French accordion music on the concertina?

[Caitlin]

I'd love to find a book or collection of French accordion music that can be played on an anglo c/g concertina. Can any accordion sheet music work on the concertina? I'm not familiar with how to play an accordion and only just learning the concertina, so not sure if chords need to be altered or anything like that. Thanks!

[Randy Stein]

I would look for Balfolk tunes: Scottish a Virmoux. Mazurka Motorway, La Sonsonette, La Petite Bateaux to name just a few.

Most may be found on YouTube and the ABCs in thesessions.org.  

[Geoff Wooff]

I  agree  with  Randy  and    collections  of   French Balfolk  tunes  can  be  found, however  if  it  is  accordéon  music  from  the  Musette  period  you  wish  for, like   'Sous  les ponts de Paris'   or  '  Reine de Musette'  etc.  then  there is  a series       called  'Musette. Recueil  de  110 succes' ,  five or  six  books  published  by  Paul  Beuscher  of  Paris.  These  books  contain  around  100  tunes  each, for  accordéon,  including  Javas, Marches, Mazurkas,  Paso-dobles, Polkas, Sambas  and  Waltes.  Not  sure if  these are  still in print    but  they  can be found  through  ebay  or  secondhand book  dealers.

 

I also  have  a  collection of  traditional dance tunes      arranged for  accordeon  and  mostly  notated in C  or G  from  the  accordeon teacher  Françoise Danger  but  I do not  think  these  are  commercially  available.

 

Or  try  Dragonfly Music  in  the  UK .  they  used to  publish  two   books  called  The  Massif Central Tune Book    (  No. 1 & 2).

Edited January 30, 2023 by Geoff Wooff

[xgx]

Well worth a look ... so much more than the BalFolk

https://accordeonaire.com/category/mel-stevens/

[Caitlin]

Sorry for the very delayed reply! I've learned so much just from your helpful replies. I had never heard the terms "Balfolk" or "Musette" before and just having the right words to find what I'm looking for is so incredibly helpful. I'm curious, if I can get my hands on any of the accordion sheet music, will that be the same for playing on a concertina? I'm still quite new to concertina playing and don't want to send myself on a fool's errand!

[Ken_Coles]

Maybe you can come to the Northeast Squeeze-In some year (in Connecticut in September this year); in recent years there have been Balfolk tune swaps there.

 

Ken

[papawemba]

Hello Caitlin, to play french stuff, a Duet is definitively the right choice ! (you will be frustrate on the anglo...)

Two example : 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWkiiMfzBGI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lURrnqMhJg

 

 

Best

[David Barnert]

This isn’t French, but it certainly sounds French. Also played on a Hayden Duet.

 

 

 

[Thy28293]

Hi

french repertoire / "melodeon" (?) / "accordéon diatonique" (in french language...) ?

Do you know about

"Trad Magazin " publications (also called as "Trad Mag") ?

 

"Volume 1 , 106 morceaux" (= 106 tunes)

"volume 2 , accordéon diatonique ,  répertoire de bal 1" ( = dance tunes)

"volume 3, accordéon diatonique, répertoire de bal 2 " (idem)

"volume 4, accordéon diatonique, répertoire de bal breton " (french Brittany dance tunes...)"

and others....

Examples :

https://www.franchesconnexions.com/accordeon-diatonique/productions-trad-magazine

 

Not so easy to find, by now.... even in France... (CD  s are sometimes available...)

 

Don't know if the anglo will fit every tune : let's have a look and try !

 

So long !

thy

[Thy28293]

Of course :

the "tablatures" (fingering system described with numbers...) as it is written is these books  (along the melodies , written in the staves) are written for the "french accordéon diatonique"  ....

Or whatever you call it : the right hand playing the melodies and the left hand playing the bass lines , because of the key board featurings...and not for other "free reeds / squeeze-boxes family members".