Belgian musette tuning

[maugein96]

Found this rather pleasant film of Namur in Belgium, with accordion music in the background.

Straight away I identified the Belgian version of three voice musette tuning, which I find very pleasant to listen to.

The accordion sounds as though it may be a PA, as the player struggles with some aspects of the arpeggios that are relatively easy on CBA.

Its a long clip I know, but if anybody knows the secret of three voice Belgian musette tuning, Id be very interested to know what it is.

It has a fairly deep mellow sound (for musette).

 

[debra]

To me it sounds too much like Amsterdam tuning (very wet). I can stand it for maybe 2 minutes or so. To each their own of course, but I wouldn't want an instrument tuned like that. (And as some may know, I am originally Belgian, born and raised in Antwerp.)

 

[maugein96]

Hi Paul,

I believe you mentioned you were from Antwerp in a previous post.

It would indeed seem to be the case that Belgian tuning is nearer the "amsterdamse" tuning you mention.

Here in Scotland most players go for very strong musette, as it is what they are used to, although I don't care for it at all.

Don't know who the player is in the clip, but the musette tuning (to my ears) is one of the less jarring versions. Then again I think I'd concede my ears aren't as good as yours. I currently don't have any musette tuned accordions, but if I ever did consider getting one again, I would try and find an instrument with tuning like the one in the clip.

With hindsight, the playing is not the best I've heard either, but I like the musette tuning of the box.

 

[Corsaire]

Hi John

I like that tuning too and that deep mellow sound which goes well with that music. My favoured tuning is just the wet side of swing (if that makes sense). But it depends on the instrument and the style of music being played. I'm not really a fan of any type of 'swing' music, having a more folky background. But I am always happy to be surprised !

 

[maugein96]

Hi John

I like that tuning too and that deep mellow sound which goes well with that music. My favoured tuning is just the wet side of swing (if that makes sense). But it depends on the instrument and the style of music being played. Im not really a fan of any type of swing music, having a more folky background. But I am always happy to be surprised !

Sally,

Most of the players I listened to way back were from the Nord (59), or just over the border in Belgium. They often had a slightly different musette tuning from other French accordionists, and Ive never been able to work out what it is. Paul De Bra identifies it as being similar to Amsterdam tuning, but the Amsterdam cafe style is very big on chords and even if the tuning is similar, the Accordiolas used by Dutch players have/had a totally different sound to French boxes with Belgian tuning.

Your preference for tuning the wet side of swing may be down to the fact that the vast majority of accordions in France these days have two voice americain tuning, which is indeed on the wet side of swing. Perhaps your ear has become accustomed to the sound? Every box is very slightly different in that respect, and some makers do a better job of americain tuning than others. Old Crosio boxes (the ones they made in France) had really great americain tuning on their LMM instruments, but they were more famous for the MMM type of tuning in the clip on this post. No other accordion manufacturer was ever able to replicate the Crosio musette pur tuning. It fell out of favour (literally died out) after Crosio closed its French concern down, which I think was round about 1975. From a time when every other household had a budding accordionist to the time that there was hardly much interest at all never really took very long. As far as I can remember Crosio priced themselves out of the market, much in the same manner as Maugein seem to be doing. If youre a pro and want the best come and see us. If you arent then were not interested. They were swamped with orders from pro players at one time and it seems they got greedy.

Here is an accordion tuning from the 50s which has long disappeared. The player is Gérard Desreumaux from Wervik in West Flanders (Belgium), but the album cover shows him with a French C system Crosio with standard Stradella basses, instead of the normal B system with Belgian basses found in that area. Mind you, if you take a short walk across the bridge into Wervicq Sud you are in France, so I dont know whether the accordion in the photo is just a prop. The tuning sounds more Verchuren than Belgian, but it is very difficult to get info on those old players these days, in either Dutch or French. The recording was definitely done using a Crosio. but possibly not the one in the photo. Gérard normally used a black 5 row Crosio. The brass accompaniment is/was typical of accordion ensembles from the area.