Jim Besser

If you can, try both - as Mike said, that's the best way to choose. One observation: I've owned both Morse and Edgley boxes. Both are great instruments, but the Morse is significantly lighter, if that's a factor for you.

That explains the unusually large bellows, I assume.

I have one - Barleycorn provided it with my Jeffries Anglo. It's an OK case. But the plastic handle seems a little flimsy, and there's no provision for a shoulder strap. Which is why I had Greg Jowaisis build me one of his fine cases. I also have a Fallon case - which I believe Frank Edgley now makes - and it's also excellent. If you're looking for an expensive case, the Stagi will work fine. If you're serious about protecting the concertina, I recommend Greg's.

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:) Morris dancers do dances native to specific villages or regions. My current group does Bampton and Bledington - the styles specific to those geographic areas. My former group did Sherborne and Ilmington. (the naming convention does not apply to border and Northwest Morris, dance traditions from the northern part of England) In some cases the tunes themselves are distinctive - there are different versions of Shepherd's Hey, for example. The fundamentals of the dance vary considerably by tradition - the stepping, the figures, etc.

Not surprised, but happy to see it here. Your thread has paralleled my growing interest in mining the Tin Pan Alley repertoire for tunes that work well on concertina. There are so many of them.

When playing the Bledington tune William and Nancy for my Morris side recently, it occurred to me that it might make a pretty waltz. Here's a quick take. Normally I play it in G for maximum punch, but moved it to A because...well, I don't really know why, it just sounded like a good idea at the time.

Because it sounds so cool in the lowest registers of the G/D, is my guess.

Wow, I just worked this out on a 30 button C/G. Keeping the basses going on the left hand, with some of the melody also falling to the left side, is really tricky, making your effort all the more impressive.

Really nice! And more proof that you can get some fine music out of a 20 button Anglo.

Hmmm. I have trouble with slow airs. Smooth is not my forte. A first take. I couldn't decide between playing it in low D, with much of the melody on the left hand, or in G, along the G/D rows, so I did both. A first take. I'd like to get it smoother, and I"m not entirely happy with my chord choices. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/68325595/C.net%20Tune%20of%20the%20Month/CoilsfieldHouse_Besser.MP3 Played on a Jeffries G/D 30 button Anglo. Not from any notation - I guess sort of an amalgam of the various versions I've listened to in the last week.

Nicely done, and thanks for taking the plunge and going first!

Thanks for the reminder that it's never too late to add a tune to Theme of the Month or Tune of the Month threads! That' a really nice sounding instrument. And really nice playing.

The March Theme of the Month over at Melodeon.net was 'Do the Unexpected, and as soon as I saw it, I said dang, why didn’t I think of that? The idea : play something you wouldn’t ordinary play, or something you ordinarily play in a way you wouldn't ordinarily play it. Does that make sense? It could be a genre of music unfamiliar to you, or a familiar tune done in an unfamiliar way. I remember a session at the Northeast Squeeze In a few years ago when all we did was play familiar reels as jigs. Play a Morris tune as a sweet, slow air, or a slow air as a fast dance tune. A band I heard once plays the French Canadian tune St. Anne's Reel as a waltz, and it sounded great. Or play a major tune in a minor key, or vice versa. This is a great opportunity to play a tune that just seems too silly to play in any other context. We're all friends here, there's nothing too ridiculous for this month's theme. Let’s see what turns up, and have fun!

This lovely Scottish air composed was composed by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831). The basic tune is pretty easy to play on all concertina systems. It sounds wonderful played in a single note style, and wonderful with interesting chords and countermelodies. Remember: the TOTM forum is not just for advanced players. Recording tunes is a great way to hone your skills. This isn't a competition - its a community effort intended to help all of us, at every level, improve our playing. a nice version on English concertina, guitar and bass, and a slow, expressive by the great Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster, and another by a . Here's a discussion about the tune on thesession.org, along with some ABC notation. Lots of notation out there, starting with this on the ABCnotation page. More notation in jpg form, with info about the tune here. And from Mandolin Cafe, several mando versions and a link to a multi-part version that should sound really good. More here. I've listened to a lot of recordings of this lovely tune, and believe me, there's no single 'right' way to play it. Most notation I've seen is in G, but don't feel you need to follow the herd!

You're right, a great tune, nicely played!

That's totally wonderful. I love these session TOTM contributions!

