Question about chords

[dmksails]

I'm a beginner on t he anglo and I'm looking to play accompaniment to sea shanties.   I'm thinking that playing something close to the guitar chords listed in the music might be agood way to start.  Is this reasonable?  My other problem is that the chord chart I've seen show chords on the pull only.

[hjcjones]

Yes. They're not "guitar chords", they're just chords. Whilst whoever arranged them probably had guitar in mind, and may even have printed little guitar fingerboard pictograms, chords are just groups of notes and will work for any instrument.

 

Just be aware that, depending on the key, some chords may not have all the notes available in the same bellows direction. This is not usually a problem if you are playing in C or G (on a C/G anglo) but may be a problem in other keys.  Again, it's OK to simplify, if you can only play two notes of a chord that will usually be enough.

 

A chord chart which shows only one direction is not much use.  If you google you should find others which show both directions, for example:

Phil Williams Chord Charts – Anglo Concertina Playgroup

 

[Anglo-Irishman]

32 minutes ago, hjcjones said:

A chord chart which shows only one direction is not much use.  If you google you should find others which show both directions, for example:

Phil Williams Chord Charts – Anglo Concertina Playgroup

I absolutely agree! I have a copy of Phil's chord chart, printed in DIN A6 format and laminated, in my concertina case. In a  group or session context, and for my solo singing, I find chordal accompaniment very useful. I can chord along in more keys than I can play the lead melody in. In my folk group, we would often play jigs and hornpipes with melody on the fiddle and chords on the concertina. Worked very well!

Cheers,

John

[David Barnert]

Of course, knowing:

1. what chord to play and
2. what notes make up that chord and
3. what buttons to push to sound those notes in a given direction

... is only the beginning of how to use chords. They must not overpower the melody (lower notes have longer and therefore louder reeds) and they should have a rhythm that supports and drives the melody without holding it back.

 

In other words, don’t just play three sustained notes under the melody. It may be the “right” chord, but it won’t do the music any favors.

[gcoover]

If you are singing with the concertina, then very simple chords should suffice, and many of those could be simple open fifths played on only two buttons.

 

One of the beauties of the Anglo is that complementary notes for chords are usually found close by to the melody, and in the same direction, so a little experimentation can result in some nice harmonies. Don't be a slave to chord charts, or always follow their suggestion, but create your own interpretation of the song!

 

Gary

[Marmotin]

On 1/21/2025 at 3:55 AM, dmksails said:

I'm a beginner on t he anglo and I'm looking to play accompaniment to sea shanties.   I'm thinking that playing something close to the guitar chords listed in the music might be agood way to start.  Is this reasonable?  My other problem is that the chord chart I've seen show chords on the pull only.

Did you take a look at "the seaman's concertina" by John Townley ? I didn't myself, but I think (correct me someone if I'm wrong) the playing is a lot about chords.

Also I see on your profile you're playing the english concertina too. Why not use it for chords? Would it be sacrilegious for sea shanties?

By the way, if you have good online resources for sea shanties sheet music, my curiosity would be thankful !

[David Barnert]

1 hour ago, Marmotin said:

Also I see on your profile you're playing the english concertina too. Why not use it for chords? Would it be sacrilegious for sea shanties?

 

I’ve heard many well-known EC players use it for Sea Chanties. Most (but not all) Americans you may not have heard of: David Coffin, Jeff Warner, L. Killen, Michael Cooney. English Concertinas were quite commonly heard around the Mystic (Connecticut) Seaport back in the day.

[Marmotin]

Thanks David. I don't know any of this names but I will try to find more about them on the web ! The concertina at sea is my new obsession of the moment so as an EC (beginner) player, it's good to know I won't be hurting too much feelings playing some sailor tunes

[wunks]

Belgium has a maritime tradition, learn some tunes from Oostende to share with us please?!!😊  I remember eating fresh shellfish there long, long ago.

Edited January 23 by wunks

[David Barnert]

35 minutes ago, Marmotin said:

Thanks David. I don't know any of this names but I will try to find more about them on the web ! The concertina at sea is my new obsession of the moment so as an EC (beginner) player, it's good to know I won't be hurting too much feelings playing some sailor tunes

 

Here’s a couple of examples to get you started...

 

 

 

[Marmotin]

30 minutes ago, wunks said:

Belgium has a maritime tradition, learn some tunes from Oostende to share with us please?!!😊  I remember eating fresh shellfish there long, long ago.

