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[Chris Rayner]

I have to confess, that I didn't know the difference between Sea Shanties and Forebitters. But I do now, because I found this really interesting thesis on the subject. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=csu1439294062&disposition=inline

Folk music is a wonderful way of learning about our Social History......who we are and where we come from really.

If you read music, I'll happily send you some French pieces, or Arty will too, I'm sure.

If I can help, I certainly will.

Coo!  I'd not seen that thesis before.  Nice to have a scholarly view on the subject.  Many thanks.

[gmatkin]

I sing and play a melodeon quite a lot, and often it's sea songs. I find the two keys on my CF Koch are what I need most of the time, with occasional forays onto my GC Erica and BbEb Model 1.

All three boxes are quite soft toned, and I'd say that was a key characteristic of a box for singing with. A sharp, hard tone (such as a DG Erica tends to produce) is likely to distract from the voice and the words it is carrying. Otoh, the Costalottis have their own sounds, which of course sound great but feel just, well, a bit modern...

G

[Chris Ryall]

Concur with Gavin (yet again)! A soft tableau of chords or tiny link melodies on a mellow voiced box is generall best for song. Let your voice do the heavy lifting.

There are exceptions, some songs thrive on a more dissonant approach. eg Rufford Park

[Chris Rayner]

Thanks for the advice both.  I’ll have to do some intensive melodeon shopping. 😎

[Chris Rayner]

Last weekend I went to the Witney Supersqueeze.  I know there has been a degree of lamentation that this has been transformed from a Melodeon only event to all manner of bellows powered reeds, but I have no yardstick by which to assess it.  It was fine by me.  I chose two workshops exclusively for melodeons, and one dealing with Northern English music.

Rees Wesson initiated us into the mysteries of Cajun single row playing.  Interesting, but not really my bag.  The closest I get to that kind of thing is blues guitar and harp.  Still, interesting.

Then we were a mixed workshop dealing with various northern dance tunes.  This music had been circulated in advance, but my skills both in playing and reading music were not really up to it.  Nice tunes though.... maybe later.

On the Saturday afternoon I spotted a bargain G/C pokerwork which struck me as a good possibility for nautical melodeoneering, so I snapped it up.  At that price marine accidents will not be too disastrous.

That evening in the concert I was sitting in the gallery next to a jovial Yorkshire fellow whom I’d not met before.  In the break on Sunday I encountered him again in his guise as the owner and moving spirit behind Acorn instruments, Pete Ward.  I was really only browsing, having bought the pokerwork, but he had a G/C/Acc Benny which was secondhand, but you couldn’t tell.  Now, I had been looking at possibilities of a more versatile instrument and had identified this model as one to which I might aspire in due course.  This one was, as I say, in immaculate condition, and offered at a substantial discount on the new price, which, as Pete pointed out, with recent exchange rate changes, would only rise.

Reader, I bought it.

I now have to accelerate my learning, which in any case seems to be proceeding well.  Joining a monthly session and tagging on to a local Morris side have structured my learning and practice.  Perforce I have begun to read music, a practice which I have hitherto eschewed.  The only problem seems to be finding enough hours in the day.

[Danielle M]

Thank's for the idea, Chris !  I am a beginner too and I own 2 instruments that I like very much. My first intention was to bring one of them on the boats but they are too precious for me and I am concern the bellows wouln't like the humidity so that's the solution : bying a third cheap one just for this purpose !

[Chris Rayner]

Coo!  A Valparaiso.  This was also on my list of possibles.  There are loads of ratty old melodeons around.  The trick is to find one in playable condition at a good price.  Good luck.