tuning choice for an anglo

[fiddler2007]

It seems that most anglo concertinas are either tuned C/G or D/G. Now I wonder what's the best choice  .... for Irish, and for general use? f.i. as fiddler i like tunes in A too LoL.

[Doug Barr]

For Irish so you can play in sessions the C/G is the one to get.

[hjcjones]

What do you mean by 'general use'?

 

The conventional style of Irish concertina playing assumes a C/G, playing across the rows as the tunes are usually in D, G and A. G/D has become popular with English style players who want to play full chord accompaniments, as these are the common keys for English music.

 

If you want to play only the melody then most keys should be achievable on any 30 key instrument, at least in theory - in practice some keys might be awkward to play.  To play with chords you are more limited to the home keys and those nearby (although some players can manage the most unlikely keys)

 

If you want to accompany singing, then the singer's preferred key is then a factor.

 

There's no simple answer. You mention Irish, so that points to a C/G. You'll be able to play most other things on that too, but other keys might mean making some compromises, especially where chords are concerned

[wunks]

Are Anglos sometimes found in old pitch?  If so, another option might be tuning a C/G box up to D/A rather than down to modern pitch.  This has been done on Jeff duet (Nick Robertshaw).  The advantage is that C fingering becomes D ( more common for fiddle tunes), G becomes A (more difficult than G and shy on the low end), and F is G (F is easier on the duet).  You then would have a perfect excuse to acquire a C/G instrument in modern pitch....?

Edited March 14, 2019 by wunks

[fiddler2007]

I got the impression that D/G makes one sound more like a melodeon player; for C/G it seems that the more complex fingering gets you that irish 'feel' in to the music coming out of it.

However, i also like tunes in F and G minor on a fiddle .... guess i'll listen to some of Noel Hill's playing to see what he can do LoL.

[Doug Barr]

23 minutes ago, fiddler2007 said:

I got the impression that D/G makes one sound more like a melodeon player; for C/G it seems that the more complex fingering gets you that irish 'feel' in to the music coming out of it.

However, i also like tunes in F and G minor on a fiddle .... guess i'll listen to some of Noel Hill's playing to see what he can do LoL.

F and Gmin are not a problem on the C/G in fact they sound quite nice.

[fiddler2007]

Ah, enlightening, thanks.

[hjcjones]

19 hours ago, fiddler2007 said:

I got the impression that D/G makes one sound more like a melodeon player; for C/G it seems that the more complex fingering gets you that irish 'feel' in to the music coming out of it.

 

But players of English music don't want it to sound Irish.  As I said before,. G/D is favoured by English players because it makes it easier to play full chordal accompaniments in those keys.  This doesn't have to mean sounding like a melodeon, there are other ways of playing chords beside oom-pah (but that goes for melodeon too).  If you don't want chords then a C/G is fine for English music, and it's perfectly possible to pay chordally in those keys on a C/G (listen to John Kirkpatrick or Brian Peters), however G/D allows a few more options as you're then playing in the instrument's home keys.

 

G/D is of course also suitable in terms of keys for Irish music.  However the modern Noel Hill style of playing is based on a C/G played across the rows.  There were older styles of Irish playing which were played up and down the rows, and a G/D would allow you to play in this style in sessions, but I think that would be an unusual (but interesting) choice for a modern player. 

 

 

 

[Wolf Molkentin]

1 hour ago, hjcjones said:

But players of English music don't want it to sound Irish.  As I said before,. G/D is favoured by English players because it makes it easier to play full chordal accompaniments in those keys.  This doesn't have to mean sounding like a melodeon, there are other ways of playing chords beside oom-pah (but that goes for melodeon too).  If you don't want chords then a C/G is fine for English music, and it's perfectly possible to pay chordally in those keys on a C/G (listen to John Kirkpatrick or Brian Peters), however G/D allows a few more options as you're then playing in the instrument's home keys.

 

I think it should be mentioned that a G/D is sounding five semitones lower, and thus able to produce very likable sounds in its range - by all means a matter of personal taste, but a difference to be considered for sure.

 

Best wishes - ?

[fiddler2007]

As for general use mentioned: i like old time country fiddle tunes, 30-ies ragtime sting band music, and some old French tunes are nice, also old texmex & cajun trad. 

Seems that improvisation is less done with Irish music than with the above 'classification', in contradiction with this tough stuff: https://youtu.be/ZknSJwYdayI  (i wonder if he ever broke a reed ..)

 

PS i read somewhere (here?) that some modification for a 30 key anglo is: replace the d# on the push on the first button of the right-hand accidental row with a c# .....

 

Has any body done this? Probably to do with the key of A on a C/G?