Button Box or Else!

[Monster]

I have a friend who wants to learn the button box or something similar for Trad Irish music. She used to play the accordian, but doesn't have one now. Does anyone know of a good site to investigate the different choices out there.

Thanks,

JeffC

[whamlyn]

www.buttonbox.com

[MurphyStout]

I have a friend who wants to learn the button box or something similar for Trad Irish music.

Oh for heavens sake, anything but another box player. Do the world a favor and point him/her towards a concertina. The concertina is similiar to the box but not as loud and annoying. It blends with the music rather than take it over like the box does. You will thank me later. I believe there is a website www.concertina.net

[Azalin]

Yeah, all we need now is for him to start playing Polkas. Hehehe...

[bradhurley]

Oh for heavens sake, anything but another box player. Do the world a favor and point him/her towards a concertina. The concertina is similiar to the box but not as loud and annoying. It blends with the music rather than take it over like the box does. You will thank me later.

It all depends on the player. Some of the most moving Irish traditional music I've ever heard has come from box players. Listen to Josephine Marsh. Listen to Tony MacMahon. Listen to Joe Cooley. Listen to Eoghan O'Sullivan. Listen to Jackie Daly. Listen to Billy McComisky or his son Sean. Listen to Joe Burke. Listen to John Williams. Listen to Patty Furlong. These people are musicians.

Sure we've all encountered the loud, obnoxious box players out there who dominate sessions and play in the mechanical "typewriter style" of accordion playing. But the box doesn't have to be played that way. In the right hands, it's pure magic.

[energy]

http://www.buttonaccordion.com

Some good info there on the differences between C#/D and B/C...

*Sticks out his tongue at Stout*

[Nanohedron]

The concertina is similiar to the box but not as loud and annoying.

Just for the record, there's a lady concertina player who comes to our sessions and she can take your ears out.

[MurphyStout]

It all depends on the player. Some of the most moving Irish traditional music I've ever heard has come from box players. Listen to Josephine Marsh. Listen to Tony MacMahon. Listen to Joe Cooley. Listen to Eoghan O'Sullivan. Listen to Jackie Daly. Listen to Billy McComisky or his son Sean. Listen to Joe Burke. Listen to John Williams. Listen to Patty Furlong. These people are musician.

I've listened to about half of those and the opinion still stands. The box is just so loud and it drowns out everything else. And we won't even go into what Azalin said to Joe Burke .

Just for the record, there's a lady concertina player who comes to our sessions and she can take your ears out.

Very true but the concertina is without any arguement the lesser of the two evils. I mean the concertina doesn't hold a candle to the box in that regard but on the other hand any instrument played bad can take your ears out. Ever heard a new fiddler player try and learn tunes or how about some old guy at a pub experimenting in the third octave and playing the wrong tunes on the whistle. Any instrument sounds bad with the wrong person playing. But even in the hands of an expert the accordian sounds bad. -opinion and I'm not alone! Indeed.

I should add that there is nothing wrong with a box player playing solo or on cds and I agree the music can be quite good but a box player just shouldn't play in sessions. They ruin them and that's what I'm aiming at here.

[Nanohedron]

...but a box player just shouldn't play in sessions. They ruin them and that's what I'm aiming at here.

Oh, I can't really agree with you on that one, Murph my man. But everyone has their own tastes.

Best,

N

[Liam]

Any instrument sounds bad with the wrong person playing. But even in the hands of an expert the accordian sounds bad. -opinion and I'm not alone! Indeed.

I never quite understood the animosity against accordioins, at least on the basis of sound since the tuning of boxes can run very wet to very dry (the latter very concertina like). I suspect most of it is spill over from US culture's general disdain for Piano Accordions.

I should add that there is nothing wrong with a box player playing solo or on cds and I agree the music can be quite good but a box player just shouldn't play in sessions. They ruin them and that's what I'm aiming at here.

Then I must advise you not to play in the sessions in Baltimore, if Billy or Sean McComiskey shows up, they will not be asked but virtually begged to play in the sessions.

Ultimately everything depends on how the instrument is played, I know that a whole host of Baltimore, DC and New York Musicians love to play with Billy McComiskey and they certainly don't believe that he ruins the music. I have less experience with other box players, but suspect the same is true of the other box greats.

when I sit in on a session, I can play the box so quietly that noone can hear it in a session, or I can play at the same volume of the other players. I never would try to play louder than the other players, that is rude.

---
Bill

[Liam]

Yeah, all we need now is for him to start playing Polkas. Hehehe...

Polkas in Kerry music rocks. Some of my favorite irish tunes are polkas.

--
Bill

[Monster]

Just what I was afraid of, no one seems to have an opinion on the issue. I wish someone would speak up and let their voice be heard!

OK, so far my friend is leaning towards the good ol accordian, (sorry Stout), the concertinas just seem a little too weird for her, although I would probably like one. There are some pretty good websites on these things (thanks for the links) but nothing as cool as C&F!

Let the Polkas begin! He He He!

See ya later

JeffC

[Caj]

Jeff,

If anything the button accordion is a lot cheaper than the concertina. A decent learner box goes for less than a grand (I got a McComiskey learner box for $450) and a pro model is on the order of two grand. Meanwhile, a decent learner concertina is about 1500 bucks, and a "pro" model will run you at least twice as much!

As for what button box, Irish button accordions are typically tuned in B/C or C#/D. At festivals, you can often take classes in both; there are more tutors and videotapes for B/C accordion (the MadForTrad tutor and John Williams video tape are both B/C.)

Supposedly, B/C is more amenable to speedy smooth playing, while C#/D is more amenable to punchy, bouncy playing. For two ends of the accordion spectrum, listen to (or buy your friend) John Williams's album Steam, and anything by Tony MacMahon, like his self-titled album. This might help you decide what style your friend is interested in.

Caj

[rama]

Here's a rough version of a story told by Joe Burke:

There was a fella who attended a funeral. As the hat went around the room, (asking for donations), he obliged. He later found out the deceased was a box player, so he went over to the person accepting donations and exclaimed "Here's some more money, bury another one."

[Nanohedron]

LOL!

*hack wheeze cough wheeze hack*

*wipes phlegm ball from monitor*