Dermot Byrne: My inspiriation (new video clip on RTE')

[Mr.Nate]

My wife checked out some nice irish CDs at the library by a group named
Altan.

After listening to the CD's I decided I wanted to play the concertina like the guy on the CD. I later saw the cool box strapped around his neck and thought "wow, what is that?" I later figured out it was a button accordion!

Check out Dermot on Youtube!! This is the cut...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XR1bdVr8gw

Nate

[StevieJ]

What's unusual about this clip is the key DB is playing the tune in. Normally it is played in Dmix.

So here's a wee quiz. What key is he playing in on what tuning of box? (DB plays both C#D and BC systems, and no doubt the equivalent of each a half-step up.)

Puzzled me for a while, had to pick up my own box to solve it. So here are a few clues:

1. The box is in concert pitch (this fooled me at first - I was expecting something tuned a semitone above).

2. It's a 23-button box.

3. The tonic (what would be D if he were playing in the usual key) is played on the second button.

4. He doesn't use the first button on the inner row.

5. He uses the first button on the outer row to play a chord with the second button on the inner row (the chord that would normally be DA, ).

The answer surprised me and shows that his command of the box is even greater than what you might expect from listening to the clip and assuming it were in D. (But then you convert it into the key it would sound in on the other system (B/D or C#/D) and it seems a little less exotic, but still... fair play to him!)

Still needs a fiddle to make it sound really interesting though

Steve

[Mr.Nate]

Not to avoid your question but...

Here is the full length show on RTE'

Stumbled accross this by accident...

http://www.rte.ie/tv/thefullset/ep6.html

[SteveShaw]

Altan were on at the Sidmouth folk festival in Devon in August and my wonderful in-laws bought us two tickets for my birthday present! Dermot Byrne is wonderful to watch as well as listen to. He plays so fast, accurately and soulfully, yet you couldn't imagine a more relaxed-looking performer. There isn't a tense muscle in his body, seemingly, and he always has a sublime and contented expression on his face. I'd love to ask his missus (who's always quite close by when he's playing ) whether he's like that at home too!

[Mr.Nate]

Well, it looks like he's in love with the fiddle player but don't tell the misses!

Here's a link to # 5 with a harmonica player for ya!

http://www.rte.ie/tv/thefullset/ep5.html

Nate

[StevieJ]

No takers? Well, he's playing the tune in B (mixolydian) on a C#/D box. As I realized after, not so exotic when you consider it would come out in A-mix on a B/C box (that's probably how he learned it), but the result is still surprising!