Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques Book

Develop Traditional D/G Melodeon Technique Through Real Tunes

Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques Book by Dave Mallinson is a progressive D/G melodeon tutor designed to help beginners and improving players develop stronger traditional playing technique through carefully chosen tunes, practical exercises and real session repertoire.

Unlike many beginner tutors that only focus on simple melody playing, this book explores the deeper mechanics of traditional melodeon style, including fingering patterns, row crossing, bellows control, accompaniment, harmony and rhythm.

The book introduces players to traditional music from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Shetland, Orkney, France, Flanders, Canada and America through a rich and varied collection of 75 tunes.

The book is particularly valuable for players wanting to improve rhythm, fluency and confidence for real traditional music sessions and dance playing.

Many of these tunes are widely played at folk festivals,the repertoire is particularly useful for melodeon players involved in folk sessions, Morris dancing, ceilidh bands and traditional dance music.

Available as book only, CD only, or book and CD together, this tutor is designed to work alongside Dave Mallinson’s other melodeon books including Instant Melodeon and Absolute Beginners.

Quick Overview

• Author: Dave Mallinson
• Instrument Focus: D/G melodeon
• Level: Beginner to intermediate
• Format Options: Book only, CD only, or book and CD together
• Musical Focus: Traditional British, Irish, French and North American repertoire
• Tunes Included: 75 traditional tunes
• Features: Techniques, tablature, fingering systems and accompaniment guidance

What This Book Teaches

This tutor goes beyond simple tune learning and focuses on developing strong traditional melodeon technique from the beginning.

Topics include row crossing, changing hand position, bass accompaniment, harmony creation, bellows phrasing, fingering efficiency and making the most of the D/G melodeon’s layout and character.

The book introduces a series of named fingering systems and movement patterns designed to help players understand how experienced melodeon players approach the keyboard efficiently.

Above the music, fingering instructions and visual icons help players recognise useful movement patterns that can later be applied across wider repertoire.

Traditional Music Focus

The repertoire covers a broad cross-section of traditional dance music styles including reels, jigs, hornpipes, polkas, slides, mazurkas, waltzes, barn dances, marches, rants, slip jigs and triple hornpipes.

Many of the tunes are core traditional session repertoire, regularly heard at pub sessions, ceilidhs, folk clubs, Morris events and traditional dance gatherings.

The tunes are carefully chosen to help players build strong, useful traditional repertoire without relying solely on overplayed standards.

Why We Recommend It

At Squeezebox Marketplace, we recommend Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques because it bridges the difficult gap between basic beginner tutors and genuinely confident traditional melodeon playing.

Dave Mallinson’s self-taught background gives him a particularly realistic understanding of the problems players encounter when developing technique without guidance.

This tutor does not simply provide tunes — it explains how skilled melodeon players physically approach the instrument, helping students avoid weak habits before they become deeply ingrained.

The optional soundtrack CD is especially useful because traditional rhythm, phrasing and bellows control are far easier to absorb by listening to experienced melodeon playing.

Who This Book Is For

• Beginner and improving D/G melodeon players
• Players wanting stronger fingering and row-crossing technique
• Self-taught musicians looking for clearer technical guidance
• Traditional musicians building wider session repertoire
• Players wanting to improve accompaniment and bass rhythm
• Melodeon players interested in English, Irish and folk dance music

Key Features

• Written by Dave Mallinson: Respected traditional musician and melodeon tutor author.
• 75 Traditional Tunes Included: Wide-ranging repertoire from Britain, Ireland and beyond.
• Technique-Focused Approach: Covers row crossing, fingering and accompaniment in depth.
• Melodeon Tablature Included: Useful for players without advanced music-reading skills.
• Traditional Dance Music Styles: Reels, jigs, hornpipes, slides, polkas, mazurkas and more.
• Structured Learning System: Introduces named fingering and movement concepts.
• Works Alongside Other Mallinson Tutors: Designed to complement Instant Melodeon and Absolute Beginners.

Specifications

• Title: Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques Book
• Author: Dave Mallinson
• SKU: AM106
• Instrument: D/G melodeon
• Level: Beginner to intermediate
• Number of Tunes: 75
• ISBN: 9781899512942
• Music Styles: English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French and North American traditional music
• Available Variants: Book only, CD only, or book and CD together
• Optional CD: Product code AM106C / Label number DMPCD1802

Contents and Tune List

About the Companion CD

The optional soundtrack CD demonstrates the rhythms, phrasing, fingering flow and accompaniment style used throughout the tutor.

Listening alongside the book helps players absorb traditional dance rhythm and bellows control far more naturally than notation alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this suitable for complete beginners?

This book begins with beginner concepts, but the difficulty rises steadily. Complete beginners may benefit from using it alongside simpler tutors such as Instant Melodeon or Absolute Beginners.

What is a D/G melodeon?

A D/G melodeon is a two-row diatonic button accordion commonly used for English folk music, Morris dancing and traditional session playing.

Do I need to read music?

No. The tutor uses tablature alongside standard notation to help players understand fingering and bellows direction visually.

Does the book teach accompaniment and bass technique?

Yes. Bass rhythm, accompaniment and harmony are central parts of this tutor.

Can this book help improve session playing?

Yes. Many of the tunes and techniques are directly aimed at improving rhythm, fluency, accompaniment and confidence in traditional music sessions.

Is this book suitable for Morris musicians?

Yes. Many of the tunes and rhythms work particularly well for Morris dancing and English traditional dance music.

What styles of music are included?

The repertoire includes English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, Flemish and North American traditional dance music.

Is the CD worth having?

Yes. Traditional rhythm and phrasing are much easier to absorb through listening as well as reading.

Compare with Other Melodeon Tutors

Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques is more technique-focused than Instant Melodeon and works particularly well once players have basic familiarity with the instrument. Many players use all three Dave Mallinson melodeon tutors together as a long-term learning system.

Explore More

Browse our complete range of accordion and melodeon books, tunes and learning resources, or explore our melodeon collection if you are choosing or upgrading your instrument.

Included

• Book only: Printed tutor and tune collection.
• CD only: Companion soundtrack CD.
• Book and CD together: Recommended option for the full learning experience.

Traditional melodeon playing is built on rhythm, movement, phrasing and musical feel as much as individual notes. Beginners' Melodeon Tunes and Techniques helps players move beyond simply playing tunes and towards developing a stronger, more confident traditional playing style.