Abc And Me

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

Hello, I have recently recieved my new G/C 20 button lachenal concertina and after playing around with it for a day its time to get into some actual tunes. I have looked on a rather usefull site www.thesession.org and have decided to learn from ABC (though i will also buy Absolute Beginners Concertinabook i would also like to pursue other songs on thesesion.org of course as i have a little more ambition than that.

 

Abc seems to just use the letters of the notes, so i printed out this button layout:

 

and here is the song I am trying to learn: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/476 by looking at the layout and seing what button is where

 

The problem being that ABC uses certain letters in lower case and certain ones in higher case and other ones with no numbers next to them, : I dont know what "e" or "c" ect button im suposed to press or as there are a few of each and each one has a diferent number next to it.

 

I believe the solution to my problem would be a button layout picture (like the one shown above but with the one shown above) but with the letters as they would apear in ABC.

 

Here is a 20 button layout with blanc number spaces in it (below) what would be a real lifesaver is if someone who knew abc could write the apropriate letters in that as they would apear in abc and repost it

 

or alternatively someone could point out that the 1st 30 button g/c chart found here on concertina net does apply to the ABC system easily and i am just going about the whole thing wrong (if i am)

 

any help MUCH apriciated as then i could have the freedom to learn any 20 button song i like from the session.org

[Laitch]

Hey Jake

 

Use this well-written tutor to learn ABC notation. This tutor eliminates guesswork.

 

After you read this info, you'll appreciate the system's simplicity and be able to fill in your ABC button chart by yourself, if you still think you need one.

 

The ABC notation system is based on the C scale. Using the 30-button concertina chart you've supplied but eliminating its top row, its two lower rows apply to your concertina and the note sounded by the C2 button on the left-hand top row of your concertina should be "middle C," if it's a C/G layout. You wrote G/C in your post and that layout would be unusual.

 

Here's to your having lots of tunes on your Lachenal!

[Lawrence Reeves]

I also suggest downloading software called Bar Fly. It allows you to paste the ABC into a word document, and then play the file and change speed as well as key while doing so. It will also enable you to save these files for playback, or loops later. Playing at a rock solid tempo along with a pure melody can really help.Another nice feature is that you can choose to view and print the tune in standard notation, giving you a tune book of what you are currently working on.

 

 

 

Hey Jake

 

Use this well-written tutor to learn ABC notation. This tutor eliminates guesswork.

 

After you read this info, you'll appreciate the system's simplicity and be able to fill in your ABC button chart by yourself, if you still think you need one.

 

The ABC notation system is based on the C scale. Using the 30-button concertina chart you've supplied but eliminating its top row, its two lower rows apply to your concertina and the note sounded by the C2 button on the left-hand top row of your concertina should be "middle C," if it's a C/G layout. You wrote G/C in your post and that layout would be unusual.

 

Here's to your having lots of tunes on your Lachenal!

[JimLucas]

The problem being that ABC uses certain letters in lower case and certain ones in higher case and other ones with no numbers next to them...

If you've read the tutorial at the link that Laitch gave, you now know that upper and lower case (and also apostrophes and commas) indicate the octave of the note to be played, while the numbers indicate note length. No point in my trying to say more.

 

I dont know what "e" or "c" ect button im suposed to press or as there are a few of each and each one has a diferent number next to it.

For many of the notes, once you know which octave, you'll know which button. But for several notes there are multiple possibilities even in a single octave. In some of those cases it's a choice between one button for playing the note on the push and another for playing the same note on the pull. For G and A in both main octaves (i.e., also g and a, in abc notation) there are two buttons for each note, but the G's are all on the push and the A's all on the pull. (On a 30-button C/G, you would also have pull G's and push A's among your choices.)

 

That's an entirely different problem, and one that (as far as I know) isn't addressed by standard abc notation, and certainly not in the tunes notated on thesession.org. Those choices aren't about the tunes; they're about how to play them on your (anglo) concertina. And thesession.org isn't about concertinas.