More or less what Mike said. I play C/G and G/D Anglos, and have 'backups' for each. But not really backups - I use different instruments for different purposes. I use Morse hybrids for most Morris dance playing because they are incredibly durable, loud, and replaceable; I don't get nervous playing them on crowded city streets, in inclement weather or in chaotic pubs. I play my traditional reeded instruments, which are much more valuable and much harder to replace, at contra and ceilidh dances, where the potential for damage is much less. But it's reassuring to know that I have backups should the need arise. All my instruments get played on a regular basis.

There's no 'one size fits all' answer. Except: a Stagi will seriously impede your progress, especially doing lively Irish music. A good Lachenal will probably give you the sound you crave, but the action might slow you down, unless you can find one retrofitted with riveted action. If you go the Lachenal route, it's best to buy from a reputable dealer like Barleycorn, or from one of the well known restorers in your country (Dave Elliot, Theo Gibb, etc.) who will make sure you have one that is properly set up. In your price range, you might be able to find another vintage instrument with riveted action that's less than a Jeffries or a prime-era Wheatstone. Again, I'd strongly recommend buying from an established dealer or restorer, not a private party (unless you have someone who can evaluate the instrument for you) or an amateur restorer. Another option is a good hybrid. The sound will be different - more accordion like - but the best hybrids (Morse, Edgley, Tedrow, Norman, I'm probably missing a few ) offer superb mechanisms that won't slow you down. Some people dislike the sound, most casual listeners won't notice the difference (on a C/G; a G/D hybrid is a different kettle of fish). It's a matter of personal preference, but what is indisputable is that with a hybrid you get a level of playability second to none.

Thanks, a nice solid version!

It's that time again - time to vote on the tune you want to learn, record and post next month. Scottish: Coilsfield House Thanks to Daria for suggesting this wonderful Scottish air composed by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831). Here's a nice version on English concertina, harp guitar and bass. (thanks for the correction, Jim L, I got it it confused with a different version.) And a slow, expressive version by the great Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMaster, and another by a mandolin trio. If you have his Traditional Music from Clare and Beyond CD, there's a wonderful version by Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin played in D - low - on a G/D Anglo. Here's a discussion about the tune on thesession.org. Quebecois: Reel St. Joseph How about a perky French Canadian reel? This is a cracking good one that has entered the contra dance repertoire, in part because of the playing of Jody Kruskal and his band Grand Picnic, which recorded the tune many years ago (I think I still have the cassette, replaced by a CD). Here’s an easy to follow fiddle version, and one on flatpicked guitar. And one at contra dance speed with some nice variations and fiddle harmonies. American Oldtime: Chinese Breakdown Here’s a really easy and fun American oldtime fiddle tune that sometimes shows up in English ceilidhs and even the occasional Irish session. Somewhere in the chaos of my iPod is a version by the great English ceilidh/jazz band Steamchicken. Some accounts say it's Appalachian in origin, others that it comes from New England. Or maybe Canada. Isn’t folk music confusing? Here's a real oldtimey version, and one from an English ceilidh. A little different oldtime take here. And from what appears to my untutored eye to be a Scandinavian square dance. And another regional variation. Read about it here. French: La Marianne Finally, here's a simple, very pretty French waltz written by Frederic Paris. This was the melodeon.net Tune of the Month in January, 2011, and there are lots of good examples in this thread. Here's a clean version by the everpresent Anahata with variations that should give you a good idea what you can do with this very pretty tune. Lo and behold, here's a version on Anglo concertina. And OMG, here are my friends Bill and Sarah having a 'don't try this at home' moment with the tune.

Glad you're back. A fine tune, nicely played.

Very nice. I tend to avoid tunes in E on the C/G, but you do it very nicely.

It's possible you could get a Lachenal 30 button Anglo for 1200, but you'd have to be pretty lucky. Maybe Barleycorn has something in that range, but you'd be getting a lower end vintage instrument. Or go for used hybrid - my preference is for the Morse, but that's highly subjective. You'll get better playability than a low end Lach, but a different sound. 30 buttons for sure. 20 is fun to fool around with, but very limiting.

This month's Tune of the Month - Redwing - has revived my interest in Kerry Mills, the Tin Pan Alley composer who wrote it, as well as such gems as Whistling Rufus and Meet Me In St. Louie, Louie. Here's a first crack at the Kerry Mills Barn Dance. Taken more or less from the arrangement of Canadian fiddler Don Messer. Played on a 30 button G/D Morse hybrid Anglo

If you ask me, we're all a pretty sorry looking bunch. Concertina face and melodeon face are two sides of the same coin. Interestingly, piano accordion players don't seem to get the same pinched, agonized look that afflicts concertinists.