Button-Accordion Tunes 2 Play 4 Fun
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      • Now I'm 64
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      • Sweet forget-me-not
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    • OTHER - newer >
      • Both_sides_now
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      • Red River Valley
    • Christmas Songs >
      • (A) Children's Winter
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      • Christmas in the harbour.
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      • Mussels in the corner
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      • I overlooked an orchid
      • I recall a gypsy woman
      • I walk the line
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      • Missing in action
      • Moon River
      • Old flames
      • Rambling Rose
      • Ring_of_fire
      • Roses are red my love
      • Send me the pillow ...
      • Try _a_ little_kindness
      • Waltz across Texas
      • What a wonderful world
      • You're my best friend
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      • America the beautiful
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      • Careless_love
      • Down_in_the_valley
      • Hammer_song
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      • My grandfather's clock
      • Oh, what a beautiful morning
      • Old_lamplighter
      • Old_Smokey
      • Shenandoah
      • Star-Spangled Banner
      • Streets of Laredo
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      • This land is your land
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      • Worried man blues
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      • You are my sunshine
    • Christmas Songs >
      • An old Christmas card
      • Frosty the Snowman
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      • Jingle Bells
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      • Must be Santa
      • Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
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    • BY "EAR" >
      • Edelweiss
      • If I should fall behind
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      • Oh so many years
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      • Drink to me only ...
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      • A_little_peace
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      • Brahms_lullaby
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      • After all these years
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      • Black velvet band
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      • Maid in the Garrett
      • Molly Malone
      • My wild Irish Rose
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      • Rocky Road to Dublin
      • Rose of Aranmore
      • Wild_Colonial_Boy
      • Wild Rover
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      • Come by the hills
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      • Auld Lang Syne - New Year's
      • Comin' through the rye
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      • Wild mountain thyme
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      • The Ash Grove
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      • Jolly good fellow
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      • Christmas in Killarney
      • Deck the hall
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      • We wish you a Merry Christmas
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Among the Wicklow Hills
      • Beautiful Sunday
      • Hills of Glenshee
      • In an Irish country home
      • It's good to see you
      • Love me when I'm old ...
      • My homeland
      • The little shirt my Mother made for me
      • Going out the same way you came in
  • Dance Tunes
    • Jig family >
      • Auntie Mary (Cock of the North)
      • Father O'Flynn
      • Garryowen
      • Haste to the wedding
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      • Larry O'Gaff
      • Pop Goes The Weasel
      • Up_the_pond
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      • Aunt_Rubys_garden
      • Aunt_Rubys_garden (guitar)
      • I rowed up in a dory
      • Maple-sugar-reel
      • Maxwell's rant
      • Pretty_little_Mary
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      • Banks of Newfoundland (Up the Pond)
      • Cock of the North (Auntie Mary)
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      • Because He lives
      • God on the mountain
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      • It is no secret
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      • Millenium Prayer
      • One day at a time
      • 'Till the storm passes by
      • Unclouded Day
      • Will you walk with me
      • Wings of a dove
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      • Beautiful isle of somewhere
      • Church in the wildwood
      • Count your blessings
      • Do Lord
      • Give me oil for my lamp
      • Higher ground
      • How beautiful Heaven must be
      • I'll fly away
      • In the sweet by and by
      • Just a closer walk with Thee
      • Keep on the Sunny Side
      • Kum ba yah
      • Let_the_lower_lights
      • Life is like a mountain railroad
      • Mine eyes have seen the glory
      • Precious memories
      • Shall we gather at the river
      • Standing in the need of prayer
      • Stranger of Galilee
      • When the roll is called up yonder
      • When the Saints go marching in
      • Whispering hope
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      • Give_to_us_laughter
      • Here I am Lord
      • How great Thou art
      • Jesus you have come to the lakeshore
      • Morning has broken
      • Pass it on
      • Spirit, Open My Heart
      • Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness
    • Hymns -older >
      • All people that on earth
      • Amazing Grace
      • Be Thou My Vision
      • Blessed_Assurance
      • Crown_Him_with_many_crowns
      • For_the_beauty
      • In the garden
      • I love to tell the story
      • Immortal_invisible
      • Jesus loves me
      • Joyful, joyful, We ...
      • Make_Me_A_Channel_Of_
      • Precious_Lord_take_my_hand
      • Softly and tenderly
      • Take time to be holy
      • Trust and Obey
      • We love the place O God
      • What a Friend we have in Jesus
      • Will your anchor hold
      • Wonderful_words_of_life
    • Christmas Carols >
      • Away in a manger (JRM)
      • Away in a manger (WJK)
      • The First Noel
      • The friendly beasts
      • Go, tell it on the mountain
      • Hark the herald angels sing
      • I heard the bells (Marks)
      • I saw three ships
      • Joy to the world
      • Mary's Little Boy Child
      • O come, all ye faithful
      • O little town of Bethlehem
      • Silent Night
      • When a child is born
    • BY "EAR" >
      • Lord, don't give up on me
  • Kids
    • Billy_Boy
    • BINGO
    • (My Darling) Clementine
    • Frere Jacques
    • If you're happy
    • London_Bridge
    • Mary had a little lamb
    • Pop Goes The Weasel
    • Twinkle little star
    • Where has my little dog gone

