Colm Gannon is a young Irish button box player who played a show in Rochester last week. I've linked a couple of videos of his performance and his soundcloud page. Irish right-hand technique involves a lot of single button, using octaves as an accent. They sometimes play in positions other than first and second (e.g., other than C or G on a C box). The left hand is brought in for accents. He rebuilt the left side of one of his boxes to play open chords. Sometimes he would hold that chord, drone-style, while he changed bellows direction based on tune notes in the right hand. Great flow to his music.

One more tune with Colm, featuring his father John Gannon on a 1-row melodeon playing a tune in A. Gutsy sounding box. John's musical background in link #2.

Irish Accordion music was first played on a one row box usually in D. Then an outside row in C# was added to give it more range. Later on, the BC system was developed for even more range and is the more widely used system in Irish Accordion music today. I play the C#D system as it is much easier to play as most of the notes are on the inside D row with occasionally going to the outside row for the C natural. The fingering, though complicated is simpler than the much more intricate fingering techniques used on the BC system. You really can't compare Cajun playing to Irish playing as they are very different. You will find that Irish music is all about the melody. The rhythm is built into the melody. Cajun, like other dance forms relies more on rhythm backing the melody for a complete sound. I play both and find that Cajun is much easier to learn than Irish. I always have fun when playing Cajun. If you wish to play Irish on a Cajun box then get a D box. Just remember to develop good fingering techniques and you will be fine. A single row melodeon is always welcome at a session.

Dana, thanks for the insights. I got an inexpensive Hohner BC a few years ago. If I understand it right, each row has the diatonic notes in its respective key (C inside and B on the outside). Because the rows are a half-step apart, in theory it's possible to play in any key, since all 12 chromatic notes are available between the 2 rows. Mastering the push and pull on 2 rows that are separated by a half-step is wicked challenging. I would not want to play it in D or A, but C and G are not so bad ;)

A lot of Irish players use the BC system, because it seems that the fingerings are easier to master if you're not already spoiled by a onerow Melodeon in D, and a bit relative to the white and blacks of the piano keyboard. Also bellow changes they say seem less busy. They usually have the basses adapted on a BC for playing in D, A, G, Em etc.

Joe Burke:



- Nout

Mr. Burke looks like he's just idling as he tears it up.

Joe Burke is probably the greatest Irish accordionist in the world. He is a living legend. If you like him then listen to John Whelan, Billy McComisky, James Keene, Jackie Daly and Tony McMahon. These are the cream of the crop of Irish accordion players representing the BC, C#D and DD# systems.

Billy McComiskey, Whelan and Keene are all in America and do perform publically. John and Billy have some fine you tube videos, I have not checked for Keene.

Other fine 1/2 step players would be :

Bobby Gardiner mostly on B/C and one row.. often the much maligned Hohner
HA114, He favors the G box.

Brendan Begley on C#/D and one Row Melodeon,he plays a Castagnari in D on his album "We Won't Go Home 'til Morning"

In the video with John and Colm, John is playing a Castagnari in D and colm is playing 50's Paolo Soprani I belive in B/C

John Williams is in Chicago and played in the movie "Road to Perdition."
He played a Saltarelle 2 1/2 row in B/C which would not have been historically correct. Saltarelle came in to being in the 80's and likely C#/D would have been used in the period of the movie. Or even more likely a 1 1/ row in D the box of choice in America at that time.

Paul Groff is a very fine C#/D player down in Florida, formerly of Boston and Berkeley. He also plays concertina.

B/C is used, more often than not, to play in the key of D. the B/C system
reduces the push pull and gives a "flow"

Players who use the C#/D play in the push/pull style, also known as the "press and draw".

B/C came in to favor with the Irish in the late 40's early 50's, prior, C#/D was common. B/C was used to keep up with and emulate the fiddle.

C#/D saw a comeback in the last 15 years.. Jackie Daley as an example.

The famous Joe Cooley played in D/D#. Joe Burke also plays C/C#.

Burke was playing a Gaillard (from France) in the video.

Sean, thank you for those insights on the boxes and styles and performers. I never realized how Irish players used those different types of box. Engineering and musical ingenuity meet up in the button box world.

Sean, great post, i miss Mairtin O'Connor a bit in your listing, i think he's a C#/D player, and wow ... PS i wonder what accordion he uses in clip 3 below:







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On the video below the music begins after a minute or so, and this piece seems to highlight Mairtin's C#/D stunting, almost associated with him, and popular probably due a recording of it during his stint with De Dannan in the 80-ies:




Nout

Mairtin O'Connor may be my favorite Irish box player.

The first, second and fourth videos he is playing a Saltarelle NUAGE, likely i n the keys of D/D# a half step up from C#/D. When he played with De Dannan, he used the D/D# most often. ( De Dannan is the archaic word for Ireland) He also cut one of my all time favorite CD's on a Saltarelle NUAGE in D/D#.. the CD is : "Moto Perpetuo". On this he plays sopem traditional tunes, classical and Paganini's MOTO PERPETUO hence the title of the CD. This was a violin piece written by violinist/composer Paganani and once thought unplayable.. it was nearly a centuray after he penned it that it was played by someone else, Mairtin plays it on a very simple D/D# box. Absolutley incredible.

The other video is a Saltarelle Connemara III ( possibly a Connemara II) in
C#/D. He designed this box and now sold by Saltarelle with his signature on it.. an endoresed box, rare in the accordeon world. Saltarelles are made in Italy by Dino Baffetti and sent to France to Geroge Rox who markets and distributes them. Mairtin O'Connor has been a Saltarelle dealer for many years. I have spoken with him on the phone a few times and have some letters here from him. Great player, decent guy.

I am not a Saltarelle fan as they are not the best quality and like Moto Guzzi motorcycles, once you sort them out, they are outstanding, but getting there is a pain.

The original maker of Saltarelles was Serrenellini... they still amke some parallel models,,, the NUAGES is the 233 Deluxe and the Connemara series are called Sirus or something like that. I have owned two of them.. one in D/G and one in C#/D.. the first two ever imported to the US. You must specifiy handmade reeds other wis they are "export" quality known as DURAL.

Rod Stradling of England was the first importer of Saltarelles to Great Britain, a very fine D/G player.

Saltarelle used to make a single row 10 button 4 reed box.. also made by Baffetti.. , Italian reeds and bellows. decent quality... but not on a par with Castagnari.

Castagnari and Saltarelle have been competitors for years.. Many prefer the Salts, many prefer the Castagnaris... I prefer Castganaris.. but would consider a fettled Saltarelle. Castagnari makes the better one row, hands down. Smaller, lighter, faster, better reeds and all other materials.
Oddly placed air button keeps some players away, but very popular with Irish one row players, and me.

That was George ROUX not Rox, who is the owner and distributor of Saltarelles in Pirey(z) France. He is a character.
Saltarelles and Castagnaris are imported and sold by the Button Box in
Massachusettes.