I totally want to do that ! The problem is: I'm french and my ability to speak Dutch is way worse than my English one (I let you imagine...). It makes internet research too difficult. But I found Blankenberge has a kind of Flanders heritage sea  culture place where they built traditional small wooden boats (as I understood) and also have a little museum. My plan is to go there and ask around for some knowledge about local sea music someone might still had. I'll let you know if something come out of this.

For the moment I'm trying to play songs from a book I bought in Douarnenez, Bretagne. And a couple of hornpipes from Paul Hardy's tunebook.

[Marmotin]

This is the book. It as around 150 songs, in french and breton, with words, music notation and even a QR code for most of them, leading to recordings of people singing/playing them.

[Roger Hare]

3 hours ago, Marmotin said:

...The problem is: I'm french...

Drifting a little downwind of the original topic, but...

 

Not a problem! There are loads of French songs with a salty provenance - Danae, Le trente et un du mois d'aout, Pique la baleine,  to name but three. Go to a Breton trad. sailing festival - Brest, Douarnenez, Paimpol, etc. and you'll get more salty/fishy/tarry music than you can shake a stick at. Lots of stuff on YouTube too...

 

ABC and PDF attached (with chords) - but I suspect they may already be in the book you mention...

french.abc french.pdf

Edited January 23 by Roger Hare

[Tiposx]

The David Coffin tune is my favourite piece. He plays it in a key that I find difficult, so here is the melody (according to me) in E minor. It is an easy piece for Anglo or EC. In ABC format:

 

X:1

T:Rolling Down to Old Maui (semitone down)

M:4/4

L:1/4

K:Em

B, B,| E E ^D B,/2B,/2| G G FB/2-A/2| G EF/2-E/2 D| E3 B,/2B,/2| E E/2E/2 ^D B,/2B,/2|\

G G FB/2-A/2| G E F D| E3G/2-A/2| B B B A/2G/2| A A A F/2F/2| G G F E|\

F2- B B,/2B,/2| E E/2E/2 ^D B,/2B,/2| G G F B/2A/2| G E F F| E3 G/2A/2|\

B3/2 B/2 B G| A3/2 A/2 A B/2A/2| G G G E| F2- B B,| E E ^D B,/2B,/2|\

G G F B/2A/2| G EF/2-E/2 D| E3||

[gcoover]

"Rolling Down to Old Maui" can also be found in Sailor Songs for Concertina, in Dm, with full accompaniment for 30-button Anglo.

 

Gary

[Tiposx]

I didn't know that was available. I have been attempting the chord progression,  but it is not my strong point. I will have a look at that book.

Thank you

Edit - I bought the book. Cheers to Gary Coover!

Edited January 23 by Tiposx

[David Barnert]

2 hours ago, Tiposx said:

I have been attempting the chord progression,  but it is not my strong point.

 

Just make sure on the word “down” (first chord of the chorus) you play the major chord of the 3rd note in whatever key you’re in. Then follow that with the major chord on 7, minor 1 and major 5 for the whole chorus. (Think: first half of the Pachelbel Canon progression.) The rest should follow easily from there.

 

And just for fun, here’s a cute parody, "Slowing Down to Lethargy”  by Toby Fagenson. Just make sure you sing it very slowly.

 

Now we love to sing of the open sea
As the sailors used to do.
But it seems each time that we sing these songs
They take longer to get through.
We have no place for for a lively pace
As we plough on ploddingly.
Let each note sustain
And from oomph refrain
As we head toward Lethargy.

Cho: Slowing down to Lethargy, me boys,
Slowing down to Lethargy.
We’ll nail it hard with a big retard,
Slowing down to Lethargy.

If you wish to rush or you need to push
Won’t you please control the urge,
As we sing each line with the energy
Of the average funeral dirge.
Six hellish months have passed away
Or so it seems to be,
Since our shantyman this song began,
Slowing down to Lethargy.

He called this tune by the light of the moon;
Well hello, here comes the sun!
Our tempo crawls, each syllable stalls,
And we’ve barely just begun.
Our song still booms, we are carried away
By our voices’ glorious sound.
The verse is winding down at last;
Thank God we’re chorus bound!

It’s been far from fast, but we’re home at last,
Now we’re heaving into port.
As we disembark, hear some fool remark
That that song seemed far too short!
But don’t you fret, we’ve a lot more yet,
And a snail’s pace keeps its power,
As our voices roll into ‘Fathom the Bowl’
For at least another hour.

 

[Roger Hare]

5 hours ago, Tiposx said:

The David Coffin tune is my favourite piece. He plays it in a key that I find difficult, so here is the melody (according to me) in E minor. It is an easy piece for Anglo or EC. In ABC format...

Thank you shipmate! I didn't have that one in my tune book. I have now - along with the parodic words supplied by DB...