lildogturpy

Thanks for the suggestion Tootler, I have now put in a note to that effect.

Michael, you're absolutely right. Since I was just toying with the idea I just came up with a joke based on the hosts domain name - music.gordfisch.net. Any suggestions for a name? By the way, thanks to Howard Mitchell for pointing out a HUMONGOUS security hole which has now been passed on to the maintainer of the login/registration code and plugged on my site. At least now all the passwords are not openly visible

If you have content from your Wikitina (I like the name ) feel free to copy/paste it on over. I have a section for Instruments that could be the right place for it.

I have been thinking of setting up a 'wiki' site for traditional music and dance for some time and finally got around to doing something about it. A wiki site lets anybody edit the content as opposed to submitting content to a moderator who controls what goes on the site. As such it is very easy to keep things current or let things languish depending on the enthusiasm of the site editors. Such a site can be very flexible and over time would develop it's own feel depending again on the contributors to the site. I saw no reason to exclude dance although there is nothing for that on a site like The Session but so far there is only one dance group listed - Stone Monkey, my brothers' rapper team (who won DERT 2007 by the way!). I would be interested in getting feedback on the idea, preferably on the site itself so that anyone interested in the site can see it. As a start I've uploaded the tunes from the O'Regan's Tunebook site and set up a general framework for the site content. You will need to regester an account before you can edit, but anyone can view the site. Feel free to add to the site - the more the merrier. Use the link below to get there. Traditional Music Wiki

I've not made it to the workshop before and I'd love to make it, other commitments permitting

Thanks for pointing us out Leo (O'Regan's). One more resource that is very popular but has a few quirks over it's use of abc is The Session Website. You can find tunes by name and also search for recordings. If you have a CD and you want the music for track 6 you can probably find a link to it there. If you know what you're doing you can search using a fragment of the abc tune, something I'm setting up at the O'Regan's site too. All the best on your journey with the concertina

Now back in wintry Montreal and the local sessions here after my extended trip to Glasgow - which was blast by the way. Played a set of reels at the session a couple of nights ago and the recording came out quite well, except for the obligatory fluffs here and there so I've asked for it to be added to the recorded links page (thanks Henk!). Set was played on a 48key Wheatstone Aeola and has four tunes. Millbrae Unknown Conlon's Reel Vladimir's Steamboat by the way, if anyone recognizes the second tune I'd be interested in the title. Vladimir Set Link

Why not? Edited to add: See my avatar. Maybe that's what he's doing... If I remember correctly, isn't your avatar sitting on the side of the Canadian Houses of Parliment?

Hi Leo, Very interesting link; one or two nice tunes in the tune book. Regards, Peter. PeterT At least one or two. maybe a hundred. All listed at the top of the page under index. Nice music, nice site. Glad you like the site. I haven't had a chance to update it for quite a while but I have a new collection of tunes ready to go on sometime before christmas.

I think that kind of behaviour is probably a good indicator that you might have found one

I have found that while the sound of a concertina carries if you are playing by yourself the sound can almost disappear in a moderately loud Irish session. One thing you could try is to find your local session and once the music gets to full swing you can practice any tune you like without worrying about and bum notes. If anyone does hear you they'll probably think it's just a interesting variation you're trying

I must confess the John Kirkpatrick workshop was not at all what I was expecting when I walked in. Luckily, in the last photo you have my face is hidden (orange shirt, concertina in orbit) and you can't see the look of abject terror there. I have always smiled inwardly to my self when sitting in on workshops and all the anglo players are looking for the button that has that note, or complaining that anglos are so expensive or that it's difficult to play in E but for the first time in my life I found one advantage of the anglo ... those big secure looking hand straps. Something solid to hold onto while you fling your pride and joy around the room. We poor english players just have these feeble little thumb straps, hence the feeling of panic. I think my next purchase will be some extra strong bungie chords to make sure that even if I do let go, the box will at least come back. Besides Ringing the Bells, I also learned how to make your concertina sound like a mobile phone and how to get through traffic quickly by playing the police car sound (Nee Naw) while swinging the concertina around your head standing up through the sun roof. Better let someone else drive while you try this one.

After working on this one I've found that the 4 Bs are very difficult to play quickly with fingers 2 and 1 alternating. Now it feels easier to play the following (only one line shown) E2cc decB | Acea gece | d"3"B"2"B"1"B "2"Bcde | "3"f"2"f"3"fa gecA | E2cc decB | with the remainder as listed previously.

I plan to make it to Arran this year. I think it would be great to get the band music ahead of time. At workshops where I've taken part in the band most of the time has been spent learning the music and it would be fun to already have that and work more at assembling the whole.

