Scottish On English Concertina

[psmooze]

I'm playing Scottish Urbaine and some other Scottishes in a folk band.

The accents should be on 2 and 4 in that genre and I have a hard time

achieving that on the concertina at that speed.
Is it feasible to achieve on the english that the same way melodeon players can?

Does anybody have a link or reference to a concertina player that does that?
P.

 

[Geoff Wooff]

It is, of course , feasible on an English. It is just a sense of syncopation that can be added with the Bellows . The addition of some simple chords to emphasize this does help. If you watch the youtube video of Gregory Jolivet playing this piece solo on vielle I think it gives a clearer idea of the rhythmic intention.

 

I play Scottishs on the EC with our band and I like to add some syncopation, even getting a Cajun -ish beat going by working the bellows and the chords.

 

Have fun too!!

Edited April 21, 2016 by Geoff Wooff

[psmooze]

Thanks for the advice Geoff.

[Geoff Wooff]

I was discussing this with my wife over morning coffee and she says that as a general rule the rhythm emphasis for a Scottish should be on the 1 and 4 beats... and that the 2's and 4's ought to be upbeats ,ie. dancers lift their leg . So,this will need a space marking by shortening the beat or making a staccato note.

The best way to gain an understanding of this is to dance.... spoken as a resolute non dancer!!

For playing effective dance music on an English it is best to employ an instrument with good dynamic range and to use the available louds and softs to help punch out the rhythms. It is too easy to 'oodle' the notes, not using enough seperation,afraid of losing one's place in a tune by maintaining hold of the previous note whilst searching for the next button.

 

There is no built-in rhythm to the operating of the English concertina , as on a Fiddle or accordeon with basses to accompany or the oft talked of need to change bellows direction on an Anglo... which sounds like rubbish to me ... the only emphasis donated by a change of bellows direction is in that slight delay and ommpf of starting again... but one can do that just as easily on any squeeze box. So, on an English one needs the rhythm in the fingers, or the head or the feet... feel the beat move the body and drive the instrument!!

 

No criticism intended.

 

Geoff.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Geoff Wooff

[Rich C R]

On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2016 at 11:09 AM, Geoff Wooff said:

I was discussing this with my wife over morning coffee and she says that as a general rule the rhythm emphasis for a Scottish should be on the 1 and 4 beats... and that the 2's and 4's ought to be upbeats ,ie. dancers lift their leg . So,this will need a space marking by shortening the beat or making a staccato note.

The best way to gain an understanding of this is to dance.... spoken as a resolute non dancer!!

For playing effective dance music on an English it is best to employ an instrument with good dynamic range and to use the available louds and softs to help punch out the rhythms. It is too easy to 'oodle' the notes, not using enough seperation,afraid of losing one's place in a tune by maintaining hold of the previous note whilst searching for the next button.

 

There is no built-in rhythm to the operating of the English concertina , as on a Fiddle or accordeon with basses to accompany or the oft talked of need to change bellows direction on an Anglo... which sounds like rubbish to me ... the only emphasis donated by a change of bellows direction is in that slight delay and ommpf of starting again... but one can do that just as easily on any squeeze box. So, on an English one needs the rhythm in the fingers, or the head or the feet... feel the beat move the body and drive the instrument!!

 

No criticism intended.

 

Geoff.

I know this is an old post but it is the first time I have read it and find it interesting and helpful, So thanks Geoff.

[Geoff Wooff]

I'm happy if something I wrote  is of help  Rich CR.

 

I should  clarify  what  we were talking about  here was the  'Scottish'  a dance form popular  in France and Belgium  , a  local variant  of the  Schottiche, a couples dance in 4 time.

 

Happy music to you,

Geoff

Edited December 17, 2018 by Geoff Wooff