Why not more "expressive" bellows changes on the English?

[Leah Velleman]

I've noticed that English players don't seem to play with a lot of changes of bellows. It's mostly just big long strokes, and occasional quicker changes as special effects, and if someone wants to play staccato or add phrasing or accents they do it with their fingers.

 

Obviously they don't need to change bellows as often as Anglo players.

 

But I feel like I'd be excited for the opportunity to change bellows whenever I wanted, with no need to plan ahead or use an alternate fingering, and no constraints imposed by the layout. Anglo players constantly use bellows changes as expressive tools. We use more than we really have to, because they're such good ways to control dynamics and phrasing. (Like, I play cross-row, and I could play 99% on the draw and skip learning most of the push layout. But it would sound bland, so I don't.)

 

Why don't English players seem to do that too? Or are there some that do, and I just haven't seen it?

Edited September 7, 2023 by Leah Velleman

[DickT]

English players can get lazy; suck till it's full, blow till it's empty with the bellows working in a straight line. The minimum needed to lift the music is reversals phrased with the music and slightly fanning the bellows to avoid the dead spot at full extension and closure. There is no reason not to use bellows reversals as it is done on an Anglo. By not creating dynamics and phrasing with the bellows EC can become very bland; I think this is the reason why it is not respected in ITM. Listen to Alistair Anderson; not ITM but he has all the techniques that can be used to give great punch. The added advantage with EC is that you can easily play legato when it is needed e.g. slow airs.

[Leah Velleman]

(Ok, but can we do this without calling each other lazy or undeserving of respect? There are plenty of English players who I'd love to sound like — I'm just curious why their technique is the way it is.) 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Leah Velleman

[Geoff Wooff]

I  find  myself  making  emphasis  with  the  bellows  without  changing  direction ,  using  changes  in pressure  to  affect the  dynamics    and  giving    rhythmic  structure  to  the  music.  A  bellows  with  a little  more elasticity  is  a help  as  is  the  amount  of  extension  one  uses    as a starting  point.  To  illustrate  what  I  mean;  the  Anglo   can  be  very  effectively  played  whilst  the  bellows  is  only  just  open  ,  changes  in  direction   can  be  more  quickly  made  because  there is  less    flexiblility  of  the  materials  and  structure  when  the  folds  are  almost  closed.    I  always  recall  the  degree  to  which  Alistair Anderson  would  let  air  into  his  bellows  before  begining  a  piece,  I  imagine  he  arrived  at  an  ideal  extension  and  then  it  appears  as if  his  bellows  never moves.....  as   he  shuffles  the  bellows  back  and  forth  whilst  using  the  elastic  qualities  to  smooth  the  direction  changes  and  add  the  degrees of  loud  and  soft  needed to  enliven  a  melody.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Geoff Wooff

[Chris Ghent]

The EC does not lend itself to very sudden changes in direction due to the holding technique.  I imagine this lowers the opportunities for expression on the change?

[Anglo-Irishman]

2 hours ago, Chris Ghent said:

The EC does not lend itself to very sudden changes in direction due to the holding technique.  

That's why I've always believed the hand-straps or lack of them to be the difference between Anglo and EC, with respect to emphasis. Besides the Anglo I occasionally play a Duet (Crane/Triumph system). Its handstraps give me the same degree of control as the Anglo's.

Cheers,

John 

[fred v]

I love to work the bellows into into the phrasing of ITM tunes.  I hardly open the bellows at all. I reverse whenever there is a double note rather than lift and press the same button. I also reverse after a quarter note to accent it. Here is the Kesh jig played:

 

[Paul_Hardy]

I definitely use the bellows for expression, and change direction pretty often. I played cello as a kid, and think of the bellows as a bow. I also use bellows reversal for repeated notes (Captain Pugwash, etc).

 

Some really good English players almost never extend the bellows because they are changing direction so often - look at Rob Harbron for example.

[d.elliott]

Just try bellows direction changes on a Baritone or a Bass, especially ones like mine; both are single action! Basically part of the skill of playing an English system, or a duet for that matter is to be able to play fluidly with dynamic control. If you want to play for dance, and you want to push the step up, you have the option to create a pause and pump by changing bellows direction if you wish. 

[fred v]

15 hours ago, Paul_Hardy said:

I definitely use the bellows for expression, and change direction pretty often. I played cello as a kid, and think of the bellows as a bow. I also use bellows reversal for repeated notes (Captain Pugwash, etc).

 

Some really good English players almost never extend the bellows because they are changing direction so often - look at Rob Harbron for example.

Looks like Rob plays with bellows fully extended.

[wunks]

As a duet player, I'd much rather "pulse" the bellows than use change of direction to establish a beat.  For me bellows changes are more useful for phrasing and voicing options.  I have a couple of bi-sonoric buttons in strategic places, mostly to gain bass notes, and although not hard to get use to, it can be annoying and disruptive at times to force the switch.

[Alan Day]

I got a ticking off from one English player when I suggested that an English system player could improve their playing by playing a more defined note rather than slurring one note into the next. It is a very easy thing to slip in to particularly using across row ,or incidental playing on the anglo .

Al

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I do not know about English system practically speaking.. but on Anglo the way bellows are pressed can affect the intonation of note sound quite effectively. Jerking bellows can make a quivering, or staccatto effect, and a sort of increase in volume can be made by pressing lightly on bellows..and then increasing pressure slightly to 'swell"' out the sound.

Possibly similar for english!? I would imagine it is?

[John Wild]

41 minutes ago, Alan Day said:

I got a ticking off from one English player when I suggested that an English system player could improve their playing by playing a more defined note rather than slurring one note into the next. It is a very easy thing to slip in to particularly using across row ,or incidental playing on the anglo .

Al

Did the English player explain his/her reasoning? Many English players can do it either way.

[Alan Day]

He did not think an Anglo player should be telling an English player how to play. It was not a criticism on my part just something which I thought he could improve on. I include myself on that.

[AndyNT]

Effective use of the bellows to bring life to a tune is a key skill for all concertina ptlyers,IMHO. Arguably, you get some of that 'for free' on an Anglo, but it is much more than just bellows reversal. They can shape every note and give space between them. They are a key part of the concertina sound and not just an air pump!

[Alan Day]

 Some Piano accordion players seem to get into the same habit of creating a tune with all the notes linked together in a continuous run until they finish.  

Listen to any good Morris Dance player. or player for dancing ,that create lift to their music by playing individual notes with emphasis.

The person thought I was being rude about his playing ,i was not ,but we can all improve some aspects of our playing ,even after many years at it.

[4to5to6]

Very nice Fred!  I also do anything and everything it takes to make it "swing"!  It is dance music after all.  Bellows direction changes has a distinct sound or "articulation".  I shake it, bump it :), pop the notes...  Not every instrument can do a dynamic swell. 

 

I see the points about the wrist straps but find them quite restrictive when playing harmony notes.

 

Interesting concertina with some high note buttons missing.

 

On 9/8/2023 at 6:10 AM, fred v said:

I love to work the bellows into into the phrasing of ITM tunes.  I hardly open the bellows at all. I reverse whenever there is a double note rather than lift and press the same button. I also reverse after a quarter note to accent it. Here is the Kesh jig played: