"correct' Fingering?

[squeezegirl]

Just wondering what our expert players have to say on this subject.

 

Is there such a thing as 'correct fingering' or should one 'finger' the buttons in the way that comes naturally to each person?

 

Specific question: re Hayden Keyboard, left hand. When forming E minor, with middle finger on E (3rd row;) index finger on B (2nd row;) is there a 'correct' finger to use on the G... (3rd row) ... IOW should it be the ring finger or the little finger? Or is it a matter of what's most comfortable?

 

Thank you for your suggestions

 

MC

[JimLucas]

Just wondering what our expert players have to say on this subject.

 

Is there such a thing as 'correct fingering'...?

Often there is more than one "correct" fingering.

 

There have been plenty of debates about "correct" fingering on anglos and Englishes. Discussions re duet fingerings -- I think there have been a couple of such threads here on C.net -- have tended to be more about the question "what do you do?" than about "what is 'correct'?".

[Stephen Mills]

Hi, MC

 

It’s good to see another Hayden and jazz enthusiast on the forum. I’m no expert, but I vote for comfort. I use my ring finger and would have considerably more difficulty with the little finger. If I had a reason to use the little finger, say to play another note with the ring, I’d try to make it work.

 

Perhaps you’ve already investigated scale fingerings. If not, this has been hashed around at least 3 times here, in these threads:

one

two

three

 

Also, I found that chord chart way too busy when I found it some time ago. I personally think it’s best to work things out on your own anyway. I’m attaching a MS Word .doc I use of the Tedrow Hayden keyboard. You can delete the buttons the Stagi doesn’t have. I’ve printed out pages and pages of these - I decide what chord I want and circle the appropriate buttons. Maybe over the top for simple chords, but I find it helps me work out sequences, e.g., 5th in the bass dominant chord going to root in the bass tonic chord, or with a 13th thrown in, or whatever.

 

On 3 note chords, I have found it invaluable to learn all four forms that span 3 rows. I’ve duplicated the layouts on a second page and highlighted these notes in red. The first diagram shows all the G chord notes on the 3 rows. I’ve always thought of those 5 notes as forming a cross – I hope this doesn’t constitute a “move” on that other thread - but I guess it's more of an asymmetric X anyway. You can play a diagonal line going up or going down, or a triangle base up or triangle base down. I intend to have equal facility with all four. (Obviously there are more combinations on each side, but they either repeat one of these patterns or have wider spacing.)

 

Incidentally, for vamping chords behind someone else, I like to alternate the root or 5th on the left hand with 3rd and 5th together on the right hand. You can get some bass runs and other neat effects a la Peter Barnes’s Interview with a Vamper.

 

hayden_1page.doc

Edited April 15, 2006 by Stephen Mills

[ragtimer]

Just wondering what our expert players have to say on this subject.

 

Is there such a thing as 'correct fingering' or should one 'finger' the buttons in the way that comes naturally to each person?

 

Specific question: re Hayden Keyboard, left hand. When forming E minor, with middle finger on E (3rd row;) index finger on B (2nd row;) is there a 'correct' finger to use on the G... (3rd row) ... IOW should it be the ring finger or the little finger? Or is it a matter of what's most comfortable?

 

Thank you for your suggestions

 

MC

 

As an 18-month Hayden player (no expert) I'll say what I do for a minor chord:

middle on the E (1st row), index on B (2nd row), Ring finger on the G (2nd row).

 

Note that I number Duet rows from the bottom up, not top down -- how do others do this?

 

Also, as you get mroe confident, you can swign that Ring finger clear up to the high G in 4th row to get a brighter chord with lots of "punch". It will match the major chords that you can do a similar thing with your index finger ont he 3rd of the chord.

 

As for "correct", it really depends on how you goet to that chord in the tune, and where you're going next -- these could influcence you to use a different fingering. (And you should see the fingering I use on a minor chord when I realize too late that it isn't a major chord -- ever play Twister?).

 

But I think of my fingering as given above as the "standard" or "normal" for me, and I don;'t change it without a reason.

 

BTW, do yourself a favor and practice playing melodies on the left side, to learn where notes are (especially the higher ones) without relation to chords. That will let you play true duet style. It might even get you to use your pinky on the LH (which I still avoid like a third rail). But meanwhile, bass and chords are a fine way to use your LH.

