Gary Chapin

Hello, As we go into the holiday season just want to draw everyone's attention to the concertina shirts and swag I've designed. I've got anglo, English, and duet versions, and they all come in a variety of styles and forms. Thanks very much! https://accordeonaire.threadless.com/ Concertinas are good for humans! Gary

I don't play for dances often, but when I do it's French or Breton music. I wrote a poem about playing for dancers. https://medium.com/scrittura/form-of-a-dance-19ebe439de95?sk=564d3e205e38ebd7639e4cc2a1c272e7 Cheers

Thank you. I am envious of your Chalumeau!

Hello, folks, I have been orbiting planet concertina.net for years. Back around 2010, folks from here helped me transcribe a French tunebook from the 1930s. I didn't ask them. They just did it! But I've been tangential because I'm an accordion player who, though I started squeezing on the concertina, never stuck with that. Well, some months I was offered a Morse concertina for a very reasonable price. I said yes, and now I am a concertina player--no longer tangential! I've lurked here a lot, and invited you all to the Free Reed Liberation Orchestra, when we've had new projects, and I've been reading stuff here forever. So, I'm planting my flag a little more formally. Thanks for being here. Good Lord I love playing (and singing with) my Morse. I might have to rename my blog. Thanks, Gary Chapin

Hello, everybody,I'm not sure of the origin of the congo in Bal Musette dance or its retro fitting into Bal Folk circles. Le Marin Congo is a set I learned from Steve Gruverman (who also transcribed the tunes for me) and they seem to me to be an uncomplicated good time.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xKbT5Ab27As1eJQc0gu_6OoMhnlOa4Fb?usp=sharingThe sheet music, guide track, and instructions for doing FRLO are there. Do as you wilt, and thanks everyone as we begin the THIRD year of our insane FRLO venture.Deadline is October 9.Let me know if you are in. My email is garyparkerchapin@gmail.comGary

Enjoy!

Great, David! I will not jump the deadline. Anything up to the 13th is great.

Hello, friends, here I am re-emerging with a desire to revive the Free Reed Liberation Orchestra!I've fallen in love with this Alsatian branle, L'horrible Shleck (The Horrible Snail), and thought it sounded perfect for the FRLO.The guide track and sheet music are here:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1djT7Rw-Gltouj70P-XvjGyi3Mw024Ksc?usp=sharingWhen you make your recordings (audio or video), just drop them back into that same folder. Please no one accidentally delete the guide track or sheet music.I'm not going to put any restrictions on what people submit, but I will point out that the last project had nearly 30 tracks and definitely tested the limits of my amateur producer skill and comfort. Have mercy?I would love if you all could indicate below if you are interested or not. Deadline for submission is 3 weeks from tomorrow, July 13.Thanks, everyone. The FRLO has been one of the high points of the last two years.Gary

Hey, folks, just to let you know there's a sale happening over at my shop: https://accordeonaire.threadless.com/ Got specific English, Anglo, and Suet material. Thank you!

Thanks, everyone, these were super helpful. We had our first gig, and it was recorded. While playing the gig I felt "okay" with my playing, but hearing the recording, it actually sounded very okay. David's second point -- about mirroring the melody during the "down" parts -- was very on point! What I discovered is that, apparently, my model for accompanying is Dave Swarbick. I could pick worse role models! I also noticed that playing for another singer is VERY DIFFERENT from playing for yourself singing. You all are great, Gary

I would be willing to make this happen, but the time for shipping would be double because I would have it sent to me, and then I would send it to you.

Hello, I've done some more free reed graphic design around the theme "Concertinas are Good for Humans." I've made three concertina designs (Anglo, English, and Duet) and two accordion designs. Information about all of these (and how to get them) can be found here: https://accordeonaire.com/2021/12/04/free-reeds-are-good-for-humans-new-designs-from-the-accordeonaire-shop/ Tee shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs, etc. Thanks very much, Gary

Hey, folks, I've recently started playing with a singer who is asking me to do more improvised obbligato behind her singing. I'm finding it pretty hard! Improvising is not a skill set I've developed. Any advice on how I might get better at this? (Other than, "Very carefully!") Thanks Gary

I love that, Howard.