MUSSELS  IN  THE  CORNER

The Song - Intermediate's Version 

"Not so fast" & with humour
As a Song, Based on a Traditional NL tune, we'll play it with 4 beats per bar.  (It can also
be played as a dance tune, where it is usually performed as a reel, with 2 beats per
bar.)
​
Button-Accordion Notation 
Somewhat simplified for use in Unit 5 of BA2.
Return to BA2-Unit 5
Beats per bar = 4, with emphasis on 1st & 3rd.
Beat symbol = Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Suitable beat pattern:   Bass-Chord-Bass-Chord

            Verse  =  Buttons 3 to 6
Instrumental 1 = Buttons 3 to 6
Instrumental 2 = Buttons 3 to 5*
                    or = Buttons 6 to 9*
Many performers do two part instrumental before the singing, between verses, and at the end:​
Instrumental 1 - with same tune as verse 1 below, sometimes played twice as part of set.
Instrumental 2 - with different tune from verse, as given below, sometimes also played twice.
 Verse 1:   

|   .6     .6*   .5*   .5    |     .4      .5       :5*          |
 Deed   I     am   in        love  with   you_____

   o4    o3*   i3*   o3         o4     o3       i3*    i3* 
          
   .5    .4     .3       .3*    |    .4     .3*   :3*         |
 Out  all  night  in-the     fog - gy   dew____

  o4   o3    o3      o3*        o4    o3*  o3*   o3*   
                
   .6      .6*   .5*     .5    |    .4      .5      :5*        |
 Deed   I     am     in       love  with  you____

   o4    o3*   i3*    o3        o4     o3     i3*    i3*

   .5     .4       .3*   .4   |    :3              :3            |
​Mus - sels    in   the    corn____ -  er_____

  o4     o3     o3*  o3       o4    o3     o3     o3     



Instrumental 1: Same tune as verse 1 above.

Instrumental 2 (sometimes referred to a "turn"): 


          |   .7    .7*     .6  .7*    |   .7  .8    :9*   |
          |   .4    .3*     .3  .3*    |   .4  .5    :5*   |

​              .8  .7        .6  .7*    |    .7  .7*   :7*   |
              .5  .4        .3  .3*    |    .4  .3*   :3*   |
    

              .7   .7*     .6  .7*    |   .7  .8      :9*    |
              .4   .3*     .3  .3*    |   .4  .5      :5*    |

              .8   .7      .7*  .7     |    :6        :6       |
              .5   .4      .3*  .4     |    :3        :3       |
 
There are other instrumental "turns" that are also popular (perhaps even more popular).  We'll defer  that for later learning and practice.


