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What type of music do you play?


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In general what type of music do you play on your concertina and do you play in the company of other musicians with an audience or do you play for pleasure at home only?

 

For myself, I play Scottish/Irish traditional music mainly from fiddle books.   I don't play to an audience and the only time I play in the company of others is at monthly meetings of the CSCG (Central Scotland Concertina Group) which I thoroughly enjoy.

 

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4 minutes ago, Rich C R said:

In general what type of music do you play on your concertina and do you play in the company of other musicians with an audience or do you play for pleasure at home only?

 

I play mainly British Isles traditional music on English Concertina - There are example recordings, and my Session Tunebook to indicate the range.

 

I play every other Monday evening at Greenshoots with other folk musicians, though not generally for an audience, and also join in at a couple of local pub sessions round Cambridge most months.

 

I try and get to Chiltinas monthly, and a couple of times a year to the WCCP residential weekend events in Somerset, and a few other concertina events as time permits.

 

Other than that, I play at home by myself for pleasure, and to entertain my wife Margaret - including a tradition of playing to her when she is in the bath, as the acoustics in the bathroom are the best in the house!

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I mostly play contra dance tunes, which constitutes a mix of Irish, Scottish, old time, and really just about anything else that sounds vaguely folk-y and fits into 64 beats. I'm not yet good enough to play for actual dances, but some of the people I jam with are in contra dance bands.

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I used to play in a Finnish polka band, so I have some old tunes related to that, like a nice Slovenian polka, but I'm currently prepping a Finnish waltz and a French waltz to try to record and put up here at some point. Lately I've mostly been listening to jazz, trying to figure out some way to insert English concertina into that as a sort of mutant Saxophone, but I haven't figured that out yet. :-)

 

I'm feeling constrained by not knowing anyone to play with. Similarly to Halifax' problem, my main practice session is while my wife is in the shower each morning so that she doesn't have to listen. So it's a solitary vice at this point.

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I started off almost exclusively playing English Morris tunes in the harmonic style.  I now have a selection of non-Morris folk tunes that are mainly from the British Isles with the occasional American tune thrown in.

 

I play mainly solo for my own private enjoyment.  I have never really enjoyed session playing, perhaps because after Morris sessions are often the melodeon wall of sound: fast and loud, and the concertina is almost inaudible.

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I started on Anglo by learning and playing for a Long Sword/Rapper side as they were learning the dances, and shortly thereafter began attending an English trad session with the encouragement of fellow C.netter Robin H.  Once I could play reasonably well I was asked to be part of a duo with a more experienced musician- we play mainly traditional Canadian and Newfoundland tunes and songs, and Canadian variants of British Isles music (we did a mini-tour of SW England this past summer). Our duo is also part of a quintet that mostly plays English trad.  Both bands play a fair number of festivals, museum special events, pubs etc. I am also now attending a more advanced English trad session which comprises about 50% of the concertina players in Southern Ontario.  Most of what has been described so far I play on a G/D Morse in a version of the Harmonic Style.

 

More recently I have begun spending part of the year in Newfoundland where I sit in on 3 or 4 trad sessions.  The trad music there is unique-largely influenced by early immigration from the west of Ireland and England, with a hint of Scottish and French settlement.  Also there is a weekly Irish session 100 yards from my house in Hamilton.  I've been learning the repertoire for these sessions on a C/G Kensington.  

 

My Long Sword side has hung up their shoes, so I am now playing with some experienced musicians for a weekly Contra Dance.  We play a mix of traditional and contemporary dance tunes mostly in the New England style.  Playing this repertoire at dance tempo has been my biggest challenge so far, but I have had some great assistance from correspondence with Bertram Levy, and his recent book "American Fiddle Styles for Anglo Concertina".

Edited by Bill N
typo
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Mostly British Isles trad stuff: Contradance, Playford, Morris. Also some Scandinavian and classical thrown in. My youtube channel is a reasonable selection of the kind of stuff I play. My Morris team practices once a week, so most of my playing is Morris, just by default. But it’s not because that’s my preference.

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The type of music I play on my concertinas varies, according to my general interest in music with in fact very few exceptions (prominently German "Schlager" and "Volksmusik") but of course limited by the provided sound and my skills and abilities. However, with the English concertina I'm focussing on Anglo-Irish and Scandinavian folk, but the occasional Renaissance, Baroque or even "Pop" (Beatles) tune as well. My taking up the Anglo very recently is with Morris tunes, Bellamy, Dylan in mind.... (and the Duet, yet to emerge...). See my soundcloud page...

 

Best wishes - ?

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Dance tunes and airs; lots of English, some Scottish, a little Irish. A bit of early music. Song accompaniment. Just now I'm practising 20 Christmas carols to accompany singing in the High Street tomorrow. (With a keyboard, electric guitar and electric bass! In this context it's melody only, but playing alone I add harmony too.)

 

I prefer to play in small ensembles. I'm not really a session sort of player. I play for audiences at the folk club and on other occasions such as village fairs. I play at home for pleasure.

 

LJ

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I play for pleasure (mine; I'm not sure about other peoples'), by myself, or accompanying my or, more likely, my wife's singing, or in 'English' tune sessions, which round here tends to mean anything which isn't Irish.  On my own I play anything I can find which I can make to fit on the Maccann.  I love Morris tunes and English dance tunes, but will also try Celtic and European (esp. Swedish and French), and the odd Beatles number etc.  Sidney Bechet's 'Petit Fleur' works brilliantly in A minor on the Maccann.  Also a few classical tunes.  One or two novelty items, like playing Michael Turner's Waltz in 5/4 time.  Contradance tends to be a bit fast for me.

 

And my wife plays English treble, so we've worked out a few tune arrangements together.  Really the only limit is ones imagination (and ability).

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On 12/19/2018 at 4:09 AM, David Barnert said:

Mostly British Isles trad stuff: Contradance, Playford, Morris. Also some Scandinavian and classical thrown in. My youtube channel is a reasonable selection of the kind of stuff I play. My Morris team practices once a week, so most of my playing is Morris, just by default. But it’s not because that’s my preference.

 

I should add: Just about anything I can learn off Anahata’s videos.

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