11 replies to this topic

[LDT]

I think I got the hang of playing in G just have difficulty with the really high notes. The dots that are on the top line and above...I keep getting lost as to what button to use. Help?
Any advice on how to solve this?

[michael sam wild]

hi
Are you mainly playing along the G row on a C/G Anglo ? You'll find that most tunes in G begin on a Low D or a B on the Left hand Side.

I'd avoid the tendency to start playing from the RHS notes as you'll be up an octave and end up driving mice mad.

Do you know Shepherd's Hey? Start on B on LHS then go BcdBcc,BcdBA,Bc dBcBcddG. That's the first half (The A music , nothing to do with the key just means first) You can do all that on the LHS first 3 buttons.

The B part goes BGc,BGA,BcdBcBcdFsharpG


All on the first 4 buttons on the LHS. So you use fingers 1-4 (1 = Index, 4 = 'pinkie' or little finger0 so you get used to that Fsh on finger 4.


If you want to you can do the same on the RHS and you'll be playing an octave up. That might be what you're doing when you get squeaky, starting on the RHS. A lot of players do both together and that's called playing in octaves or 'double style'


Good luck

It's a bit like playing a mouthorgan in G Why not get a cheap one . All a 2 row Anglo is is a couple of mouth organs ( one in C one in G) with half the holes (= buttons ) on either side.


Wish someone had told me years ago!


Cheers
Mike

[LDT]

hi
Are you mainly playing along the G row on a C/G Anglo ? You'll find that most tunes in G begin on a Low D or a B on the Left hand Side.

I'd avoid the tendency to start playing from the RHS notes as you'll be up an octave and end up driving mice mad.

Do you know Shepherd's Hey? Start on B on LHS then go BcdBcc,BcdBA,Bc dBcBcddG. That's the first half (The A music , nothing to do with the key just means first) You can do all that on the LHS first 3 buttons.

The B part goes BGc,BGA,BcdBcBcdFsharpG


All on the first 4 buttons on the LHS. So you use fingers 1-4 (1 = Index, 4 = 'pinkie' or little finger0 so you get used to that Fsh on finger 4.


If you want to you can do the same on the RHS and you'll be playing an octave up. That might be what you're doing when you get squeaky, starting on the RHS. A lot of players do both together and that's called playing in octaves or 'double style'

I should have mentioned I'm playing 'English' style on a jeffries layout.

[michael sam wild]

hi
Are you mainly playing along the G row on a C/G Anglo ? You'll find that most tunes in G begin on a Low D or a B on the Left hand Side.

I'd avoid the tendency to start playing from the RHS notes as you'll be up an octave and end up driving mice mad.

Do you know Shepherd's Hey? Start on B on LHS then go BcdBcc,BcdBA,Bc dBcBcddG. That's the first half (The A music , nothing to do with the key just means first) You can do all that on the LHS first 3 buttons.

The B part goes BGc,BGA,BcdBcBcdFsharpG


All on the first 4 buttons on the LHS. So you use fingers 1-4 (1 = Index, 4 = 'pinkie' or little finger0 so you get used to that Fsh on finger 4.


If you want to you can do the same on the RHS and you'll be playing an octave up. That might be what you're doing when you get squeaky, starting on the RHS. A lot of players do both together and that's called playing in octaves or 'double style'

I should have mentioned I'm playing 'English' style on a jeffries layout.

My comments apply if it's an Anglo. If you mean you want the chords on the left and a high melody on the light just make a diagram to familiarise yourself where the notes in the scale are located and use highlighter to indicate push or pull.

[michael sam wild]

I've been thinking about your question again.

I play in G from the G on the LHS on the C row first finger Then you progress to the RHS. You can get most of what you need along the C row apart from the f sh on the G row. For Irish music I often go back to the RHS G row so I can do continuos runs on the pull or push for ornamentation.

I think this may all be getting more confusing and intricate than you need at the moment. Hope I don't come over as condescending , just trying to be helpful. It's always so much easier to show someone when you are both there in one place so i'd get to as many sessio0ns and things as possible.

[hjcjones]

At the top end of the G scale the logic (such as it is) of the Anglo breaks down completely . You should have some additional notes but you may have to hunt around for them.

You have the high G on the 4th button push of the inner row (counting down from the top) and the 5th button push should give you the B above that. So where's the A? You should find it on the 5th button push of the accidental row. On a 30-key, B is as high as it goes, although my 40-key goes up to C. However these should be sufficient for most tunes.

If you haven't already done so, get hold of a fingering chart, or work one out for yourself, and figure out where the notes are on your instrument. However, don't expect any kind of logic to the layout for these high notes, you'll just have to remember where the notes are.

Or just cheat - when a phrase gets too high and squeaky I'll sometimes simply drop it an octave. I find it's best to do it for a full phrase, and not just the odd note.

[michael sam wild]

Hi, can I ask have you got a G/D or a C/G I should have asked not just assumed C/G!

[LDT]

Hi, can I ask have you got a G/D or a C/G I should have asked not just assumed C/G!

its a C/G

[LDT]

At the top end of the G scale the logic (such as it is) of the Anglo breaks down completely . You should have some additional notes but you may have to hunt around for them.

You have the high G on the 4th button push of the inner row (counting down from the top) and the 5th button push should give you the B above that. So where's the A? You should find it on the 5th button push of the accidental row. On a 30-key, B is as high as it goes, although my 40-key goes up to C. However these should be sufficient for most tunes.

If you haven't already done so, get hold of a fingering chart, or work one out for yourself, and figure out where the notes are on your instrument. However, don't expect any kind of logic to the layout for these high notes, you'll just have to remember where the notes are.

Or just cheat - when a phrase gets too high and squeaky I'll sometimes simply drop it an octave. I find it's best to do it for a full phrase, and not just the odd note.

So its one of those illogical concertina things (is there a reason why there is no logic?). lol!
I get most confused if I change from melodeon to concertina and vice versa, it takes awhile to adjust.

[JimLucas]

So its one of those illogical concertina things (is there a reason why there is no logic?). lol!

There is indeed a "logic", though I doubt that it was developed with your particular needs in mind.

If you read this old Topic., you might even agree.

[Graham Collicutt]

So its one of those illogical concertina things (is there a reason why there is no logic?). lol!
I get most confused if I change from melodeon to concertina and vice versa, it takes awhile to adjust.

One thing to note: G row on right hand side of anglo is the same as the upper octave of the G row on melodeon.

Graham

[hjcjones]

The logic is there, but because you're at the limits of the instrument it isn't entirely consistent.

On the 4th button push you have the top G. Anglo logic dictates that the 5th button pull should be F#, to enable you to play the full G scale. Anglo logic likewise dictates that the 5th button push should be B, an interval of a third above the G.

So far, so good, in Anglo terms anyway. But if you have G and B then you want the A as well, but where to put it? There are no more buttons on the G row, and the C row buttons are needed for the C scale. That just leaves the outer row, which although often called the "accidental" row is actually for any other notes which might come in handy. So one of these buttons becomes the A. It doesn't fit into the logical pattern, but there's no alternative.