The verse notation is shown at left.
















​The instrumentals are usually done twice after each verse.



Some folks prefer the low-octave version shown at left in black.

Others prefer the high octave version shown at left in red.

The choice is yours.

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

Total of 13 videos in various keys:  C = 4,  D = 6,  G = 3

You may notice that in the youTube videos below, different performers do this number in different ways with different choices and arrangements of verses and instrumentals.  For example, some use 2 beats per bar, and some use 4 beats per bar; some use slightly different melodies, particularly on the "turns".  There are also differences in the lyrics, not all of which are PC.

Key:  D 

Group:  The Dorymen

Accordion:  Tom Rose

Vocals:  John Drake

Lead guitar:  Linda Stone

​Posted by: Garr1984



Key:  D

Accordion: Greg Brown

Posted by:  Nunavut
                   Sivuniksavut

Greg runs though two parts quite slowly, and then plays them more quickly.

Key:  D

Accordion:  Greg Brown

​Posted by:  Nunavut
                   Sivuniksavut

Here Greg first runs through two parts quite quickly, and then repeats the parts slowly.

Key:  D


on Guitar: Jerry Lush
Accordionist: Jamie Spurvey

​Posted by:  Jerry Lush

Instrumental - button accordin & guitar

Great video, music & scenery.

Key:   D

Accordion:  Poss Slaney

Posted by:  Newfieposs

Instrumental - button accordion

Great playing by one of NL's finest.

Key:  D

on Accordion:  Harry Hibbs

Posted by:  oldirishladdie

Instrumental - button accordion




Key:  G 

Accordion:  Delmon Reid

Posted by: dellreid

​Instrumental - button accordion



Key:  C

Accordions:  Delmon Reid
      and the late Jack Hynes.

Posted by: kelticknots

Instrumental - button accordion

Filmed on Change Islands in the 1970s.  You can see the members of Ryan's Fancy, as well as Canon George Earle, really enjoying the music.  (And Mr. Reid hasn't changed a bit, has he?)

Key:  C

Accordion Player:  ?

​Posted by:  newfiebob2's channel

Instrumental - button accordion
​
​Played on a Hohner 4 stop HA-114

Key: C

Group:  Fogo Island
             Accordion Group

Members:  Melanie Penton, Heather Penton, Jamie Hancock, Chris King & Aaron Brown.

Posted by: Aaron Brown
​
At Joe Batt's Arm seaside folk festival, 2011.

Key:  C

Accordionist:  Phil Grimes

Posted by:  Ted Grimes

Instrumental - piano accordion

Great job Phil.

Key:  G

Group:  Shanneyganock

Accordionist:  Mark Hiscock

​Posted by:  Shanneyganock - Topic

Key:  G

Performer:   ? 

​Posted by:  My channel

Instrumental - button accordion

A talented young player.

Background Materials, Information & Links

​Lyrics
​& Instrumentals:
   
   

"Mussels in the Corner" is often played at dances, as a reel, and often without vocals.   However, lyrics help the process of learning a tune.

​Verse 1:   Above

Verse 2:   Ask a bayman for a smoke
                He will say his pipe is broke
                Ask a bayman for a chew
                He will bite it off for you

Instrumental 1 (same tune as verse)
Instrumental 2 (different)

Verse 3:   Dirty shirts and dirty ties
                Dirty rings around their eyes
                Can't get up the morning boys
                Dirty Torbay men

Instrumental 1  
Instrumental 2  

Verse 4:  Here they are as white as ghosts
               Baymen in their little boats
               Women in their petticoats
               Bound for Petty Harbour

Instrumental 1  
Instrumental 2
Instrumental 1 
Go to Top of Page
Return to BA2 - Unit 5
Background Links:
Click HERE  for additional lyrics.  (wikipedia)