No, he's an anglo concertina player and a good one too

I tagged along a workshop by Frank Edgely on ornamentation for the anglo. Playing on the english I wasn't sure if I would get anything out of it but I've found it very helpful. As Dick has said, the ornamentation notes typically come from the opposite side. For example a role on A could be played as A{B}A{G}A. Interesting alternatives though would be to play A{d}A{B}A or A{G}A{E}A. I have been doing the same with short rolls: A{B}{G}A, A{d}{B}A or A{G}{E}A. After listening to Sport on the Nervous Man CD by Micheal O Ralghallaigh, his short rolls are often of the form A{c}{B}A

I certainly have a lot of fun playing Irish music on the English concertina. I have never played the anglo so I can't say if it's easier to play but it certainly sounds different. Having said that I like the way it sounds on the English. Rather than trying to emulate the anglo sound with chords backing up the melody line I try to sound more like the fiddle. I get the impression that it's easier to play fast reels on the English but harder to get the "bouncy" sound characteristic of jigs played on the anglo. As long as I'm having fun I can take the comments such as "When are you going to get a real concertina?"

The Northumbrian Minstrelsy abc file has now been thoroughly cleaned. The abc is readable and all the required fields are there I have taken out several tunes that were in the Ballads and Melodies section. The remaining tunes are the contents of the Small-Pipe tunes section. A Webpage with tunes in alphabetical order is available where you can see the abc and pdf for each tune separately. The entire abc file can be downloaded here and the entire pdf version of the abc file can be seen here.

I have a question about abc that I haven't yet been able to answer with the online tutorials available. I have been cleaning up the abc (and correcting the few mistakes I've found) in the abc version of the Northumbrian Minstrelsy. In a few of the tunes, eg Sir John Fenwick's The Flower Amang Them All and Noble Squire Dacre the repeats are drawn with 4 dots rather than 2. I presume this means "repeat 4 times" instead of 2. There is no way I can find to show 4 dots in standard abc notation. What would an acceptable representation of "repeat 4 times" be in standard music and/or abc notation?

My paper copy of the Minstrelsy has arrived and I have begun the process of editing the abc file I have. I must say the formatting is c$#p. I am straightening it out as I go through and I've tried to stick as closely as I can to the layout in the book. I'll let you know when I'm done.

I'm surprised that no one has pointed out how similar to your avatar you look in your photos

Here's the abc if anyone prefers that X:1 T:Natterjack's Reel D:Flook:Rubai Z:robin.beech@mcgill.ca R:reel M:4/4 L:1/8 K:A E2cc decB | Acea gece | d"2"B"1"B"2"B "1"Bcde | "3"f"2"f"3"fa gecA | E2cc decB | Acea gece | d"2"B"1"B"2"B "1"Bcdf |1 ecBd cAAF :|2 ecBd cAA"3"f |: "2"fece a2 "3"f"2"f | efc"2"B "1"B"2"BAF | "2"E"1"E"2"EF ABcd- | dBcA Bcd"3"f | "2"fece a2 "3"f"2"f | efc"2"B "1"B"2"BAF | "2"E"1"E"2"EF ABcf | ecBd cAAf :|

I have finally got round to learning how to play repeated notes on the EC with different fingers. It's something I always thought would be really difficult since the buttons are small, fingers are big but I was surprised how it quickly came together. However, being right handed I found I needed considerably more practice with the left hand. Then I discovered Natterjack's Reel which is a perfect tune to practice using the 1,2 fingers and the 3,2 fingers on the left hand. I have indicated the fingers I'm using above the notes in question. If you have comments on the fingering I'm using I'd be happy to hear.

I've not tried that version of the game, but I will I suppose one place to find ways of altering a tune that still leaves a recognizeable core are the classical variations. I often find myself recognizing the underlying piece by the emotional feeling that comes through which I suppose comes down to Jim's idea of the "contour" of the phrasing, rising, descending. Another aspect that hasn't been mentioned so far is distinctive jumps of interval. One tune that I have been told always made me cry as a toddler was the song "Golden Slumbers". My chin would start to wobble as soon as they got to the phrase with the octave jump M:3/4 L:1/8 K:D DD | d4 BG | A4 FD | G2 A2 B2 | FA3 DD | d4 BG | A4 FD | G2 F2 E2 | D6 My older brother and sister would get told off for sneaking into my room and singing it just to watch me cry. Ah, the joys of music

We should also bring in Pauline de Snoo, who as far as I know is the only person to complete a music degree specializing in the concertina (English). She has been posting learning excercises on here which are very instructive. I also heard her play in the final concert at the Swaledale Squeeze. If my memory serves (and it often doesn't) she played a piece from the Marriage of Figaro. Wonderful to listen to.