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Sounds Northumbrian |
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Northumberland’s ‘Moothy’ Tradition |
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You probably guessed ‘moothy’ is the nickname for mouthorgan, or to give the instrument its proper name the harmonica. We use chromatically tuned tremolo moothies, which have two reeds tuned ever so slightly apart to give a vibrato sound. In Northumberland there is solo playing, but more usually the moothy is played along with fiddles, piano and our unique Northumbrian Pipes. Two of the best bands for barn dancing in Northumberland today keep the tradition alive by favouring the less overpowering presence of the moothy to the accordion. ‘Simply Northumbrian’ is one! |
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Of course when playing in a band the moothy is amplified along with the fiddles, keyboard and the band’s caller. Our preferred moothy is the brilliant Yamaha S23B. Its tonal quality makes it very compatible with our other traditional instruments and it has a great sound-fit for the traditional Northumbrian, Borders and Scottish dance music that we play. Recently we had only been able to buy these moothies in Japan, but following my recent representation to Yamaha, they have agreed to import them once again. This is great news! The moothies are in a fixed key, so we tend to carry a box full with D,G and A major for dance playing and doubling up in relative minor keys for some of the very old Northumbrian tunes etc. Moothy players usually also carry instruments in C and F major to play along with the Northumbrian Pipes, which are tuned one tone below concert pitch. |
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On stage at Alnwick Playhouse for the Will Atkinson memorial concert in December 2003 are left to right:- Roy Hugman, Bryce Johnston, Ernie Gordon, Anita James, Jimmy Little and Jim Smith. |
