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I have been playing folk music since the early 1980's when I bought my first concertina.
Mostly I play for the fun of it, but occasionally people are misguided enough to think
that my playing is actually worth paying money for. In the end it is all just a lot of fun.
Here is a picture of me playing my button accordion at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. As
it turns out Pachabel's Canon fits very nicely on the D-G diatonic (basically because the
tune is just arpeggios on a very simple chord progression that fits within the chords available
on this instrument). I now play diatonic accordion mostly, although occasionally go back to
the concertina. People keep telling me I should learn the banjo, but I think it is because
the accordion is such a (rightfully) maligned instrument already that by taking up the banjo
I couldn't do any worse. In the end, it is difficult to play old-time music on the squeeze box
and I would like to try a few of those tunes so I may have to succumb.
Mostly I play Scandinavian, English, Irish and American tunes, but with my interests in
cajun and zydeco I may have to start learning that style. If the dances weren't so much
fun, I imagine I would already have taken the time to start learning the music.
I also do a bit of singing, and perform with the Oxford Carollers. We do
songs from the winter and christmas traditions and perform around the Twin Cities in December and
January.
Here are some links I have collected and also a few tune snipets to see what some of this
crazy music is about.
 . A singing group I belong to. Look here to find out who we are and where we will be singing.
- Mostly I play the Button Accordion. This page has a lot of good references to this and other free reed instruments.
- The other instrument I sometimes try to play, the English Concertina. Invented by a physicist back in the early 1800's.
- Here is a collection of folk tunes written out (mostly jigs and reels). The Nottingham Music Database.
- Some tunes from Scandinavia and the UK.
- Here are the words and snippets of recordings to some bardic songs.
- Some other tunes from the same region.
- A page of Traditional Celtic Music including midi-compatible files. Some sea shanties, etc.
Scandinavian Music
- Looking for Scandinavian music? Try Norsk Ltd. They import a lot of hard to find music.
- Another unusual folk-instrument is the nyckelharpa. This is a somewhat large version of the fiddle with keys (Swedish word: Nyckel) which fret 3 of the 4 bow-able strings (not unlike a Hurdy-Gurdy). Want to find out more? Take a look at the The American Nyckelharpa Association homepage.
- The Hardanger fiddle. This page is a link to the Hardanger Fiddle Association of America (HFAA), which promotes the music and culture surrounding the playing of this unusual Norwegian instrument.
- Here is a sample of hardanger fiddle music from Loretta Kelley (285kB). Loretta is one of the best Hardingfele players this side of the Atlantic, and plays for dancers and listeners across the country. This snippet is from her cassette, "Dansekveld" which means 'Dance Evening'. It is the first part of a springar from Telemark entitled "Jåle-Ragnhild".
- One of the foremost players in all of Norway is Knut Buen (376kB). This recording is also of a dance from Telemark, but this time it is a gangar, or walking tune (springar is more closly translated as running). This tune is called Sandsdalsgangaren and is from the first of his collection of tapes for dancing called "Spel til dans" (playing for dancing).
Dancing to either of these fine musicians is a treat beyond words! If you are interested in learning this or one of the related dances, pop me an Email, and I will let you know when classes are starting around here or around where you are if I know of any. Both of these performers travel and give workshops from time to time.
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I have been playing folk music since the early 1980's when I bought my first concertina.
Mostly I play for the fun of it, but occasionally people are misguided enough to think
that my playing is actually worth paying money for. In the end it is all just a lot of fun.
Here is a picture of me playing my button accordion at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. As
it turns out Pachabel's Canon fits very nicely on the D-G diatonic (basically because the
tune is just arpeggios on a very simple chord progression that fits within the chords available
on this instrument). I now play diatonic accordion mostly, although occasionally go back to
the concertina. People keep telling me I should learn the banjo, but I think it is because
the accordion is such a (rightfully) maligned instrument already that by taking up the banjo
I couldn't do any worse. In the end, it is difficult to play old-time music on the squeeze box
and I would like to try a few of those tunes so I may have to succumb.