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How Is Harmonica Related To Concertina?


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The notes on one row across both sides of an Anglo Concertina are generally the same as the notes on a Harmonica. There can be variations in either though, particularly at the outer edges.

Generally, blowing the third hole from the left in a 10 hole Harmonica, or pushing on the third button in a given row on the left hand on a 20 button Anglo Concertina, is the Tonic, or the start of the scale.

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A standard diatonic harmonica has 10 holes with 10 blow reeds and 10 draw reeds.

 

Imagine these reeds arranged n the same pattern, but operated by bellows and buttons instead of blowing and sucking with your mouth. You have just invented the single row melodeon.

 

Now, cut the melodeon in half across the keyboard put the lowest 5 buttons on the left hand and the highest 5 on the right hand You have now invented the single row Anglo.

 

Now do the same with a harmonica that is a 5th higher. Put the two together as parallel rows on one instrument and you have invented a 20 button Anglo.

 

There is no relationship between the "accidental row" and a harmonica. It is just the core arrangement of 20 buttons that is common to all Anglos.

 

Because you have 2 rows, there are sometimes some alterations to the notes on the lowest button on the higher of the 2 rows - taking the opportunity to do away with a duplicated note to add something different to give more options.

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Your question has been answered comprehensively.

It only remains to be added that the diatonic scale that goes "blow, suck, blow, suck, blow, suck, suck, blow" is called the Richter scale (but has nothing to do with earthquakes :) ). Apart from saving space by putting 8 notes on just 4 buttons/holes, it means that

1. a given note is in the same bellows/breathing direction in both octaves, and

2. the notes that form an important chord are in the same bellows/breathing direction, so that they can be sounded together. This makes simple harmonisation very easy and intuitive

 

Another similarity between harmonica and concertina is that harmonicas (like the Hohner Echo Harp) that have two sides have them tuned a fifth apart, e.g. in C and G, which gives them the same notes as a 20-button concertina. These harmonicas can be flipped over while playing, so that you can get a chord that isn't available in the main key of the tune. This is equivalent to switching between the inner and outer rows of the concertina.

 

The advantage of the concertina is that you can get even more chords by combining buttons from both rows, whereas, on the harmonica, you can only blow or suck one side.

 

Cheers,

John

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