Learning the Hayden duet

[Podzol]

Hi fellow Squeezers.

I play a Morse baritone EC, which is about as light and lively as I can imagine for a Baritone instrument. At least, more so than my cello!

 

I had so much fun learning that I decided to take on a bigger challenge, so I bought a Stagi Hayden Duet.

 

Simply put, the instrument seems hard to play, although the system makes sense, it's really different than the EC. I'm getting a little demoralized, which is not like me.

 

Can any one offer some advice, good tutorials?

Thanks kindly for your words of wisdom.

 

Blake

[Frankevich]

Hi fellow Squeezers.

I play a Morse baritone EC, which is about as light and lively as I can imagine for a Baritone instrument. At least, more so than my cello!

 

I had so much fun learning that I decided to take on a bigger challenge, so I bought a Stagi Hayden Duet.

 

Simply put, the instrument seems hard to play, although the system makes sense, it's really different than the EC. I'm getting a little demoralized, which is not like me.

 

Can any one offer some advice, good tutorials?

Thanks kindly for your words of wisdom.

 

Blake

Edited May 20, 2010 by Frankevich

[Frankevich]

Hi fellow Squeezers.

I play a Morse baritone EC, which is about as light and lively as I can imagine for a Baritone instrument. At least, more so than my cello!

 

I had so much fun learning that I decided to take on a bigger challenge, so I bought a Stagi Hayden Duet.

 

Simply put, the instrument seems hard to play, although the system makes sense, it's really different than the EC. I'm getting a little demoralized, which is not like me.

 

Can any one offer some advice, good tutorials?

Thanks kindly for your words of wisdom.

 

Blake

 

 

Hi Blake,

 

There are no known published tutors for the Duet, but go to the www.concertina.com site and search the Concertina Library box (middle, right of page) under "Hayden Duet". This will give you lots of references to Hayden material among which under #3 if you click on that will get "All Systems Duet Workshop Tutor". Click on that to get the pamphlet by Hayden called the "West Country Concertina Players". Starting on page 4 or 5 (they are not numbered I believe) to about page 20 is Brian Hayden's very useful tutor for the Hayden Duet. (The rest of the pamphlet is concerned with other Duet systems.)

 

This is a great source for a beginner as it is graduated, or graded, from simple to more complex tunes.

 

The other references besides #3 mentioned, are #'s 5, 7, 10 etc. etc. which have quite a bit of info helpful for learning this great instrument. Brian Hayden wrote quite a lot of stuff to help the aspiring Haydenista! and it's all here on this great web site!

 

The mechanical aspect of playing the Stagi is sure to be more difficult than the English Morse, as the Stagi is not nearly the quality of the Morse. Don't know if that is part of your problem, but I have been playing the Stagi for about 4 years now and become fond of it in spite of its shortcomings. As for the Hayden system itself, it couldn't be more user friendly and is quite ingenious and beloved by all who take it up.

 

So, check out these sources, stick with it and you will not be disappointed! You can play all kinds of different things on a Hayden. Enjoy!

 

Best, Frank East

Edited May 20, 2010 by Frankevich

[Daniel Hersh]

Hi fellow Squeezers. I play a Morse baritone EC, which is about as light and lively as I can imagine for a Baritone instrument. At least, more so than my cello!

 

I had so much fun learning that I decided to take on a bigger challenge, so I bought a Stagi Hayden Duet.

 

Simply put, the instrument seems hard to play, although the system makes sense, it's really different than the EC. I'm getting a little demoralized, which is not like me.

 

Can any one offer some advice, good tutorials?

Thanks kindly for your words of wisdom.

 

Blake

There are no known published tutors for the Duet...

 

This isn't quite true. The Hayden Elise from Concertina Connection comes with a pretty good 50-page tutor by Wim Wakker. But I don't know if there's any way to get one without buying an Elise.

[Podzol]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll look into those resources. The Hayden system is quite elegant and the musical part of my brain will get it at some point! I will stick with it. I like so many different kinds of music and that's why I decided to try the Hayden system.

 

Thanks!

Blake

[MatthewVanitas]

Can you help us nail down which parts you're finding most difficult? Is it bellows control, finding smooth fingering, just figuring out how to reconcile the two sides? Not being an Anglo player (oddly enough, I found Anglo frustrating and confusing, though I play melodeon just fine), I don't know exactly which skills wouldn't cross over.

 

When I started playing an Elise Hayden just recently, I started by first just figuring out some right hand melodies (came very quickly), then doing some two-button drones on the left while playing drone-friendly (pipe tunes and the like) melodies on the right. From that I moved on to doing basic 2-finger chords on the left hand while playing the melody on the right, and also doing some simple tunes playing identical parts in two octaves. I haven't yet gotten to the point where I can play a counterpoint on the left, or descants or walking base or other such trickier accompaniment, but relatively decent simple chord backup seems a good place to be at the 2-month mark I'm at.

 

Along those lines, though I'm clearly no expert, I've thought about doing some really basic close-up YouTube clips of "here's how to play Amazing Grace: here's the right hand melody, here's how to add drones, here's how to go to chords". Like really slow tutorial type stuff, like what I've done teaching Appalachian dulcimer in the past.

[Podzol]

Hi Matthew,

I think my difficulty is multifold:

It's a bigger instrument, slower to voice than the Morse, and the actions is also relatively clunky. Beyond that I need to internalize the key layout. I'm a visual learner so this is tough for me (EC was hard for me in this way, too). I do love the logic of the Hayden system. It makes so much musical sense. And also I am jumping right in with the two hands. I can play things one hand at a time pretty well. I read the bass line fine; melody, fine. Putting them together, it's not as easy as on the piano for me! I feel like I am using my feet... On Top of Old Smokey is a 2-minute dirge in my hands!!

 

I think I'm spoiled by being a quick start at things and I've finally met my match! It's a lot to learn all at once, so I just need to be patient with myself. The posts that people have made have been helpful and encouraging.

 

I am trying to play some music that I found on-line arranged for McCann Duet by a David Cornell. I put in my own fingerings. I am using my pinkies more than I do with the EC. His collection has many nicely arranged pieces to my ear.

 

Thanks for any additional ideas!

Blake