 

In fact, there's no single "right" choice of buttons for those notes. What choices to make for each note of each tune -- and why -- are the subject of many discussions here on Concertina.net, as well as in instructional materials and live workshops and classes. That's something that will take time -- months or years -- to learn. Following someone else's style (e.g., from a tutor book) can simplify the learning process, but eventually you'll have to learn to make your own choices.

Have fun!

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

That.... is INCREDIBLY helpfull! now i see why some notes are of lower case because they are of another octave. I havent read the whole thing yet but from just takeing a quick glance abc now makes much more sense (i will read the whole thing but it is precicely midnight as i just got back from seeing a movie)

 

thanks

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

The problem being that ABC uses certain letters in lower case and certain ones in higher case and other ones with no numbers next to them...

If you've read the tutorial at the link that Laitch gave, you now know that upper and lower case (and also apostrophes and commas) indicate the octave of the note to be played, while the numbers indicate note length. No point in my trying to say more.

 

I dont know what "e" or "c" ect button im suposed to press or as there are a few of each and each one has a diferent number next to it.

For many of the notes, once you know which octave, you'll know which button. But for several notes there are multiple possibilities even in a single octave. In some of those cases it's a choice between one button for playing the note on the push and another for playing the same note on the pull. For G and A in both main octaves (i.e., also g and a, in abc notation) there are two buttons for each note, but the G's are all on the push and the A's all on the pull. (On a 30-button C/G, you would also have pull G's and push A's among your choices.)

 

That's an entirely different problem, and one that (as far as I know) isn't addressed by standard abc notation, and certainly not in the tunes notated on thesession.org. Those choices aren't about the tunes; they're about how to play them on your (anglo) concertina. And thesession.org isn't about concertinas.

 

In fact, there's no single "right" choice of buttons for those notes. What choices to make for each note of each tune -- and why -- are the subject of many discussions here on Concertina.net, as well as in instructional materials and live workshops and classes. That's something that will take time -- months or years -- to learn. Following someone else's style (e.g., from a tutor book) can simplify the learning process, but eventually you'll have to learn to make your own choices.

Have fun!

 

 

hmm, maybe i should concider this while thinking of conserveing air in my bellows eg: there are two B notes that are exactley the same and if i needed more air i would use the b that is a pull or if i needed less i would use the b that is a push. But thats just one thing, would it also be based on what finger position you prefer I supose?

 

Thank you for the infomation

Edited July 15, 2007 by Jake of Hertford

[Daniel Hersh]

Yes, those are both important issues. Another one is whether you're trying to get a smooth, legato sound, in which case you may want to choose the button that allows you to avoid changing direction.

 

Do you read music? If so, all the tunes on thesession.org are available that way too. I personally find that much easier than reading abc notation. Even if you don't read music, you might want to consider learning--I think that standard sheet music is much more intutive (with notes going up the staff as they go up in pitch) than abc.

 

Daniel

 

hmm, maybe i should concider this while thinking of conserveing air in my bellows eg: there are two B notes that are exactley the same and if i needed more air i would use the b that is a pull or if i needed less i would use the b that is a push. But thats just one thing, would it also be based on what finger position you prefer I supose?

 

Thank you for the infomation

[hjcjones]

There a number of programs which will convert ABC to standard notation - ABCWIn and ABC Navigator are both good.

[JimLucas]

There a number of programs which will convert ABC to standard notation...

And vice versa.

[Jake Middleton-Metcalfe]

I do plan to at some point learn standard notation, a book "absolute beginners concertina" i got today seems to start off in its own sort of tab but then work in notation as you go along I also got one for the melodeon as i found that after learning from dvd's I sort of had a bit of a block as to what to learn next. From talking to people at hobgoblin it seems that notation is a very helpfull and important step as then lots is available for you

 

As for the concertina book, im pleased to say that so far so good I learned a song called cock of the north today

 

 

 

 

also, while in hobgoblin in london i noticed that they had 2 nice looking "connor" anglos if anyones looking for something like that