Playing a GD concertina

[Tiposx]

I bought and restored an Anglo that turned out to be in G/D. I have tried a few itm tunes on it, playing as if it was a c/g. It sounds nice and deep, presumably the tunes I play across the rows are transposed down into the keys of D and A rather than in G or D and the relative minor keys. As an e.c. player I am at the limit of my musical theory with this!

How do most people use the G/D? Do they play itm on the row, transpose, something else?

I am just curious.

[Jody Kruskal]

I for one, mostly play the G/D for all kinds of music including itm. You can hear what I do on Youtube. My recent SLOW IS MORE Tempo Research Project includes 13 tunes and songs all played on the G/D.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2025 by Jody Kruskal

[Alex West]

I mostly play a G/D.  As a bass player and singer, I find the low register very appealing.

 

I don't play a lot of ITM, but when I do, it's on the rows.  The GD works well for me to play UK music, Swedish, Quebecois, French, pipe tunes and others.  It's less easy (for me) to play tunes which are heavily fiddle-riff based and I will transpose if I have to.

 

If I'm struggling with playing a tune at breakneck speeds, I'll attempt to harmonise or put a bass line in.

 

Alex West

[David Lay]

I practice on a G/D angle for ITM, playing it the same as I would my C/G.  I find that I prefer lower tones because of hearing loss.  I do not play it with others, since I would be off from them.

[hjcjones]

Most people think of G/D, Bb/F and other flavours of anglo as transposing instruments. I use the same fingerings I would in my C/G  but it comes out in a different key. I play mostly English music in harmonic style, so this ability to play in different keys, to play with others in those keys, is entirely the point of having these instruments.  G/Ds are particularly popular among English players as these are the melodeon keys, and you get a deeper, more mellow pitch and more left hand harmonic options than playing in those keys on a C/G.

 

The usual across-the-rows fingering for ITM when played on a G/D will of course transpose it into different keys. G fingering will play in D, D fingering in A, A fingering plays in E.  You can either use the usual fingerings but remember that if the tune is in D you have to think in G, or of course you can simply play along the rows, which I believe was the old style and is a perfectly valid approach.

 

If you are an established C/G anglo player this may require some mental agility. If you are new player coming from EC you can learn the appropriate fingerings for the G/D, but then you will need to be aware that most of the ITM teaching materials assume a C/G, so you will have to make adjustments for that.  Again, this may require some brain work. Or you can embrace the older style of playing along the rows, but you may not find many teaching materials specifically for ITM.

 

Alternatively you can use it as it as David Lay does, playing with "usual" ITM fingerings on your own where the different keys don't matter, and enjoying the different tone.

[David Colpitts]

I get tremendous pleasure from my G/D Anglo, and since I am absolutely only "along the rows" I play it in G and D.  That's it.  I suppose I could say I play in the "harmonic style" when I play the "automatic" chords the Anglo offers so readily, but actually I have worked hard to get to ITM session speed in the old-fashioned along the rows style, with increasing success.  It will also (I hope) lend itself to song accompaniment, if I can ever get past the "harmonica" neurological pathways that make me need to inhale when the next note is higher....

 

Anyway, Tiposx, do G and D suit your singing range?  I actually got an old and inexpensive Stagi Anglo (sweet sound, not really fast) in D and A, so I can now play along in A if I bring the second Anglo, and I can sing a bunch in A.  And of course, I have a C/G to play in C!

 

What make is your newly restored G/D?  Pictures and sound samples?

[Roger Hare]

3 hours ago, David Colpitts said:

...I actually got an old and inexpensive Stagi Anglo (sweet sound, not really fast) in D and A, so I can now play along in A if I bring the second Anglo...

Drifting a little...

 

I have an acquaintance who recently acquired an old D/A Scholer Anglo, and he's looking for 'simple' tunes in D and A to use as a basis for learning to play the thing. I'm currently wading through the tunes in my 'master tune book' to find a few for him, but haven't yet come up with anything outstanding. Any simple tunes to suggest - in D or A? He's musical (piano), so I think he's actually looking for (I think) 'English' tunes usually played in D and A, rather than transposed tunes (if you see what I mean)...

 

Ta.

Edited November 19, 2025 by Roger Hare

[David Lay]

Irish tunes with two or three sharps, I will guess you are seeking.  I would also guess some modal tunes would be OK.  There are lots in D and associated modes on thesession.org.  There are not so many in A.  Examples: Cooley's Reel (E dor), Cup of Tea (D), Merry Blacksmith (D), My Darling Asleep (D), Si Bheag Si Mor (D).

Edited November 19, 2025 by David Lay

[Roger Hare]

> Irish tunes with two or three sharps, I will guess you are seeking....

 

Thanks, but I think it's rather 'English' tunes he's looking for - that's partly why I'm having a problem finding suitable tunes. I should have said that in my post...

 

Later: Hmm! I might just try a couple of those suggestions myself. I hadn't come across 'Merry Blacksmith' before...

Edited November 20, 2025 by Roger Hare

[Richard Mellish]

I have Anglos in several pairs of keys, but a G-D has been my main instrument for 41 years. I seldom play outside the base keys, but I do use alternative buttons across the rows quite a lot, to reduce the amount of in and out of the bellows. My reading of music notation is not great, and insofar as I can do it I relate the dots on the stave to buttons on the G-D, so I am lost when I try to relate written music to the buttons on an Anglo in any other keys.

