C/G to G/D Anglo

[Kelteglow]

I have in the last two months got my new G/D Anglo .I have had G/Ds before and just played it 

using the same fingerings as the C/G or just played by ear .Being a note reader and playing Harmony I find I need now to remember the name of the cords and notes I am playing (not just the pattern based on a C/G).The 34 Key Dipper G/D I have is such  a lovey sound that I want to play it more and more I find myself looking regularly at a keyboard layout to produce the notes required .I do practice daily .Any tips from G/D players would be welcome .I have explained myself the best I can .Thanks Bob 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Kelteglow

[Roger Hare]

Hm! I am going in the opposite direction - sort of...

 

I play G/D for Morris. One of our dancers is planning to hang up his clogs and join the band - he has a C/G, so in an

attempt to help him along, I am supplying him with our Morris scores with tabs for C/G 'tina added (I don't know if

he's a reader - I do know he's not played the 'tina for years...). I have encountered one or two potential problems, so

I too would be grateful for any wrinkles from C/G or G/D players who have 'migrated' in either direction.

 

First impressions are that (despite the potential problemettes), it's not going to be as difficult as I thought. In fact,

somewhat counter-intuitively, a few G/D tunes might fit very well on a C/G instrument? So much so that I might try

playing the C/G at real dance-outs, just for ducks...

 

Comments, thoughts, hints, advice, all welcome...

 

Thanks.

 

Roger

[Bill N]

I play both.  I began on a C/G Rochelle, but after about 6 months got a G/D Morse for English trad and Morris, and it became my main instrument for about 6 years.  A few years ago I got a good C/G and started to play trad stuff from Newfoundland, which is more like ITM than English.  Any new Newfoundland or Irish tunes I would learn on the C/G, but for existing repertoire I stuck with the G/D.  

 

However, I just received a Wally Carroll Noel Hill in C/G, and the sound and action are so superior that I have started to relearn some of the stuff I have always played on the Morse with new fingering to play in the same key on the Carroll.  I play by ear, so I just find the new button position for the first note and take it from there.  I have been surprised by how easy it is.  Basically for tunes in Gmaj and Emin the "D" fingering for the Morse produces the right key on the Carroll, and Dmaj tunes on the Carroll finger like Amaj tunes on the Morse, and vice versa- so all the patterns and muscle memory are already there. (Hmmm...maybe clear as mud?)

 

Once I can play a tune in the same key on both boxes I just decide which works better for the tune and purpose.  A lot of my rump-pumpy English tunes where I want to put in a lot of left hand oom-pahs and bass runs work better on the Morse, because most of the melody stays with the right hand.  For fast jigs and reels with a few chords and some octave playing the C/G works better.

 

All-in-all it's making me a better player on both boxes, and keeping the Alzheimers away at the same time!

[Roger Hare]

10 hours ago, Bill N said:

(1) I play both...

(2) ...keeping the Alzheimers away at the same time!

(1) Very helpful - thank you! Some of the thoughts you express have been rumbling around in my head too.

(2) I can't help wondering if that's the most important thing you mention...?

 

Roger

[Kelteglow]

I play my C/G for morris and will continue the same .I  play the melody line with cords as most of the band are rhythm instruments .The c/G carries the tune well especially outside I only use the G/D sometimes for Morris at practice .Thanks for reminding me  I am going to play all my tunes in the same key on both instruments.You missed my comment about being a note reader .I suppose I will just have to revert to playing the scales and speaking the note value .Playing by Ear is easier but I like sometimes to play off sheet music as well .So on with a load more practice ! Bob

Edited January 6, 2020 by Kelteglow

[hjcjones]

Playing by ear is easy. I never think about the names of the notes or the chords I play, so I don't have to mentally transpose when I pick up an instrument in a different key.

 

If you are playing from notes then of course it is different, and you will have to consciously learn a different keyboard layout.  However I think you are right that is it just a question of practice.  Recorder players have a similar problem,  the fingering is the same on all the sizes but the notes produced will be different depending on whether the instrument is in C or F.  Most serious recorder players seem to get the hang of this.

[Mikefule]

I have CG and GD.  I used the same fingerings on both, which means that the key that I get depends on the instrument I've chosen.

 

I play almost exclusively in a harmonic style, so working out and learning arrangements takes a lot of time.

 

I can play some tunes in two keys, which means I can sometimes play a given tune in G on the CG and also in G on the GD.

 

As for chord and note names, I can work them out when I need to, but I find that I mainly think in terms of what the notes and chords would be on the GD instrument.  I think in GD because most Morris music is in G or D, and because G is a convenient key for easy sight reading because of where it sits on the stave.

 

For example, three push notes on the left hand middle row = chord of G on the GD.

 

The same fingering on the CG becomes the chord known as, "G, no hang on it's C. on this one."