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Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

A follow up to me saying I don't care for wet accordions. I like slightly damp ones. Just finished my first E, and after installing the pretuned reeds, which had a slightly wet sound before final tuning, I determined I really like the higher keys slightly damp. Gives it a very old timey sound and take some of the piercing away.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Oh, hell no Hildreth, don't tell me that! 5 keys? As if it wasn't difficult enough! I'll have to increase my meds because of this new information. Got Dammit! LOL

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Bryan, an "E" accordion? Let's see...an "E" can be played in the primary push which is "E". And then on the pull it would be "B", and on the third position it would be the key of "A".

Who ordered such an accordion? How does it smoke? LOL. I mean, how goes the singing with that accordion? Is it easy to sing along with.

About how damp are we talking here? 7(seven)cents? Lucky ole #7?

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Castagnari's one row tuning is usually
Dry.. unison tuned or
"swing" tuning at about 5 cents.
Not so common is "Americano" at about 10.

They do another tuning about 15 but this is often on 3 reed instruments used for French Traditional music or Italian.

Castagnari's "swing" is dryer than Saltarelle or other Italian makers.
Other do
Dry
Swing at about 7-10
Americano at about 10-15 and
sloppy stuff above that.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Hildreth you are one technical son of a gun! Obviously, you know more about accordion than the average Joe. I see what you're saying. So where does "Cajun" wet tuning fall within all them numbers? I mean, it's not Americano. Its not swing? Oh, wait, I see....its French! 15cent wet'll do! Or is it the way the accordion is played that can make a Mexican accordion almost sound Cajun if done right? I've heard a Cajun player not long ago whose accordion sounded like it was stuffed with tacos. ahahahah. But the guy is most definitely a Cajun and plays Cajun music. I wonder if his accordion builder messed up and put him a Mexican tuning? Hilarious!

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

The Tex Mex guys have some interesting tuning..
I'm going to go back and refresh my memory banks...

Keep in mind the majority of the Tex Mex/Norteno players use
Hohner Corona 2 reed boxes as their primary weapon or:

The grossly overpriced, substandard quality Gabbanellis. Here they are 2 reed or 3 reed.

They are some fantastic players of what was originally German and Czech (think Polka) music.

Here's a youtube channel showing the various tunings:

Link 3 https://www.youtube.com/user/esTUNINGandREPAIR/videos?disable_polymer=1

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

I've tuned some 5 cents that I thought sounded pretty good. I don't like them much wetter than that. But just personal preference.

I also decided I really like the key of E. Uses almost no air and is easy to play. I don't really understand why I like some keys better than others, but the more it goes, the less I like C.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Bryan, were those "E" reeds smaller than normal? Is that the reason they don't take much air? I don't know.

First time I picked up an "E" accordion, if I remember correctly...I was able to easily play Wayne Toup's version of "La Barg Qui Brille" (The Ring That Shines). I could not play it before that moment, but the second my ears heard the match to the accordion Wayne was playing when he recorded this song, presto, the song came to me as easy as a Bourbon Street hooker.

Go try to play that song just for sh*** and grins, I think it'll work for you too. Good luck. If I remember correctly, the singing went real easy for me with that "E" accordion. That "E" accordion was a "TECHE" accordion. The maker Elton Quibodeaux, now deceased. I was surprised that an old fashioned type guy like him had made an "E" accordion. If I would have had the money, I would have gotten an "E" me too, but alas, I didn't. So I made do with my only accordion at the time...that dam "C". But hey, you had to have a "C" to be able to play along with so many recordings and at the jam sessions. Around that time, the sheep were all in an uproar about Bflat accordions. Had to have a Bflat accordion! It makes me sick to think about it. If I could erase those times, I would wipe them away never to be heard of again. Got dam a Bflat. Got dam them!

Let me know what key the song is in.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

I don't understand an "E" accordeon, but I do understand "Eb"

Savoy made a couple.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

I'll give it a shot, but never really listen to Wayne much. It's gonna be real hard to give this box to its owner. I love the sound of it, and I always scrunched up my face at the thought of a key that high.

Yes, the reeds get bigger and smaller as you go up the key scale. That's why a G seems to use more air than a C, and a high key like E or F seems to use less. Almost feels like the bellows are hardly moving.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

I still do not understand "E". Except A blues.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

All quiet on the "Louisiana" Front.

OK.. Louisiana was named after which French King ?

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Hey Jeff, that King would be which ever Louis was married to Anna at the time. I only ever heard of 14 Louis's, So it must have been one of them 14 uppity rich silver spoon fed sons a ****** Louises that they named Louis e Anna after.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

Hey Jeff, most Cajuns don't understand "E" accordions eeeeeither. But we sure can play the living hell out of them if one gets put into our hands. I don't know why that is. Maybe it's the new and seldom heard sound and feel that comes out of an "E" accordion.

Re: What The Masters Could Not or Would Not Say

"Am I right that the accordions of Jo-el Sonnier and Bruce Daigrepoint(both very good accordion players) are wet-tuned."

Anything/everything not unison tuned is "wet" tuned.



Jamey Hall's most excellent Cajun Accordion Music Theory

Brett's all new Cajun Accordion Music Theory for all keys!

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