Hi, I'm a new player, and a new member, so my first post is full of questions!
After many years fannying about, I finally took the plunge and bought a concertina when I discovered that
one of my sailing buddies was a novice player too.
I've acquired Lachenal 20 button C/G Anglo concertina no 74693 (hence the user name!), vintage 1895.
This is a happy co-incidence - the restored sailing trawler I muck about on was also constructed in 1895!
However, I have a couple of questions:
1) The button layout on my instrument is the same as that shown in the Anglo fingering chart on the Digital
Concertina Archive. However, this differs slightly from that assumed in my tutor - I think that the F and F#
on the right hand side button 5 in the G row are transposed. The tutor states that "This [the layout] can vary
from make to make.". Fair enough, but how common are deviations from the 'standard' layout, and does it
matter?
2) My knowledge of musical theory is limited, but I know that the key of C consists of 'natural' notes, and that
the key of G contains only one 'accidental' (F#). But, three days after acquiring the instrument, I have worked
out a recognisable version of one of my favourite tunes 'The German Musicianer'. But this tune is in D (two
sharps) according to the score I have found on the internet. How is it possible to play a tune in a key for which
one does not have all the notes? I have seen a comment on a manufacturer's website which effectively states
that (I paraphrase...) 'we only manufacture C/G concertinas which cover the range of all traditional music and
is able to be played in the less common keys as well', so clearly it's possible, but how does this work?
Two solutions occur to me: (i) by a happy co-incidence, the tune does not contain either of the accidentals
which occur in the key of D; (ii) I am cunningly and unconsciously 'modifying' the tune as I learn it to replace
any accidentals with naturals, the result being 'good enough' for folk music. I am not entirely convinced by
either of these 'explanations'. So, I ask again, how does this work? Help!
Thank you.
Roger Hare.