Finger tapping for ornamentation?

[PushTheButton]

Hi all 

Ive been practicing Crans on my Anglo, looking for more of a percussive effect with the 2 notes proceeding the melody note.

I can't do it to my satisfaction. The ornament notes ring out too loudly and don't give me the effect im looking for.

However, all is not lost because I am achieving the desired percussive effect by rapping my fingers on the face instead of pressing buttons.

e.g. I play A (1st finger, middle, pull), tap 2 or 3 fingers on the right face, then quickly lift and replace the A.

 

It sounds cool.

 

Here's the question though! 

As someone who is very careful with her instrument, could tapping firmly on the face have a detrimental effect of the valves or reeds?

I appreciate the buttons take a good amount of vigorous tapping, but that force goes straight to the lever.

Could finger tapping on the wooden face, hard enough to create an ornament, damage the concertina in any way? 

 

Cheers! 

[RAc]

Hi, I would not worry about it. Quality instruments must withstand much much more than tapping.

 

Any chance on a video demo of your technique?

[alex_holden]

Unlikely to do anything to the reeds, though I wouldn't recommend tapping hard on a fretted area in case you crack it, and you might wear through the finish over time.

[Steve Schulteis]

Good job independently deriving this! If you search the forum for "phantom button", you'll find others employing the same technique.

 

The reeds and valves will be fine. The only risks of damage I can think of are 1) gouging the surface with untrimmed fingernails and 2) breaking off bits of fretwork if you're hitting a poorly supported area. These can be mitigated by how and where you tap. I suppose you could also wear down the finish where you tap over time. But I put that under the heading of "character".

[Roger Hare]

1 hour ago, Steve Schulteis said:

Good job independently deriving this! If you search the forum for "phantom button", you'll find others employing the same technique...

Me too - on a couple of specific tunes . When I remember to do it, it's quite effective!

 

Can't remember whether I 'developed' this technique independently though - almost certainly not - I'm not that smart...🙁

[PushTheButton]

22 hours ago, RAc said:

Hi, I would not worry about it. Quality instruments must withstand much much more than tapping.

 

Any chance on a video demo of your technique?

Hi, I'd love to but I can't get a video uploaded coz the max size is 3.91MB. But here is a sound clip of another player using buttons to get the roll or cran effect on an A and a D. I can get a similar sound by rapping my right hand fingers. 

[PaulDa321]

I wonder if that’s an effect coming from the bellows, like a bellows roll?

 

I think it’s a similar sound when I tap my foot emphatically with the same leg that the concertina end is resting on, causing the bellows to shake. I’m not one to advise on how to do a bellows roll though.  

[Steve Schulteis]

6 hours ago, PushTheButton said:

Hi, I'd love to but I can't get a video uploaded coz the max size is 3.91MB. 

 

Usually folks post to YouTube and then share a link here. When you paste a YouTube link, the forum's editor will embed the video automatically. If you don't want your video to show up in YouTube searches, you can set its visibility to "unlisted".

[aeolina]

Finger tapping, foot stamping, hand shaking, swinging the concertina ... are there any other extra-instrument techniques employed for musical effect?

[David Barnert]

1 hour ago, aeolina said:

Finger tapping, foot stamping, hand shaking, swinging the concertina ... are there any other extra-instrument techniques employed for musical effect?

 

Singing?

 

Also playing a harmonica (I’ve seen several people do it).

[aeolina]

I was asking for different ways the concertina is 'played' other than simply pressing the buttons and moving the bellows, rather than it's performance in concert with other instruments/sounds. Using the buttons for percussive effect is another example - this is also found in some melodeon playing traditions. 'Shaky knee bounce' (my term) is another.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

You can make many effects other than finger tapping using bellows and buttons..

A rapid quivering ( trill effect) is achieved by slightest in it of pressing the bellows( Anglo) very rapidly. Staccatto can be made by subtle short pressing buttons ..enough to  just make the note sound before lifting finger up almost immediately.

Effects are difficult to describe in words alone...and are best practiced, or via advice of others, with experience. Or watch and learn by seeing ( videos).

Edited September 19, 2025 by SIMON GABRIELOW
Crap keyboard awful to type on

[David Barnert]

12 hours ago, aeolina said:

Finger tapping, foot stamping, hand shaking, swinging the concertina ... are there any other extra-instrument techniques employed for musical effect?

10 hours ago, David Barnert said:

Singing?

2 hours ago, aeolina said:

I was asking for different ways the concertina is 'played' other than simply pressing the buttons and moving the bellows, rather than it's performance in concert with other instruments/sounds.

 

But you mentioned foot stamping, which is no more "ways the concertina is ‘played’” than singing is.

[aeolina]

David, sorry if I was unclear. I meant foot stamping with the box on one's knee to provide a musical effect. The shaky knee bounce is related but less extreme.

[David Barnert]

38 minutes ago, aeolina said:

David, sorry if I was unclear. I meant foot stamping with the box on one's knee to provide a musical effect. The shaky knee bounce is related but less extreme.

 

Fair enough.

[aeolina]

4 hours ago, SIMON GABRIELOW said:

You can make many effects other than finger tapping using bellows and buttons..

A rapid quivering ( trill effect) is achieved by slightest in it of pressing the bellows( Anglo) very rapidly. Staccatto can be made by subtle short pressing buttons ..enough to  just make the note sound before lifting finger up almost immediately.

Effects are difficult to describe in words alone...and are best practiced, or via advice of others, with experience. Or watch and learn by seeing ( videos).

Simon

 

When I was visiting elderly English Concertina players (mainly aged 80+) around Scotland in the early 1980s I was at first greatly impressed by how well they played (they were excellent!) despite seemingly having the hand tremors that often accompanies old age. How wrong I was! I quickly learned they were actually masters of coaxing out the sweetest expression by gently quivering their hands as you describe. They kindly taught me to do so by only quivering the side of the instrument not bearing the button/reed generating the note to be affected. I have seen a number of prominent players quivering/shaking the end sounding the played note and I generally find that less satisfactory. I do, however, recognise that it can have a place on the palette of the player of fast Celtic traditional dance music, especially on the Anglo. When such players, including the very best, apply it to airs and laments I think it is rarely successful.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

1 hour ago, aeolina said:

Simon

 

When I was visiting elderly English Concertina players (mainly aged 80+) around Scotland in the early 1980s I was at first greatly impressed by how well they played (they were excellent!) despite seemingly having the hand tremors that often accompanies old age. How wrong I was! I quickly learned they were actually masters of coaxing out the sweetest expression by gently quivering their hands as you describe. They kindly taught me to do so by only quivering the side of the instrument not bearing the button/reed generating the note to be affected. I have seen a number of prominent players quivering/shaking the end sounding the played note and I generally find that less satisfactory. I do, however, recognise that it can have a place on the palette of the player of fast Celtic traditional dance music, especially on the Anglo. When such players, including the very best, apply it to airs and laments I think it is rarely successful.

Thank you that is very interesting information...I do tink everyone disover  their own ways round techniques and effects. The joy of concertinas is that it has never relly being too formalised as to ther being only one way of making any effect.. just lots of possibilities.🌝

[Dimble]

On 9/18/2025 at 6:50 PM, aeolina said:

Finger tapping, foot stamping, hand shaking, swinging the concertina ... are there any other extra-instrument techniques employed for musical effect?

I would point to the percussive effects of working the bellows with only the air button open. Not sure if the technique has a name, but Cormac Begley uses it to amazing effect.