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Category: Tunings

Set La Cardeuse

Theme of the month at melodeon.net for February 2024 is tunes from Canada. I’ve known these tunes a long time, but never tried to play them, so here they go… they fit on a standard 2 row Hohner Pokerwork in D/G just fine.

I learned them from the playing of Chris Wood, who learned from Martin Carthy, who learned from Lisa Ornstein. I’m sure it’s lost a lot of its original quebecois-ness on the way, but they remain great tunes. I gather the second tune is La Cardeuse, and the first unnamed, unless you know different.

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Cuckoo’s Nest (Alternative Version)

Tune of the month at melodeon.net for February 2024, here’s a different version to the one I normally play which is elsewhere on my channel. This one is in D major, and is based (as best I can remember it) off the version De Danaan recorded. It’s a pretty neat version. Pleasantly surprised to find that it sits on a Hohner Pokerwork just fine, so here it is played on a D/G.

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Citi ma GCumman

A lovely tradition irish waltz, learned from the playing of William Coulter. Played on a Hohner Preciosa in Bb/Eb; a tune for melodeon.net’s theme of the month for January 2024 – irish music.

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Midnight on the Water (in Bb)

Luke Thomason’s waltz – one of my favourite all time tunes. Recorded this one at least twice before, so this time I’m playing it in Bb on a Bb/Eb Hohner Preciosa. Melodeon.net’s tune of the month for January 2024.

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Sir Sidney Smith’s March – A Tutorial

This is a fantastic tune, and melodeon.net’s tune of the month for December 2023. Quite tricky, so here I break it down to its individual bits, and take you through how to play it.

I’m playing it on a D/G Hohner Pokerwork, so it should work on any 2 row 8 bass box. On my melodeon, it’s a 3rd button start, the basses have the thirds taped off, and the B bass note is an octave lower than most boxes. Doesn’t matter for this tune of course.

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Down in Yon Forest

It’s December, and with that it’s time to play a Christmas tune for melodeon.net’s theme of the month. This is the Corpus Christi carol, otherwise known as ‘Down in Yon Forest’. I believe there are other Corpus Christi carols 🙂

Played on a Castagnari Giasco I in D/G.

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Cathleen Hehir’s

Melodeon.net’s tune of the month for November 2023 is this Irish 4 part slide.

Played on a Castagnari Lilly in A/D, on the inside row, so in D.

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Zakynthos Jig

Here’s Roger Wilson’s 48 bar jig, played on an a Castagnari Lilly in A/D (so in B minor I think). Lovely tune, written by one of my favourite musicians, and quite hard to fit on a 2 row 8 bass box.

Played for Melodeon.net’s theme of the month for November 2023.

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Yxi Kaunis Papillinen Polska

Here’s a traditional Finnish fiddle tune called Yxi Kaunis Papillinen Polska, my entry for melodeon.net’s theme of the month, tunes that start with Y. It turns out to be quite a tricky letter to find a tune for! This one is from the album Zwei Mannborgs, who do an amazing version for two harmoniums. The title broadly translates to ‘one beautiful priestly polska’.

Played on a Castagnari Mory in D/G.

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Sun Assembly

Tune of the month for October 2023 at melodeon.net, a traditional English tune that comes from a 1750’s tune book. It’s a march, but I’m hornpiping it a bit here.

Played on a Hohner Liliput in G/C, converted and rebuilt by Kay Albrecht.

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