There are actually five concertina tracks on this month's orchestra piece, but Howard submitted four tracks (SABT), so even though he's only seen once, all four tracks are in the audio. https://accordeonaire.com/2021/10/13/the-return-of-the-free-reed-liberation-orchestra/ Enjoy this, and do know that you are invited to join in next time! Thanks Gary

https://accordeonaire.com/2021/06/16/frlo-scottish-a-catinaux-scottish-du-pere-rouxel/ We were joined by David Barnert for this one and ended up laying down some very danceable scottishes. Consider joining in on the next one! Thank you, Gary

Huzzah!

Hey folks,In the past year of pandemic, I developed a virtual squeeze orchestra. I've essentially had to teach myself every aspect of video and audio editing. Folks (mostly friends from mel.net) send me videos of themselves playing the tunes chosen and then I put them together into and "orchestra." I have been very proud of the results and I'd like to send the invitation out to you all on concertina.net. Go here to see what we have done in our seven projects so far! My vision was always that the Free Reed Liberation Orchestra (FRLO) would be open to any squeezer (or friend) who wanted to join. The formal invitation is below. You aren't required to be interested, but if you are you are welcome! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask (garyparkerchapin@gmail.com). Players of wide levels of proficiency do this and have a great time. Thanks very much.Hello, everybody,For this project something more in our wheelhouse, but also ambitious. We're doing two scottishes. They are old old ones, part of le firmament. But we are doing two as a set, and that's new for us. All the materials are at the below link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kUmWxdTAdLqINwgqAgAZdkdpsXs_S4ag?usp=sharingSo, the two tunes are Scottish à Catinaux and Scottish du Pére Rouxel. The first is trad Auvergne, the second is trad Breton, but they work very well together. We're playing through each three times. There is a guide video for each tune, and I'm asking that you record your contributions as two separate videos. The tempo of Scottish du Pére Rouxel is about 10 bpm faster than the first tune -- this is a common practice in French dance circles, when you're trying to whip people into a frenzy!You do not have to do both tunes! But if you are only going to do one, I would prefer you do Scottish du Pére Rouxel. This is because as we move from the first tune to the second tune, we're looking for a "launch" effect (thus the slight tempo increase), and if some of you only want to play on the second tune, then adding more instruments as we get to that tune will be exciting.Deadline for this one is May 29 -- a week longer than usual, since we're doing two tunes.Please let me know if you are still into this, and if you have any questions! These are both tunes I have been doing since I was a nascent box player. I'm very excited.ThanksGary

I absolutely love the Pink and Blue books. I have many other tune books of tradFrench, but when I'm hungry and want to go hunting for a new one, I still open up the Pink and the Blue. But I can see where Mel is coming from. If I had compiled it, I would be wishing for a second shot. He's bothered, he says, by mistakes in the transcriptions. I don't think there are any substantive mistakes to be found. He's also bothered because he included some tunes that were written by contemporary folks, thinking they were traditional. I think he was pleased to hand it off to Dave Mallinson. He participated in the corrections that followed. And yet ... I will still play from the Pink and Blue books.

I agree. If your wondering if you got it right, ask the dancers.

I will be there on Saturday. I'm playing for a bourree workshop at six thirty.

The subtleties of French dance rhythms can be tricky. Chris Ryall made a collection of video field recordings of different dance types at Embraud last year. I've begun posting these: http://accordeonaire.blogspot.com/2014/04/french-dance-field-recordings-part-1.html Thanks Gary

October 18 to 27. http://accordeonaire.blogspot.com/2013/09/breton-music-week.html

I wish we had a "like" button.

How about, "So that must be a concertina!" I play melodeon. But really the best is, "How could you help but be happy."