Nancy song music notation question

[Victor F]

What does the 1, 2 open rectangle mean on this sheet music? Also some of the eighth notes have a italics 3 what does that mean?

[Steve Schulteis]

The "1, 2 open rectangles" are to mark different endings for a repeated section of music. In this case, the second ending continues on into another section of the tune. https://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/repeats-and-endings/

 

The italic 3 over some of the eighth notes indicates that those three notes are part of a triplet. Instead of taking a total of 1-1/2 beats like three eighth notes normally would, those three notes are played slightly quicker to only take one beat in total. https://www.studybass.com/lessons/rhythm/the-eighth-note-triplet-subdivision/

[Stephen DOUGLASS]

In this Northumbrian tune it might help to think of the preceding dotted half note as the end of the phrase and the triplet as the 'anacrusis' or the 'lead' in to the repeat of part 1,and has the same 'length' as the two eighth notes leading to the second part. (you are basically squeezing three notes into 2) There should be plenty recordings out there, so have a listen to how it should sound.

Edited April 4 by Stephen DOUGLASS

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I do think that the way this notation is printed can be confusing for beginners,  in the way the in and out of bellows is indicated - it seems slightly vaguely represented on the page, with the line over the top of note, or notes, often being mildly unclear on where it is to be used.  Just an observation not a criticism.

Edited April 4 by SIMON GABRIELOW

[hjcjones]

14 minutes ago, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

I do think that the way this notation is printed can be confusing for beginners,  in the way the in and out of bellows is indicated - 

Any tablature system takes getting used to. I don't think this system is any worse than any other. A line above the note, or notes, indicates a pull, no line indicates push. I don't think that's vague or unclear, once you understand it and get used to using it. You may prefer a different approach, of which there are several. However this one is beginning to become the standard, if only because Gary keeps publishing new books which use it.

 

However the OP's questions concern epeat marks and triplets in standard musical notation.

[Victor F]

Thanks for the info! 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I do not criticise the adoption of the system, so much as sometimes the long horizontal line seems too long to make clear where it is intended to be used [ assuming for someone beginning].  I simply used a marker like a V shape above draw notes - and none [ no V shape]  meant inward bellows movement. These could be placed more precisely directly over the notes.

[Michael Eskin]

In the modified Gary Coover tablature my ABC Transcription Tools creates, that's what I do.

The bars are over the numbers above or below the staff rather than just above as I see more commonly, just wasn't possible using ABC to represent it that way.

[hjcjones]

12 hours ago, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

I do not criticise the adoption of the system, so much as sometimes the long horizontal line seems too long to make clear where it is intended to be used [ assuming for someone beginning].  I simply used a marker like a V shape above draw notes - and none [ no V shape]  meant inward bellows movement. These could be placed more precisely directly over the notes.

Sorry Simon, but I don't follow what you're saying. The Coover system shows a line above the notes to be played on the draw.  Line or V, what does it matter? Or do you mean you put the V markings directly above the note head, rather than above the stave? I should have thought that risks causing confusion by cluttering up the stave, but whatever works for you.

 

All systems for writing down music, including standard notation, are to some extent a compromise. Writing for yourself you can use any system you choose to emphasise what is most important to you. If someone is going to use tablature to learn tunes from published sources they have to go along with the system the author has chosen. The problem with anglo is that over the years each tutor seems to have made up their own system, so there are lots of different systems with no consistency of approach or even how the buttons are numbered. If the anglo world is now beginning to converge on one or two systems that is surely a good thing.

[Steve Schulteis]

1 hour ago, hjcjones said:

If the anglo world is now beginning to converge on one or two systems that is surely a good thing.

 

I agree completely. Anecdotally, I've found beginners to have no trouble with Coover tabs. I recently put my concertina in the hands of someone who had never handled one before, and with only a brief explanation they were able to decipher and slowly play a couple bars with harmonic tablature. This was followed by an enormous grin and hunt for a concertina to call their own. Individuals may have differing preferences (I'd make a few changes myself, given a time machine), but this system is good enough, and shared standards of communication are enormously valuable.

[Roger Hare]

11 hours ago, hjcjones said:

Sorry Simon, but I don't follow what you're saying.....

I think SG means something like this:

The top example uses inline '^' to indicate pull, the bottom example uses an 'overbar' to indicate pull.(the button numbering is not the same as GC's, the illustration is just to provide an example of what I think SG means...).

I'm sorry about the poor quality of the image (I think!). I'm currently transitioning between spectacles and am having severe problems seeing anything in focus...

Edited April 6 by Roger Hare

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I used a method when starting out with V shape above notes ( indicating left side of instrument) whereas for right side the v was below stave.

Of course the V only indicated when note made by pulling out bellows, if no V then bellows pushed in.

You did not need to put the shape on every note that required it.. only as a reference ( like a kind of shorthand) reminder.

What it did achieve was very thorough understanding of each note in pieces,as could be used. And very quickly like the other method you soon found you needed it less as you progressed. But serves as useful method for tricky passages🌝

[Michael Eskin]

I've put out several Anglo Concertina tunebooks that use a slightly different tablature system.

At the end of the day, all tablature systems for Anglo Concertina convey the same three pieces of information:

Which side

Which button

Which bellows direction

 

You can find my free PDF books here:

https://michaeleskin.com/tunebooks.html

In these PDF tunebooks, you can click the title of any tune to play it in my ABC Transcription Tools

 

Here's one I suggest starting with, available with both Jeffries and Wheatstone tablature:

https://michaeleskin.com/tunebooks.html#50_session_tunes

And details on how to read the tablature system I used for the books:

https://michaeleskin.com/tunebooks.html#how_to_read_anglo_tablature
 

I did not invent it, was from an existing system, which to me at the time, made sense.

If you don't like it, when you create your own tunes with Anglo Concertina tablature my tool allows you to customize both the button number and the bellows direction indication for any tunebooks you generate:

https://michaeleskin.com/abctools/userguide.html#tablature_settings

 

It also has an option to generate something more along the lines of Gary Coover style tab using staff position and bars to indicate side and push/pull.

Edited April 6 by Michael Eskin