English Concertina: horizontal playing?

[Stephen Selby]

I was looking at this video of Simon Thoumire:

 

When he plays, his fingers seem to be moving horizontally along the 'columns' of buttons. Is this a special technique? Do you have to move the thumb straps for it?

[Geoff Wooff]

I'd say  there are various  degrees  of  angular position  that can be adopted  once  the  little fingers  are  freed  from    the    slides, rests  or  grips  (whatever one calls those metal    angle plates.  Simon Thoumire's  position is  fairly  radical... it certainly works for him.

 

Here is    a picture of the sort of position  I  get  into, though I hardly think of it as  horizontal.  My thumb straps  are  not  tight  but  also  not  moved.

[Geoff Wooff]

Here's another picture  showing how  I use  the loose strap  with my thumb  pushed right in  and    the top  joint  folded down to  lock  the grip.  I  find it easier to  change  the  angle  of the  concertina  from this position  and play the lower  half of  the keyboard  in a semi  horizontal  way.

[Leonard]

http://www.concertina.com/eydmann/thoumire-technique/index.htm

Simon's own comment on the subject in 2005.

Edited January 22, 2020 by Leonard

[Stephen Selby]

Ah, that's great. Thank you very much!

[David Barnert]

I have heard of a guy in the American southwest in the 1970s or so, when there was nobody playing concertina anywhere around. He acquired an anglo and taught himself to play it in a vacuum, only realizing years later when he finally met another anglo player that he was holding it upside down (with the left hand playing the higher notes and the right hand playing the lower notes).

[wunks]

9 hours ago, David Barnert said:

I have heard of a guy in the American southwest in the 1970s or so, when there was nobody playing concertina anywhere around. He acquired an anglo and taught himself to play it in a vacuum, only realizing years later when he finally met another anglo player that he was holding it upside down (with the left hand playing the higher notes and the right hand playing the lower notes).

I've noticed that playing the Jeff duet (similar fan shaped pattern) in this manner works very well.  Coming from fiddle and guitar where the left hand is the noting hand, I'm faster and more accurate on that side.  I'm exploring melodies in higher register in this inverted position.