Crossing: Walk/don't Walk

[Mikefule]

My previous instruments were the harmonica and melodeon, so I've been used to playing tunes along the row.

 

I now play a G/D Anglo in something approximating the English style: mainly single note melody with chorded accompaniment.

 

From day 1 on the Anglo, I have tried to cross the rows on the melody side as much as reasonably possible. Start as you mean to go on, and all that.

 

Typically I keep my fingers in what you might call the "home position" (buttons 1 - 4 on the G row) or I use the notes D - G (and higher) from the D row. The D row gives more choices, but the G pull chord is a bit "thin".

 

There are however a few tunes where it seems far easier to simply "walk" my fingers up the G row to and from what you might call "2nd position" (buttons 2 - 5 on the G row). An example might be the B music of that old chestnut, Speed the Plough.

 

And somehow I've got into a mindset that makes me feel this is "taking the easy way out" because the "proper way" to do it is to cross the rows. The rational part of me tells me that the 5th button must be there for a reason!

 

Any thoughts on this. Am I setting myself an unnecessary "hurdle" by always crossing the rows, or is "staying in the row" a bad habit to be avoided at all costs?

[hjcjones]

. Am I setting myself an unnecessary "hurdle" by always crossing the rows, or is "staying in the row" a bad habit to be avoided at all costs?

 

Yes and no! It all depends on what sound you're trying to achieve. Sometimes you want to smooth it out, so you need to play across the rows, but there are times when playing up-and-down the row, with the bellows movements this requires, gives the music "lift".

 

For me, it's often decided by what I want to do with the left hand. If I want to keep a nice steady chord progression with moving basses going, then this will usually necessitate playing across the rows. If I want to get plenty of "oomph" from the bellows, then this usually dictates that I play up-and-down.

 

There's no right or wrong way. Sometimes playing legato across the rows sounds better, sometimes it doesn't. It's your call. However you're absolutely right to be trying to develop the technique to be able to play either way as the need arises.

 

As for keeping your fingers on the "home keys", it's important that you have a frame of reference so you always know where you are on the keyboard, but inevitably you will have to move away from time to time. Cross-rowing can help to reduce this: for example, in the B of "Speed the Plough", instead of moving to G5 pull for the F#, you could use D2 push. You can then either use D2 pull for E before returning to D on G3 push, or play the run entirely on the push by using the E on the 2nd button of the accidental row. Either way. although you're playing across 2 or 3 rows, your fingers can remain around the home position over the top 4 buttons.

 

If I do have to move away from home position, rather than shift the whole hand, it's often just the little finger (pinky) that stretches to the other buttons, the other fingers still cover the top 3 buttons. However in some tunes there are phrases where you do have to completely change your hand position.