Concertina & Accordion

Ed Harrison · Post by **Ed Harrison** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:10 pm

I understand that a Anglo concertina in G/D is very good for Irish music.
My question concerns using a G/D two row accordion for Irish music. I mostly hear of these accordions being in C/B or C#/D.
Does many one use a G/D accordion for ITM? What would be any limitations? .....Thanks

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:02 pm

I'm no concertina player but conventional wisdom has it that a C/G concertina is best for Irish music.

A D/G accordion is fine for Irish music. The limitation is that (unless you have a half-row of accidentals) you are basically restricted to the same keys as a whistle or a keyless flute (that doesn't use halfholing). So you can play a good portion of the ITM dance repertoire.

The advantage (over a C#/D or a B/C system) is that you have more notes on both rows, many of them in opposite bellows direction. Allowing you a bit more flexibility in phrasing.

I considered getting one myself, but ultimately decided I would find it too frustrating being limited to the same keys as I was on the whistle, so I went for C#/D.

Here's a link to a CD of playing by an old friend of mine, who died in 1994. He played great Irish music on a plain vanilla D/G box. You can listen to a few samples. http://www.acrosstheborders.com.au/cdshop-melia.htm

Ed Harrison · Post by **Ed Harrison** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:54 pm

Thanks StevieJ

That gives me something to think about. It just seems
easier to play straight row, as thats what I was thinking
with the G/D accordion. I need more experience before
I understand it better. As I have said before I have a nice
Cajun accordion in the key of C and find the switch from
Irish to Cajun a bit difficult. The Irish tunes pop out of it but
I'm in the key of C. I could play the "Cuckoo Nest" in G on
this accordion, but its hard with all the pull notes. Perhaps thats the challenge.... Ed

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:46 am

Hi Ed,

I'm learning D/G melodeon, and my wife plays C/G concertina.

I am primarily playing English Morris Dance tunes, for which the D/G is ideal. I occasionally try an Irish tune, and generally the notes are there but it's a whole different style, and I find the Irish tunes much harder. I hope to develop to playing Irish tunes in time, and I'm getting a 2 1/2 row with that in mind - the extra 1/2 row adds some accidentals (such as Fnat and G#) which might occasionally be needed.

The C/G concertina is the standard for Irish music, and if you plan on attending any workshops, or learning from published books, you'll be hampered if you're playing anything else.

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:09 am

I have a redundant Hohner D/G Erica sitting upstairs. I was so frustrated by running out of notes at the low end in Irish tunes that I gave up. Yet there are those stupid, useless accidentals down there where there could be useful notes. Also, my bellows technique is about as delicate as that of a moribund elephant, but at least I could work on that. Might dust it down and have another go... Would it be possible to change those low-end reeds to something more useful?

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:23 am

SteveShaw wrote:Would it be possible to change those low-end reeds to something more useful?

You might be able to find someone to swap you a flute for them, but I doubt it.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:24 am

SteveShaw wrote:I have a redundant Hohner D/G Erica sitting upstairs.

Would it be possible to change those low-end reeds to something more useful?

Yes, a lot of people have this done, especially as the squeaky end barely gets used anyway.

Usually they shift the "home" button from 3 to 4, giving 2 buttons and thus 4 notes on each row below the usual, which can then be re-reeded however you chose. Of course this requires moving every reed in the box at suitable expense.

The other alternative is to leave the "doh" button on 3, and have that bottom button re-reeded as you please, which is cheaper.

I'm assuming that when I get round to Irish tunes on the box, I'll treat it like a flute or whistle and find alternate notes for tunes going below the D.

There are a few repairers on melodeon.net who could give you some ideas of what's possible and what it might cost - Theo Gibb is a splendid chap who would help, and there's a guy called Pete Grassby who does repairs and probably alterations, and turns up at a lot of Festivals.

Repairers seem to work a lot on word of mouth recommendations.