Anglo Concertina Button Layout

[Arno89]

Hi Everyone,  I'm new to this forum.  I'm busy learning concertina, and I'm interested in learning a variety of styles (particularly South African Boeremusiek).  I made this note layout for anyone who's interested.  Please let me know if there are any errors, there seems to be variations with some of the buttons.

[Marcus]

Nice looking chart - do you have any learning resources that you could share for boeremusiek?

[Arno89]

Unfortunately the Boeremusiek community has a very casual approach toward music.  I only know of two music teachers (both of whom have passed away), where you can order lessons for specific songs from their family. These songs however are not available in musical notation, only in tab format - and in the Afrikaans language.  I've got some of these lessons, but I believe it would be copyright infringement to share them.  I'll share a sample of what it looks like tonight.  If you are interested in ordering some of the lessons you can contact Estelle Potgieter at erpotgieter@gmail.com.  She will be able to email you the tabs along with the recorded lesson, which unfortunately is in Afrikaans.  Her price is R190 per song.  

[Arno89]

So... I noticed that the bottom left note on the left hand is sometimes B/D and sometimes B/A.  Is there any specific reason for this?  I've made another version of the chart to include this variant.

[Tradewinds Ted]

Yes there is a good reason for those two common variations in the draw note on that lowest button on the G row:

 

1) With a "D" on the draw in that position, the pattern of the notes in the scale is almost* identical for both the C and G rows, which makes transposing between these keys simple, when playing along the rows. 

 

2) The downside of this arrangement is that the "D" on the draw in the same octave is already available from the 3rd button in the "C" row, so the "A" on the draw is often more useful.  That is particularly true for a 20 or 26 button instrument, where the low "A" on the push in the accidental row doesn't exist, so the low "A" at the bottom of the G row completes the scale. 

 

* Occasionally when there is a "D" on the draw, there is also a low "G" on the push, which makes the pattern exactly identical between the two rows, so transposing between rows becomes truly identical if playing along the rows.   But that low "G" on the push s already available from the 2nd button in the C row, so the "B" which you show is more useful, and more common.

 

Of course there are also variations in the accidental row which you show in green, with the most common two being the Wheatstone arrangement you show, and the Jeffries arrangement which changes the right hand notes to allow a C# in both directions.  (and sometimes also changes the highest button on the G row in the right hand)

 

The charts are very attractive, and I don't see any mistakes, but be aware there are other variations.  One thing that is missing are indications of which octave each note is in, so when the same letter is shown in several positions it isn't immediately obvious which are true duplicates and which are in different octaves.

 

I don't know about the note positions for the extra buttons for the 40 button which you show in blue, but I expect there is even more variation among these!

 

 

 

[Arno89]

Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense.  It's a good thing I asked the question, otherwise I might have learned the incorrect notes for my particular concertina (I've got a 38 button Koot Brits Anglo).  

I'm not sure how to indicate the different octaves. Any suggestions?

If you want I can make a chart for each variation, but someone would have to send me the variations.

[Little John]

26 minutes ago, Arno89 said:

I'm not sure how to indicate the different octaves. Any suggestions?
 

There's more than one convention. The one I use, which seems to be fairly widespread, is based, I think, on the notes on a piano. So middle C is C4. The B immediately below is B3 while the B almost an octave above middle C is B4. The next octave up runs C5 - B5 and so on in each direction.

 

LJ

[Arno89]

I'll have a look then and adjust my chart

[alex_holden]

10 hours ago, Little John said:

There's more than one convention. The one I use, which seems to be fairly widespread, is based, I think, on the notes on a piano. So middle C is C4. The B immediately below is B3 while the B almost an octave above middle C is B4. The next octave up runs C5 - B5 and so on in each direction.

 

LJ

 

This convention (which I use too) is known as scientific pitch notation.

[gcoover]

And some use the pitch convention from abc notation - lots of choices!

 

Gary

[Arno89]

I checked the notes on my 38 button this morning and it seem the left hand top left push is C2, instead of E.  And the right hand top right push is D5, instead of C.  I'm going to update my diagram and share it.

[Arno89]

Thanks for all the help everyone.  I've updated the chart with the additional info.  

[Mikefule]

On 9/18/2018 at 9:08 AM, Arno89 said:

I'm not sure how to indicate the different octaves. Any suggestions?
 

 

Another simple way is      ,C  C c c'

[felix castro]

I like the layouts with the different octaves in different colours. They are very visual for learning and  understanding the instrument. I think that Mark Steyton made this color coded layout, as it is told in this topic. 

https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/topic/370-differnet-key-layouts-for-anglos/

I found the image in pininterest. 

I suppose that it is any problem to copy it here as an example. If not please delete it.