[Marcus]

I also have a G/D which I essentially play as though it was a C/G. I bought Pip Ives tutor for the G/D but I couldn’t adjust to reading the notation for the G/D! I’m sure if I’d have started on the G/D it would be a problem the other way round!

[John Wild]

4 hours ago, Roger Hare said:

Drifting a little...

 

I have an acquaintance who recently acquired an old D/A Scholer Anglo, and he's looking for 'simple' tunes in D and A to use as a basis for learning to play the thing. I'm currently wading through the tunes in my 'master tune book' to find a few for him, but haven't yet come up with anything outstanding. Any simple tunes to suggest - in D or A? He's musical (piano), so I think he's actually looking for (I think) 'English' tunes usually played in D and A, rather than transposed tunes (if you see what I mean)...

 

Ta.

My ABC tunes files contains this one Called "A and D"

there is a part in A followed by a part in D! 🙂

I have assumed the ABC is correct but have not checked it myself.

X:3
T:A and D
S:EF
M:4/4
K:A
M:6/8
P:A
|:f|"A"ecc c2f|"A"ecc F2f|"A"ecc cBA|"Bm"BcB "E7"B2f|
"A"ecc c2f|"A"ecc c2c/2d/2F|"D"efe "E7"dcB|[1"A"Ace a2:|
[2"A"Ace ag=g||\
K:D
P:B
|:"D"f2f Fd2d|"D"AFF Af2e/2f/2|"G"g2g ecd|"Em"efd "A7"cBAF|
"D"f^ef dcd|"D"AFF AFfef|"G"gfg F"A7"AFBFc|1"D"d3 d2e:|2"D"d3 d2||

[David Colpitts]

Sorry I can't be of much help regarding tunes in D and A.  Frankly, I don't know what tunes are in what keys unless somebody at the session tells me, or I quietly fumble by ear until I find it.  I'm glad others here have better suggestions for you!

[Roger Hare]

30 minutes ago, John Wild said:

My ABC tunes files contains this one Called "A and D"

there is a part in A followed by a part in D! 🙂

I have assumed the ABC is correct but have not checked it myself.

Thank you sir! That'll do nicely!

 

Now I put my brains in the right way up, I see I've already got that one, lurking in my copy of the Nottingham Music Database. I think I may have 'massaged' it a little, but it looks pretty much the same as the ABC you posted.🙂

Edited November 19, 2025 by Roger Hare

[Tiposx]

17 hours ago, David Colpitts said:

I get tremendous pleasure from my G/D Anglo, and since I am absolutely only "along the rows" I play it in G and D.  That's it.  I suppose I could say I play in the "harmonic style" when I play the "automatic" chords the Anglo offers so readily, but actually I have worked hard to get to ITM session speed in the old-fashioned along the rows style, with increasing success.  It will also (I hope) lend itself to song accompaniment, if I can ever get past the "harmonica" neurological pathways that make me need to inhale when the next note is higher....

 

Anyway, Tiposx, do G and D suit your singing range?  I actually got an old and inexpensive Stagi Anglo (sweet sound, not really fast) in D and A, so I can now play along in A if I bring the second Anglo, and I can sing a bunch in A.  And of course, I have a C/G to play in C!

 

What make is your newly restored G/D?  Pictures and sound samples?

Hi David Colpitts

I posted some photos of the G/D Wheatstone May Fair in another section of the forum a few weeks ago. They were the “before” shots at the end of this thread:

https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/topic/29399-concertina-comparison/page/4/#comments

Since then I have replaced all the consumables and fixed a few issues like lever pivots pulled out. I made replica handrests, which look odd as the straps are mounted upside down when compared to the norm. This is how Wheatstone made them. I have almost finished making a new set of 7 fold bellows for it. I can’t show a photo of the completed project yet, as it is going out on loan today. A friend has offered to test it out and troubleshoot it for me.

Regarding my singing voice, well I haven’t got one! My range is about one step either side of A blunt…. I will record it in action when I have it back.

Edited November 20, 2025 by Tiposx

[David Colpitts]

As usual, Tiposx, your work ethic and craftsmanship are impressive!  Looking forward to hearing the G/D play!

[Johanna]

23 hours ago, Roger Hare said:

Drifting a little...

 

I have an acquaintance who recently acquired an old D/A Scholer Anglo, and he's looking for 'simple' tunes in D and A to use as a basis for learning to play the thing. I'm currently wading through the tunes in my 'master tune book' to find a few for him, but haven't yet come up with anything outstanding. Any simple tunes to suggest - in D or A? He's musical (piano), so I think he's actually looking for (I think) 'English' tunes usually played in D and A, rather than transposed tunes (if you see what I mean)...

 

Ta.

These might not meet the "simple" requirement, but for English tunes in D, I like Off She Goes, (The Moon and) Seven Stars, and Random Notes (also called The Random Jig).

 

Tunes in A are harder to come by, but if Irish tunes are of any interest, I can offer The Handsome Young Maidens, Health to the Ladies, and The Mouse in the Kitchen.  Bill Sullivan's Polka might even meet the "simple" criterion.  Bye A While, by Padraig Rynne, is another one I've been enjoying lately, mostly for its excellent use of the high C# in the B part.

[Caroline]

I started learning concertina on a 20 button G/D Stagi, but I treated it as a C/G.  Fell in love with the concertina and ordered myself a Clover.  With the exception of not being able to play along with the lesson videos, and not having a row of accidentals, I don't think I experienced any negative side effects!  Actually, playing that Stagi probably strengthened my fingers because I had to really work on it.