Jody Kruskal

Snake Chapman's Tune. D modal tunes work great on the C/G Anglo concertina. This crooked tune is popular at Old Time sessions and festivals. Originally known as "Home with the Girls in the Morning" this tune has undergone some modifications via the folk process.

I've been happily using Myers Feather 2 pickups in live performance for almost a year now and I like them very much.

Hey digver, glad to hear that you like my angle. I'm trying to frame it so that the concertina fills the screen. The camera is about 8 to 12 inches away from the action. Shooting so close amps up the detail and yes, sometimes you can see both sides at once.

Simpson County, Old Time tune from Kentucky fiddler Charlie Kessinger played on C/G Anglo concertina by Jody Kruskal

That was jolly. Thanks. Made me smile😀

Railroading Through the Rockies from fiddler Jim Bowles played on the C/G Anglo concertina by Jody Kruskal 2024.

OK David, does this help? Moments before posting this funny scene I had just successfully repaired my Jefferies 38 button C/G vintage Anglo. Button #6 on the left hand (pitches A-B) was sounding continuously, impeding my ongoing Old Time tune recording project, so it had to be fixed. The button seemed to return when pressed, so it was not a broken spring. Nothing to do but take the end off and have a look. I could see nothing wrong. I unhooked the spring, wiggled the lever, seems ok. The staple was snug. I opened the pad and could not see anything keeping it from closing. Gave it a good blow of air. Put everything back together… but the problem was still there. The button seemed to return when pressed, but maybe not fast enough and certainly not strong enough to close the pad. Often, just taking the problem bits apart and fiddling with them fixes the issue. I call that the fuss factor; but not this time. Button #6L was still sounding in both directions without me pressing the button. So I took the end off again to have another look. Should I bend the spring to increase the closing pressure? Attach a second spring? Before taking that drastic measure I tried lubrication. I sprayed a bit of graphite lock lubricant in a bottle cap and applied it to the lever fulcrum with a toothpick and worked it into the riveted joint. Then I found an old drill bit that just fit into the button bushing hole. Rotating the non-cutting end against the felt in one direction can polish and align the fibers to make for a slightly looser fit. I then applied graphite to the bushing felt for good measure. When I put the end back on,.. problem sorted; much to my relief. Moments later by chance, I watched the Chaplin video and thought… wow. I really dodged a bullet on that concertina repair. It could have been much much worse!

Back in my 20s, my dancing days; I remember a pick-up side at Pinewoods Camp dancing Drunk's March. Every time I drained my mug some onlooker would fill it up again. It looked a bit like this...

This has been a favorite of mine for decades.

Here is another fine example of this fine tune.

a4naught, I know what you mean. When learning a tune I want to hear it from a fiddler. Preferably playing one on one, knee to knee.

Ora Lee - My 5th Old Time offering exploring American fiddle tunes on the C/G Anglo concertina.

Listen to Old Folks Played and the Young People Danced in its natural environment.

Old Folks Played and the Young People Danced, Old Time fiddle tune from Kentucky on the C/G Anglo concertina.

Rock the Cradle Joe, Old Time chestnut on the C/G Anglo concertina. This a fine old D tune. A fiddle tune first recorded in Virginia way back when. It's one of those Old Time songs I learned from fiddler Michael Gorin 40 years ago, so it's been well burnished by the folk process over the years. I've always played it on my G/D Anglo but last week I thought I would give it a try it on the C/G. Amazing! It's like Rock the Cradle Joe is a whole different tune! For one thing, my Morse 31 C/G you see me playing here is so light and sprightly. Also, the C/G favors those D 7/9 draw chords that sound like the baby crying in the A part. Then, if you listen till the end, you hear me put the baby to sleep so that those poor first time parents Lucy and Joe can finally get some rest and the baby settle down.

I love to play all sorts. Esp. if it's as fun and free as this one is on the C/G Anglo. The visuals are only the cherry on the cake... groovy as they are. Care to share a King Crimson link that works in the best blusey C/G Anglo key of D7? I would love to play along with your suggestion.

For C/G Anglo players, or anyone really... try playing along with these psychedelic liquid visuals. The music is in modal D7 and then later Em. Really fun jamming with this one. It really gets cooking around 1:40.

True. Still, it's that extra beat that makes the tune so good, Eh?

Dear C.Net folks, I have been having lots of fun playing this American Old Time tune along with the youtube below. I listen closely to these guys and play along on my C/G Anglo concertina. All the notes are right there... nothing fancy required. It's got a bluesy feel to it that I really like. Check it out! Snake Chapman's Tune sounds great on the C/G Anglo. If you view this on youtube, it gives you the option (click the gear wheel at the bottom of the screen and select Playback Options) to slow down the tempo to .75% or 50% and at that slower speed, you have a fighting chance to learn this amazing tune by ear, from some of the best Old Time fiddlers around. Learning by ear is really the best way. Most of my tunes were learned from fiddlers. We would be playing knee to knee and I was always trying my best to achieve a unison sound with them, to truly join the fiddle note for note with all the bow strokes. Now with the miracle of the internet you can push a button to ask these amazing guys to please slow down so you can learn the tune proper from them. My thought is that dots are dandy... but the proof is in the pudding. Best to learn by listening, and copying the best. This tune is so good, it almost plays itself on the C/G Anglo concertina at any tempo you like.

That said, there are distinctive timbre differences when it comes to range. G/D Anglo is what I mostly play, but my C/G Anglo works great too. The timbre is quite different because the G/D plays a 4th lower than the C/G. I've always wanted a brass reeded instrument because I'm guessing the the tone would be mellower than steel and perhaps also quieter.

Nice playing there. I was about to post Sandy Boys too. I guess I'll have to wait till your applause dies down a bit.

Congratulations, nice looking site.