 

Oh yes, jsut realized -- maybe by playing the E minor's G with the pinky, you could have the Ring free to add the D in the next row up, when you want an Eminor7 chord. Pretty awkward, but at least gives you a chance to get used to the LH pinky, unlike myself.

 

But say, isn't that Hayden terrific? --Mike K.

[David Barnert]

I’m attaching a MS Word .doc I use of the Tedrow Hayden keyboard...

Wow. I just had a look at your attachment, only to discover that it's heavily based on one that I posted many years ago on rec.music.makers.squeezebox:

Here is the layout of the 46 buttons. Notes on squeeze and draw
are the same (like English Concertina). Air vent button on the
right (not shown here). Be sure to display this in a monospaced
font (every line should have || in center, vertically aligned).

|		LEFT HAND			||		RIGHT HAND
|							 ||
|							 ||  Bb  C   D
|   F   G   A   B			 ||	F   G   A   B   C#
| Bb (C)  D   E   F#  G#	  ||  Bb  C   D   E   F#  G#
|   F   G   A   B   C#  D#	||	F   G   A   B   C#  D#
|	 C   D   E   F#  G#	  ||	 (C)  D   E   F#  G#
|							 ||
|(5th Finger)	   (Thumb)   ||  (Thumb)	   (5th Finger)
| =====WRIST STRAP========	||   =====WRIST STRAP========
|
|(C) = middle C (both hands).

[Stephen Mills]

I’m attaching a MS Word .doc I use of the Tedrow Hayden keyboard...

Wow. I just had a look at your attachment, only to discover that it's heavily based on one that I posted many years ago on rec.music.makers.squeezebox

Yes, sorry for the lack of acknowledgment, although for me to see it you must also have posted it here. I guess it's like copping a good lick and not remembering where you got it, or even that you had taken it from somebody else. As I looked at it today, I wondered about certain things in it and where they came from. It's been very useful to me - thanks.

Edited April 15, 2006 by Stephen Mills

[Richard Morse]

Specific question: re Hayden Keyboard, left hand. When forming E minor, with middle finger on E (3rd row;) index finger on B (2nd row;) is there a 'correct' finger to use on the G... (3rd row) ... IOW should it be the ring finger or the little finger?

I tend to use two left hand fingering systems depending on whether I'm chording (vamping, stride, etc.) or playing notes (runs, counterpoint, etc.).

 

When chording I tend to use my 3 "strongest" fingers, the I,M,R fingers which means that major chords are with the R,M,I on the 1,5,3 (e.g., G,D,B ) of the chord regardless of inversion and minor chords are with the R,M,I on the 1,6,3 (e.g., G,E,B ) of the chord regardless of inversion.

 

But with that said, I also tend to use the lowest note for the "tonic" of the chord: a G major chord would be played with the G on the second row and the B on the 3rd row and the B either on the 2nd or 4th row. An E minor chord would be played with the E on the 1st row, and the G and B on the 2nd row. Of course when playing stride style I'd vary things by alternating the 1st & 3rd downbeat notes....

 

When noting on the left side I tend to use all my fingers, usually R,M,I and P,R,M,I for the 1,2,3 and 4,5,6,7 tones respectively. It seems to keep the passages more fluid as it lessens the problem of having to use the same finger for consecutive notes.

[David Barnert]

Yes, sorry for the lack of acknowledgment, although for me to see it you must also have posted it here. I guess it's like copping a good lick and not remembering where you got it, or even that you had taken it from somebody else.

I guess I misunderstood. I thought you had gotten it from Bob Tedrow. If you got it here, then I must have also posted it here. No need to apologize. I'll take it as a sincere form of flattery.

As I looked at it today, I wondered about certain things in it and where they came from.

Anything I can help clear up?

[geoffwright]

Interview with a Vamper

Being a bit "long in the tooth", I am looking for protection against vampers. Are wooden stakes, silver bullets, garlic or crucifixes best?

[SimonThoumire]

I wouldn't worry about your fingering too much. If it works for you then that is what's important.

[Frank Edgley]

All, or most of this thread has been about fingering of concertinas other than anglos. Just to put in my two cents worth about fingering, the answer is "no."