Aldon Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I have been playing 3 fingered for the last several years, but last week decided to explore 4 fingers after looking at Regondi's Golden exercise with fingering marked for both 3 and 4 finger style. I'm pretty much sold on 4 fingers now: -It makes sense to my brain and fingers in a way that 3 fingered style never did. -It also makes sight reading much easier for me. -It makes my pinkies happy to get in on the act. So, how about you? Are you a 3 or 4 finger player? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spindizzy Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I have been playing 3 fingered for the last several years, but last week decided to explore 4 fingers after looking at Regondi's Golden exercise with fingering marked for both 3 and 4 finger style. I'm pretty much sold on 4 fingers now: -It makes sense to my brain and fingers in a way that 3 fingered style never did. -It also makes sight reading much easier for me. -It makes my pinkies happy to get in on the act. So, how about you? Are you a 3 or 4 finger player? 3, but I'm working on moving to 4! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Hi Aldon I never thought much about it. I use my pinkie fingers more to position the buttons, my ring finger to reach the accidentals on the bottom and my index finger to reach the accidentals on the top. Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mi-ul Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I'm in the 4 finger category, 1 and 2 to play the tune, 3 covers the bottom row or two and 4th helps out at the bottom sometimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatFace Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 3 mostly. 4 very occasionally. I mostly keep 4 free of the finger rest just to improve mobility of the hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Simon Thoumire makes use of all four fingers. He doesn't bother to use the pinkie rests to support the weight of the concertina. He holds his concertina a bit differently from most EC players, tilting it towards him so that his little fingers are able to move round more freely, making it easier to press certain buttons with them when required. He says he began holding the concertina accidently this way, when he first started playing, because he didn't have anyone to show him how an EC is normally held! Although I don't use the pinkie rests myself, because, like Danny, I find doing so restricts my hand and finger movement, I still only use 3 fingers on each hand. My little finger is quite short compared to my other three fingers, so reach is a problem. Since most of the tunes I play, are in the keys of D and G, I play mostly natural notes and the relevant sharps for the key and very occasionally, a flat note if the tune calls for it. So, I use my first finger to cover the top two rows of buttons, the middle finger to cover row three, and the ring finger to cover the sharps in row 4. I know of some people who were erroneously taught to play the EC using only the first two fingers on each hand to cover all four rows; and once you learned to play a number of tunes this way, it is hard to break the habit and re-learn using 3 or perhaps 4 fingers. Amazingly, a lot of people who play the melodeon, only use three fingers and not four! I guess if you are unlucky enough to have lost a finger tip or even a whole finger (e.g. Russ Conway, piano player), then you have to adapt. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Hi I use 3 fingers on the right hand and 2 on the left most of the time. I try, occasionally to use 3 on the left but not usually for very long. I can sometimes play without using the finger plates but find that I still end up using 2 & 3 fingers regardless. It works for me!! why do people call the 'little finger' a 'pinkie' it looks pretty much the same colour as the other digits? chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 why do people call the 'little finger' a 'pinkie' it looks pretty much the same colour as the other digits? chris It's just Americans and very small children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 (edited) why do people call the 'little finger' a 'pinkie' it looks pretty much the same colour as the other digits? chris It's just Americans and very small children. At least one source suggests we inherited it directly from Scotland and previously Dutch. http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pin1.htm Who knows for sure though Thanks Leo Edited October 21, 2009 by Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatFace Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 It's just Americans and very small children. It's also the name for a baby rat - e.g. here. Just thought I'd mention it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Ah! so it should really be a baby rat plate then chris (confused as usual) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 OOPS! Sorry everyone, It's just a duplicate post Leo Not since you edited it, it'snot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 OOPS! Sorry everyone, It's just a duplicate post Leo Not since you edited it, it'snot. Hi Jim Ok I'll fix it Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffwright Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I tilt the concertina back 5 degrees or so, and find the lower octave is easier to manage by ignoring the finger-rest and using all 4 fingers. Robert Harbron got me into this. But then, I'm an anglo player as well so shun safety nets, finger-rests etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I'm in the 4 finger category, 1 and 2 to play the tune, 3 covers the bottom row or two and 4th helps out at the bottom sometimes I think you've misrepresented yourself in the vote. By your description, you're basically a 3-finger (maybe even 2-finger) player who only rarely uses the 4th finger. So am I, and I voted "3", because using the fourth finger is not consistently a part of my playing style. The 4-finger method, as that term is normally used, assumes approximately equal use of all four fingers. Some even argue that each finger should be used on one and only one of the four columns of buttons (call them "rows" if you like, but they run at right angles to what are called "rows" on all other concertinas). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I have been playing 3 fingered for the last several years, but last week decided to explore 4 fingers after looking at Regondi's Golden exercise with fingering marked for both 3 and 4 finger style. I'm pretty much sold on 4 fingers now: -It makes sense to my brain and fingers in a way that 3 fingered style never did. -It also makes sight reading much easier for me. -It makes my pinkies happy to get in on the act. So, how about you? Are you a 3 or 4 finger player? A lot could depend on the relative length of the little finger. Mine are much shorter than my other fingers, and even though I've been strengthening them, I don't think I can ever reach the point where they will be a flexible and quick as the other three. So trying to make equal use of my little fingers does (and probably always will) impede my playing ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RatFace Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 So trying to make equal use of my little fingers does (and probably always will) impede my playing ability. I doubt if anyone makes equal use of it. Overall I probably use my 1st and 2nd fingers each about equally, and each about 10 times as often as my 3rd, and perhaps a few thousand times as often as my 4th. Not sure if that makes me a 2, 3 or 4 finger player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I have been playing 3 fingered for the last several years, but last week decided to explore 4 fingers after looking at Regondi's Golden exercise with fingering marked for both 3 and 4 finger style. I'm pretty much sold on 4 fingers now: -It makes sense to my brain and fingers in a way that 3 fingered style never did. -It also makes sight reading much easier for me. -It makes my pinkies happy to get in on the act. So, how about you? Are you a 3 or 4 finger player? A lot could depend on the relative length of the little finger. Mine are much shorter than my other fingers, and even though I've been strengthening them, I don't think I can ever reach the point where they will be a flexible and quick as the other three. So trying to make equal use of my little fingers does (and probably always will) impede my playing ability. Slightly off topic. As an Anglo player with no English experience whatsoever can someone explain to me why the English does not have the same or similar handstraps as the Anglo. This would surely leave all eight fingers to be fully utilised more freely and allow the weight of the instrument to be spread more comfortably across the whole hand or knuckles with less restriction of movement. The thumb straps and pinkie rests look as though they could well impose discomfort and needless restriction upon the free movement of the fingers, but this is clearly not the case. I expect that there is a simple explanation ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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