playing in F

[alaskan anglo]

For a beginner what does playing in F or any other note mean?

Thanks, Mike

[gavdav]

"key" indicates which note is the tonic or harmonic basis of the piece of music or scale you're playing.

 

The other thread is based on Anglo concertina, so that's what I'll mention here. The Anglo concertina has "home" keys - those in which it plays most easily up and down the rows. The given key is dictated by the notes which make up the scale. On a normal C/G anglo the standard push pul pattern will give you the key of C - C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C

 

To play in other keys might mean playing across the rows in non-obvious patterns.

 

In F you need to play F,G,A,Bb,C,D,E,F which is not too tricky on the C/G anglo but can't be accomplished up a single push pul row and therefore requires a little more brain and finger power to work out.

 

Having resisted it for a long time (why???) I can heartily recommend drawign out a diagram of where all the notes are on your box and having a look at some different scale patterns. This wiki link has been helpful to me too.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MajorScales.svg

[Ralph Jordan]

For a beginner what does playing in F or any other note mean?

Thanks, Mike

 

To play a Major scale in any key, (regardless of starting note) The sequence of intervals goes...

Tone Tone Semitone Tone Tone Tone Semitone.

If you have access to a piano/keyboard, try doing this starting on "C" you will find that you only play the white notes.

Try it again, starting on C Sharp. Thats the next black note up from "C".

Follow the above rule, and you will play the scale of C Sharp Major.

(At this point learn all your tunes in C Sharp Major, and really annoy all Anglo and Melodeon players!)

Now start at the "F". following the rules above, you'll find that you have to play the B Flat.

 

Hope that helps

 

Ralphie

FWIW, on the Duet. F Major is Gods own key!!!

[maccannic]

FWIW, on the Duet. F Major is Gods own key!!!

 

Not on mine, it's not. Mine only goes down to C below middle C, so I haven't got a low B-flat. That makes playing in F a bit limiting compared to other keys.

 

Tony