Discussions > Teaching and Learning
When a D/G player tries faking it on a B/C box
smiley:
At a session the other night a good friend asked me to play his new Gaillard B/C box (maybe he's luring me over to the dark side) and, being put on the spot, I could only think of a few G jigs to play that fitted nicely in their usual key on the C row - Blarney Pilgrim & the Kesh. The next day at home I remembered a few more standard Irish session tunes that suit playing up and down the C row e.g. Jim Wards (G), Out on the Ocean (G), Geese In The Bog (Am), Miss McLeod's (G) and Sweeney's polka in G.
Basically I guess any tunes that sound ok played in A, Bm or maybe Em on the D row would be candidates for a dyed-in-the-wool D/G player who wants to have a go at playing Irish session tunes on a B/C without having to work out where those F# and C# notes might lurk on the B row [ "old dogs and new tricks" ].
What other common Irish session tunes would suit being played just on the C row, assuming you're playing along with others in the usual session keys?
george garside:
playing in G on the C row means you are already half way there to BC playing. DG and BC are not worlds apart as many DGers believe . On a DG you can play on the row using the same fingering for D or G but if cross rows ;you immediately bring in a different set of fingering. On a BC playing across row ,as is normal, is arguably easier than 'cross rowing on a DG. There is of course the lack of bass problem for English music on an 8 bass BC but with 12 stradella that is sorted
george
richard.fleming:
Not worlds apart? I beg to differ.
Gromit:
I play an F sharp in The Kesh jig, Out on the Ocean and Miss Mcleod's on a B/C. Not sure of the other tunes you mention as I don't play them and I can't think of any tunes that can be played just on the C row.
Stiamh:
Any basically pentatonic tune in G would work. Willie Coleman's jig, Foxhunter's reel, Christmas Eve. And any pentatonic tune that is normally played in other keys will work if you stick into G.
Often you'll find that missing out F#s that might be put into those tunes makes them sound better, i.e. finish the phrases in Willie Coleman's with AGG G3 instead of the common AGF# G (the F# will soon start to sound cheesy when you refrain from playing it).
Also many "A minor" tunes such as Lilting Banshee or Laurel Tree are F#-less. The Mist-Covered Mountain can easily be played without F#s. You'll need to play them in what is "B minor" fingering to a D-row player, of course. But if you play Mist-Covered Mountain in "A minor" fingering it will sound in the original G key and fiddlers will show respect, even if most fluters and box players will be flummoxed.
Edited to add a PS: D minor tunes will miraculously become a piece of cake on the C row. Just play them in Em fingering and a whole world of great inaccessible tunes will open up to you.
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