing a box and your managing to achieve that then I would argue you are good. If you have aspirations beyond current ability, setting out a definition of where you want to be, to define your notion of success, could sensibly be followed up by a plan to achieve that success. Setting goals along the journey towards success which are attainable could still mean that you are good! Is there such a thing as a bad box player.  ???

Graeme
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ganderbox

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #16 on: May 07, 2009, 05:15:58 PM »

Is there such a thing as a bad box player.  ???

Graeme

Yes...but they often think they are good!
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Graeme

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #17 on: May 07, 2009, 09:04:15 PM »

Is there such a thing as a bad box player.  ???

Graeme

Yes...but they often think they are good!

Or you think they're bad? And they think you are......and so on!  ;D
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Québécois

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #18 on: May 08, 2009, 03:35:46 PM »

One who knows how to get out of the mechanical and get into the musical aspect of playing!
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squeezebox63

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Re: what makes a good box player???
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2009, 01:58:07 PM »

How about rhythm. every real good player I've heard seems to have real good rhythm to their music.
You can play as methodicaly as possible but still not have that jump or chemistry to make the music come alive. You almost have to have the gift in your blood and bones.
I have yet to obtain that gift. Most of my music sounds , shall we say , clinical.
If you can play along with cd's or a group it helps.
Cliff.
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