Daria

Drones can be very effective when accompanying some types of vocals or in a mixed band. I use mine often when accompanying certain types of vocals- especially minor tunes or when the other instruments are taking a busy break. Stepping back can be quite useful. And any note can be droned. You aren't limited to that one

Oops. I think I misposted this in the Forums techincal area and don't know how to delete. I believe I am in the correct place now. I am learning a difficult(for me) song with my 3 piece band, The Cantina Band song from Star Wars. There are several places where I have to play staccato notes in a row, sometimes repeating notes(eg. repeating B above middle C. My clarinetist tells me I am not making the notes punchy enough and I am wondering if anyone knows if it is easier to get a staccato sound on a push or a pull note(Anglo, Morse concertina GC). Should I play one push and the next pull? First note is dotted eighth and next is maybe 1/16(not quite sure) Any help appreciated

I am learning a difficult(for me) song with my 3 piece band, The Cantina Band song from Star Wars. There are several places where I have to play staccato notes in a row, sometimes repeating notes(eg. repeating B above middle C. My clarinetist tells me I am not making the notes punchy enough and I am wondering if anyone knows if it is easier to get a staccato sound on a push or a pull note(Anglo, Morse concertina GC). Should I play one push and the next pull? First note is dotted eighth and next is maybe 1/16(not quite sure) Any help appreciated

Recently saw Mohsen Amini,Scottish Concertina player in bands IMAR and Talisk at Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton Canada. Absolutely phenomenal player . Gave Concertina a lot of good PR at this international festival. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FnI5VtpOeh8

it is a voice memo that i emailed to myself and saved in google drive and tried to attach. Ideas? Text OK?

I try very hard not to overplay in a group setting of various instruments. We tried this song out last night with our little band, and I wonder if I am underplaying? It was our first run through, and our fiddler was gone, and we will do an instrumental break at the end.Just wanted opinion as to too little concertina or not? It is called Glory Bound by the Canadian group the Wailin Jennys attachment might not be working. let me know. glory bound dan.htm

Highly recommend Jody. I took lessons via Skype from him when I first got my Anglo and they were invaluable.

Thanks for sharing this Jody. I envy your musical background. At 60 I have only recently discovered the joy of making music. Very nice article.

The Truckley Howl - John Blake, Mairead Hurley, Nathan Gourley - Wed Mar 30th 2016 House concert at 7:00 pm followed by an instrumental jam session. $18 at the door. RSVP to mike@cinst.org to reserve a seat and for directions. Canaan Institute, Brooktondale NY http://canaaninstitute.org/mn/mus_jamcann.html The Truckley Howl are a new three-piece Irish traditional band. Blending the rich sounds of fiddle, flute, concertina and guitar, these three masters of their instruments play lively melodies which are taken from the deep well of traditional music of Ireland.

Dr. O'hAllmhurain Is also listed as a teacher for the MAD (Maryland Arts and Dance) Irish week in Bethesda also in July. Anyone have any experience with MAD programs?

I will be in downtown Chicago from March 8-12 with some free time. I was wondering if anyone knows of any concertina friendly jam sessions-old time or easy Irish (I am not that good). Anyone know anything about the Old Town School of Music jams? Also what are the busking opportunities ? (Busking in a big city is on my bucket list of things to do so I figure Chicago is as good a place as any to try?) Suggestions welcome.

Me too! Much less visiting of this site and less playing the concertina too. My hammered dulcimer playing has taken over. I wonder if we should start a former ThOTM/TOTM support group and just submit something once a month? Thoughts?

I would highly recommend taking some lessons from Jody before you teach yourself and potentially develop bad habits. ( I learned the hard way after teaching myself how to play the hammered dulcimer I am still trying to unlearn bad habits years later) Jody is a great teacher and will definitely jumpstart your playing the the Coover notation is very logical as well. Good luck! PS I assume that you really didn't mean to say " I would like to practice RUINING a melody line with one hand " and meant ".... RUNNING a melody line with one hand "but the typo made it pretty humorous.

I miss posting to TOTM so thought I'd share what a concertina player in training needs to be exposed to. My daughter was practicing this for her fiddle teacher and we joined in for rhythm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPbiWQZWXCI&sns=em

Morse are great ! I started on a stagi and found it very frustrating. Alot of sticking and clicking. Good luck.

I have been playing for less than 2 years and feel the the TOTM have been hugely helpful in my concertina playing technique, expanding my tune base , helping with my rhythm and recording skills. Thanks so much Jim.

A very pretty waltz. Nicely done. As a non- Morris player, may I ask a supremely naive question- what do you mean when you say Bledington tune, or Headington tune, etc.- is that just referring to the region of England? (couldn't find the answer online:)

I recorded it in D, which is the key Gearoid records it in. His other songs on the CD are on his C/G concertina, but for this one, he borrowed a G/D concertina, and he changed the key it was written in ,G,and played it in D. Any idea why he went to all that trouble?

Really nice version Bob.I channeled Gearoid's version as well, at least for the A part, then coerced my daughter to accompany me on the fiddle. https://youtu.be/CC5t2gQYTfI

I was asked to play with a fiddler and violist at a Swedish funeral next week. Fortuitously, this hambo was in the set list. It doesnt sound like a funeral song to me (the rest of the set list does) but it was fun to learn. The recording quality is terrible. It sounded fine when I recorded it on my iphone but declined when I uploaded it to Soundcloud. Don't know what happened. https://soundcloud.com/ariaqueezehammer/hambo-pa-logen

Here is my version, with the harmony done first as an intro. I am not sure if I am bouncing the song too much or not. https://youtu.be/NdQrHsGjbgY

Taking Ken Kolodner's Sandbridge Dulcimer Workshop this week and recruited my friend Mary Lynn to record with me. http://youtu.be/p8vGoA2Hiqk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQfHsSL1E-w Actually, I believe Redwing was based on the above song, The Merry Peasant, by Robert Schumann(a standard lesson song for young piano students)

Nice playing Jim Here is a very slow version/March I heard on a Eugene O Donnell vinyl from eons ago . I think the Anglo is a really difficult instrument to play slowly and expressively(for me at least) and wonder if others have a similar problem and if English and Duet players find it difficult . http://youtu.be/n6sK2WsD8OM