A Different Key

[david dufficy]

I was hoping you all could help me out. There is a 30b anglo in the keys of E and B available. Is that a higher pitched instrument and would it be too weird to play along with anything else? I'm still looking for that really affordable vintage instrument.

Thanks, David

[Frank Edgley]

I've never come across an E/B concertina. What may have happened is that it was in old pitch Eb/Ab. Most of the old pitches were sharp of today's concert pitch. I suspect that some one tuned it up to the next half step rather than down so the Eb became E, etc.

[Stephen Chambers]

I suspect that some one tuned it up to the next half step rather than down so the Eb became E, etc.

No, a semitone up from Ab/Eb would make it an A/E, and I have had those in the past, but I have never come across a concertina in E/B. Normally speaking F/C is as low as they go and D/A is as high. E/B sounds pretty strange, and could be either high or low.

Edited December 15, 2004 by Stephen Chambers

[david dufficy]

Looks as though a lot of folks are up late, or early as the case may be. I am quite a beginner at the concertina so I am at a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to keys etc. I have only seen this instrument in pictures and have left a message to try to confirm the key it is in. It has no makers mark or label that the seller can find yet. It is a 5-fold bellows, lighter colored wooden ends, and nicely cut fretwork. As soon as I know more, I will be sure to post the results.

David

[stuart estell]

I was hoping you all could help me out. There is a 30b anglo in the keys of E and B available. Is that a higher pitched instrument and would it be too weird to play along with anything else? I'm still looking for that really affordable vintage instrument.

Having an instrument in a really odd pairing of keys isn't a bad thing in itself, and if it's tuned to A=440 then you can certainly play along with other instruments... but bear in mind that it would mean that playing in standard keys for folk tunes would use some very different fingering from the fingering you'd use on a C/G or G/D - e.g. playing in D on an E/B instrument would be like playing in Bb on a C/G!

 

It would also limit you in terms of teaching material, if that's relevant - you'd basically need to work it out for yourself - and in terms of going to workshops; many if not most workshops stipulate C/G instruments as the norm.

[david dufficy]

Well I've gotten some advice and the concertina listed as in the key of E & B is a German made box of not great quality. So thanks for all the good advice, it looks like it's back to the Hohner for now!

David