Fingering Technique

[Roland Mann]

I am learning a few pieces on my 30 button Anglo, which require what is to me as a novice player some tricky fingering, and I should very much appreciate any help.

 

What I am seeking to understand is how best to approach playing consecutively:

 

- buttons at the same position on adjacent rows - eg right side, top and second rows, button 4

- A melody that runs B3, A4, B3, B4, B3, C3, with A, B and C being the top middle and bottom rows on the right side.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Roland

[daglenn]

A bit more information will likely get a more constructive answer (re: alternative fingerings, etc.). Could you give:

 

- what tune

- what key

- what phrase

- what is your concertina layout (re: wheatstone, jeffries, swapped c#/d#, etc.)

 

~dave

[JimLucas]

- buttons at the same position on adjacent rows - eg right side, top and second rows, button 4

I generally use two different fingers. Which ones would depend on the tune, i.e., the surrounding notes. For those two buttons I would most likely use, in order from greatest to least probability: 1) ring finger on the accidental row, little finger on the middle row; 2) middle and ring fingers, respectively; 3) index and middle fingers, respectively.

 

- A melody that runs B3, A4, B3, B4, B3, C3, with A, B and C being the top middle and bottom rows on the right side.

Most likely I'd use my middle finger for all the B3's and ring finger for all the others. But on my instruments that results in what I consider to be a strange sequence of notes. What *are* you trying to play?

 

And I agree with Dave that more information would be helpful. E.g., what speed are you playing? Are these sequences intended to be all in the same bellows direction, or are you reversing the bellows at certain points? And if you're a "novice player", how can you be so sure that those are the "right" button sequences. Dave mentioned alternate fingerings, and that idea should at least be considered, to see if it might provide another solution.

[Roland Mann]

And I agree with Dave that more information would be helpful. E.g., what speed are you playing? Are these sequences intended to be all in the same bellows direction, or are you reversing the bellows at certain points? And if you're a "novice player", how can you be so sure that those are the "right" button sequences. Dave mentioned alternate fingerings, and that idea should at least be considered, to see if it might provide another solution.

 

Thanks for the replies. I think I've confused everyone, including myself.

 

- The piece is Moving Clouds, and it's in Ab. The phrase is bars 9 to 14, in particular bars 11 and 12.

- I've realised that my references to the buttons I was playing is wrong - the note sequence is F, Db, F, C, F, Bb, F

- My instrument is a Wheatstone layout in C/G

 

Would this be easier to play in a different key?

 

I am rather confused about the choice of fingering in various situations. Do any forum members have any general advice on fingering, in particular for Irish music?

 

Thanks,

 

Roland

[Daniel Bradbury]

Hey Roland,

 

I belive that this tune is most commonly played in G, although I have seen an ABC transcription in C. If you are getting it from a recorded source, such as Noel Hill's albums or a number of other recordings on concertina, be advised that they sometimes play instruments in other tunings. Among those tunings are the Bb/F and Ab/Eb.

 

regards,

 

Dan

[Sharron]

Hi Roland and fellow novice player.

 

I wouldn't tackle tunes outside the normal range for irish music especially if you want to play with other people in a session. I play in a couple of sessions each week and funny keys just don't crop up unless it's a solo, and even then it would be something no-one would be expected to join in with.

 

Stick to simple tunes which suit the concertina, so far i have found just after a couple of weeks of playing, easy tunes to play but actually sound better than you would expect are :- salmon tails up the water/ blarney pilgrim/rakes of kildare/cliffs of moher/saddle the pony/ out on the ocean/geese in the bog/eavesdropper/off to california/spanish lady/ballydesmond polka/blind mary/south wind. These are simple tunes that I play on fiddle (keeping the big tunes for later, MUCH later) but I found easy enough to put onto the concertina as there is only the odd note to think about if you want an alternative to make the tune easier to play/sound.

 

I used to play the b/c box so I must admit the challenge to the brain to look at all the alternatives for fingering the same note is the only thing i keep stopping to think about. But I would rather have the choice for the extra ease of playing and the different expression it gives. So I am experimenting all the time and rarely finish a tune without checking all different fingering patterns out.

 

It's FUN

 

So keep experimenting until you find YOUR way to play things whilst keeping other options in mind.

 

Sharron