Jim Besser Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s nothing as much fun to play on concertina as a good hornpipe. Most hornpipes I know are English or Scottish, with a few Irish ones that have come my way over the years. I’m showing my musical ignorance here, but I’m assuming there are similar musical forms in other traditions. And there are plenty of other tunes that may not technically be hornpipes - but have a nice, swingy feel to them and are just as much fun to play. I was at a dance once when the band played an infectiously swingy version of the Hokey Pokey. I’m sure we can get into lengthy discussions about exactly what constitutes a hornpipe - a term I believe originally referred to the dance - but I’d rather play music. So dig out your hornpipes, and tunes that you think may be hornpipes, and tunes with a strong swing to them that resemble hornpipes. If you need inspiration, go to YouTube and just search on 'hornpipes.' As an aside, in American and Irish traditional music, there are quite a few tunes that have the word 'hornpipe' in the title that lack the dotted, swingy quality we associate with the term. And in New England, they take real hornpipes and smooth them out for dances. If you have Spotify, search for FIsher's Hornpipe and hear the very different ways it's played - sometimes smooth, sometimes swingy and chunky. It's OK if you want to play a smooth hornpipe, but that's not what I'm talking about. As always, this isn't about achieving perfection, just having fun and benefiting from the feedback of others. Ready, set, swing….. Edited January 2, 2015 by Jim Besser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s nothing as much fun to play on concertina as a good hornpipe. I love the "dotted-rhythm" hornpipes, too, and having finally discovered your post, Jim, I'll get right on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 http://youtu.be/4Dqmh77mpCk Here is a little tune I wrote a little while ago played as a hornpipe for this New Year Theme. Hope you like it. Happy New Year Everybody on C.net Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 http://youtu.be/4Dqmh77mpCk Here is a little tune I wrote a little while ago played as a hornpipe for this New Year Theme. Hope you like it. Happy New Year Everybody on C.net Al Really nice - like all your tunes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I was working on Galway Hornpipe, learned from a CD by Hugh and Colm Healy that I got for Christmas and the theme of the month turns out to be hornpipes. (Pardon my son the guitarist- he would only accompany me if I let him wear the mask -not sure why ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOLvNkmdhNM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 I was working on Galway Hornpipe, learned from a CD by Hugh and Colm Healy that I got for Christmas and the theme of the month turns out to be hornpipes. (Pardon my son the guitarist- he would only accompany me if I let him wear the mask -not sure why ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOLvNkmdhNM Nice. And I like the mask! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) A medley of 3 hornpipes I like: George Green's College Hornpipe The Wonder Hornpipe Welsh Cuckoo's Nest. Played in G, G and Em on a 30 button Morse G/D Anglo. Dang, I forgot the chords on Welsh Cuckoo's Nest. I learned the tune from an English tuba player! I'm pretty sure I first heard Wonder Hornpipe played by Jody Kruskal for a sword dance group, but I could be mistaken. And a little different treatment of a hornpipe, my band Frog hammer at a ceilidh workshop a few years ago playing Three Jolly Sheepskins. Concertina is in there somewhere after the second hot sax solo. Edited January 3, 2015 by Jim Besser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Grand stuff all round. Have only just stopped hopping. Daria, your son looks just like a plague doctor! Love the change into minor on that set, Jim. About time James Hill reared his head: here's The Locomotive on Aeola. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Grand stuff all round. Have only just stopped hopping. Daria, your son looks just like a plague doctor! Love the change into minor on that set, Jim. About time James Hill reared his head: here's The Locomotive on Aeola. Yes, grand stuff, including yours Chas! Really enjoyed listening... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Michel Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) Here are two of my favorite swingy concertina tunes. I originally learned "The Ebb Tide" from the wonderful playing of Jacqueline McCarthy on "The Wind among the Reeds," and my setting obviously owes a lot to hers, though I find that it's diverged a fair bit over the years (it's much swingier, for one thing). As for "The Flowing Tide," I have no idea where I got it; I suspect I just picked it up osmotically from hearing it at countless sessions. The odd thing is that I've never heard anyone else play these two hornpipes together, though they'd make a lovely pair even without their complementary names. Bob Michel Near Philly Edited January 5, 2015 by Bob Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Michel Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) A medley of 3 hornpipes I like: George Green's College Hornpipe The Wonder Hornpipe Welsh Cuckoo's Nest. Played in G, G and Em on a 30 button Morse G/D Anglo. Terrific tunes, lovely playing. Coincidentally I've just been working on "The Wonder." And "Welsh Cuckoo's Nest" goes on my to-learn list. Bob Michel Near Philly Edited January 5, 2015 by Bob Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 A medley of 3 hornpipes I like: George Green's College Hornpipe The Wonder Hornpipe Welsh Cuckoo's Nest. Played in G, G and Em on a 30 button Morse G/D Anglo. Terrific tunes, lovely playing. Coincidentally I've just been working on "The Wonder." And "Welsh Cuckoo's Nest" goes on my to-learn list. Bob Michel Near Philly Thanks. If you need dots for Welsh, I have them jb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Here are two of my favorite swingy concertina tunes. I originally learned "The Ebb Tide" from the wonderful playing of Jacqueline McCarthy on "The Wind among the Reeds," and my setting obviously owes a lot to hers, though I find that it's diverged a fair bit over the years (it's much swingier, for one thing). As for "The Flowing Tide," I have no idea where I got it; I suspect I just picked it up osmotically from hearing it at countless sessions. The odd thing is that I've never heard anyone else play these two hornpipes together, though they'd make a lovely pair even without their complementary names. Bob Michel Near Philly Ebb tide - a very cool tune, never heard it before. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daria Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Here are two of my favorite swingy concertina tunes. I originally learned "The Ebb Tide" from the wonderful playing of Jacqueline McCarthy on "The Wind among the Reeds," and my setting obviously owes a lot to hers, though I find that it's diverged a fair bit over the years (it's much swingier, for one thing). As for "The Flowing Tide," I have no idea where I got it; I suspect I just picked it up osmotically from hearing it at countless sessions. The odd thing is that I've never heard anyone else play these two hornpipes together, though they'd make a lovely pair even without their complementary names. Bob Michel Near Philly Really nice playing! Love your renditions of both the tunes and I especially like your back up guitar and mandolin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Michel Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) Really nice playing! Love your renditions of both the tunes and I especially like your back up guitar and mandolin. Thanks, Daria. It's hard to go wrong with such lovely tunes. I'm enough of a hornpipe enthusiast that my session mates ration me pretty strictly. Bob Michel Near Philly Edited January 7, 2015 by Bob Michel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 Another version of George Green's College Hornpipe and Welsh Cuckoo's Nest, from last night's rehearsal of The Squeezers: English concertina, Anglo concertina and D/G melodeon. Complete with rehearsal chatter and mistakes. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/68325595/C.net%20Tune%20of%20the%20Month/Hornpipe_set_Jan6.MP3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Besser Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Two more favorite English hornpipes: Sportsman's and Mr. Moore's . Played on 32 button C/G Lachenal / Dipper Anglo https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/68325595/C.net%20Tune%20of%20the%20Month/Sportsmans_MrMoores.MP3 I play Sportsman's for a border Morris dance, hence the chunky style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 A very nice pair of tunes, nicely played, Jim. I can imagine someone dancing a solo jig to them, given your chunky style! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts