compass range of notes Note ranges and the incredible C...

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I am always amazed by the versatility of such an instrument as our concertinas ( of all varieties).. and just how so much potential can be available within easy range of the hands!

Also with Anglo type particularly I am often amazed at that deep bass note on it; by this I mean the great low "C" natural... ( One octave below middle C)! What a sound to get from something so portable !

That low C really adds power when on its own, or in a chord is lovely to blast off with!!

I played that low C in a practice session inside an echoey chapel last year.. and it resounded incredibly. It reminded me of one of those huge passenger liner,steam ships, hooting as they leave port on way to exotic destination..

I call it the great SS Queen. Mary at C...

( Sorry for pun) 

What do you all think? About note ranges?

 

[Luke Hillman]

I love the bass notes on my Anglo. I just wish there were more of them! I envy the chromatic bass runs that other instruments can do, and sometimes have to forego the bass notes if I'm attempting something like that. I suspect adding more bass reeds would be tricky without increasing the size of the instrument.

[Clive Thorne]

21 minutes ago, Luke Hillman said:

I love the bass notes on my Anglo. I just wish there were more of them! I envy the chromatic bass runs that other instruments can do, and sometimes have to forego the bass notes if I'm attempting something like that. I suspect adding more bass reeds would be tricky without increasing the size of the instrument.

Particulary the low D (although some have this iplace of the 'normal' low A).

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Thanks for adding to my topic of bass note "C" on concertinas..

Once when I was sat outside in town I was playing my own instrument, to get some interest in artwork I was also showing... And getting fed up with being passed by.. to get more attention, I decided to let go with that one big ' bass C'.. on my concertina, really loud; I don't know if it had any effect; but I felt better for it!!!

[d.elliott]

Of course the Baritone English goes down to the G below your C. The Bass English goes down an octave lower still.

 

Rumour has it that when the concertina band at the fishing town of Whitby play those low Gs then they open the swing bridge over the river.

 

Just commenting ....

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

That's a lovely tale about Whitby, I can just visualise it happening (I spent several holidays at Whitby in past)! Yes I've heard people playing the even lower notes below that C and it's amazing to hear!! It's a bit like, in miniature, when you hear an organ use the really big deep pipes to let out the vibrating bass notes!

[Slurricane]

The range that the concertina is capable of is one of the reasons I just purchased a concertina (McNeela Wren). My wife is learning to play the violin and it inspired me to learn a new instrument. Both of us grew up playing piano and I wanted something to help keep her motivated as she learns. I fell in love with the sound of the concertina and knew I had to learn how. 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Great, you made a good choice; a Concertina is the sort of instrument many seem to go into often out of curiosity at first; myself back in past - I bought my first one to accompany my father  on his button key accordion, but I had never until then really considered one before; it was an impulse buy!  However, once I  got that first one; I was transfixed by its potential and determined to learn how to play.

Once you get the knack of using them [any style] you will, I think, never put it down! There's a  lot of potential in such  a small portable instrument, in note range, and effects!  Some learner books use surprisingly simple tablature which is incredibly straightforward to master and understand, then the rest is up to you!

Enjoy learning and let know how you get on.  I have hundreds of transcriptions that suit our concertinas myself gathered over decades; if you ever want a copy let me know; many are ancient recorder music really, but work wonderfully on concertina [all on melody line  only so easy to read].

Best of luck!