What Key Concertina Is Needed?

[arsenaultr]

Hello,

I know nothing about concertinas, but our school will be performing Carnival, which has a nice concertina solo in the key of D. My question is: Do we need to get a concertina pitched in D or can we use a concertina pitched in C or G?

 

I really appreciate your input.

Bob

[wntrmute]

Hello,

I know nothing about concertinas, but our school will be performing Carnival, which has a nice concertina solo in the key of D. My question is: Do we need to get a concertina pitched in D or can we use a concertina pitched in C or G?

 

I really appreciate your input.

Bob

A 30 button C/G Anglo can play in Dmaj, if not quite as easily as in the home keys of C and G. Jeffries layout may be a bit better, since it has two C#'s on the right hand, one each on push and pull; but I've been able to work out some songs in D and E dorian on a Lachenal layout so the layout isn't all that critical.

If you are looking to buy a concertina, I'd suggest strongly against the cheap ones you find on ebay and instead recommend a Rochelle, which is only available as a 30 button C/G (Lachenal) anglo -- but easily the best quality instrument you can get under $350. On a C/G lachenal you can easily play in C/G, and manage well in D and A (and most of their related modes).

I'd say that many songs with up to two flats or up to three sharps could be performed readily on a 30 button anglo, though bellows and fingering get to be an increasing issue with each accidental added.

Edited March 3, 2008 by wntrmute

[Chris Timson]

Of course, it need not be an anglo concertina at all, you are not specific about this. English and duet concertinas are fully chromatic. I suggest you have a read of the Concertina FAQ which will show you the possibilities out there.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[wntrmute]

Of course, it need not be an anglo concertina at all, you are not specific about this. English and duet concertinas are fully chromatic. I suggest you have a read of the Concertina FAQ which will show you the possibilities out there.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

*gasp* There's concertinas other than Anglos? Who knew?!

 

Ok, I'll shut up now.

[shipcmo]

Interesting,

Quite a few years ago I played an anglo concertina for Carnival. Altho' I had others, I found that my G/D gave the best phrasing. Also I constructed a quiet box for the actor, and coached him on how to play it. To my mind too many "performances" by actors, e.g. The Milagro Bean Field War, are just too hokey! Actually one of Stan Laurel's was pretty good.

Cheers,

Geo

[JimLucas]

Of course, it need not be an anglo concertina at all, you are not specific about this. English and duet concertinas are fully chromatic. I suggest you have a read of the Concertina FAQ which will show you the possibilities out there.

*gasp* There's concertinas other than Anglos? Who knew?!

Oh, Chris knows.

Anglo may be what he plays, but he lives with the English.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

Promises, Promises!

(Hmm, wasn't that once a Broadway show?

)

[David Barnert]

I have been involved in three productions of Carnival, all 30 or more years ago. In two, I played cello in the pit, in the other, I was an observer as my (then) girlfriend was music director. The problem was solved three different ways:

 

1) No concertina at all. The actor carried a recorder. I don't remember if he actually played it from the stage or mimed playing it while someone played in the pit.

 

2) The actor carried a concertina and mimed playing it while someone played an accordion in the pit.

 

3) The actor (our own Richard Carlin, as it turned out) played his English Concertina from the stage.

 

Edited for typo.

Edited March 4, 2008 by David Barnert

[Marien]

If you are talking about an anglo concertina, C/G is "THE" tuning for concertina in Irish music, and most of the tunes are in D, so it should do the job. G/D tuning is also suitable for D, it is easy to play D chords both on push and pull.

 

For chromatic concertina's:

48 button english system is fine for melody play in D. For beginners it will take some time before you play chords with it, it is less suitable for background chords.

 

Duet concertina's (Crane or MacCann) are less commonly played but they enable you to combine melody and chord play more easy. A crane can be played in D easily. Some (smaller) MacCanns do not have a low D on the left hand which makes the D chord sound relatively high.

[David Barnert]

If you are talking about an anglo concertina, C/G is "THE" tuning for concertina in Irish music, and most of the tunes are in D, so it should do the job. G/D tuning is also suitable for D, it is easy to play D chords both on push and pull.

The particular tune that is required for this show contains prominent C#s in both the upper and lower octaves (that is, including the C# below the D at the bottom of the melody scale).

 

I would want to make sure that if you use a C/G that it have sufficient accidentals in its 3rd row to handle this. A 20-button certainly won't do. I don't know enough about Anglos to know how common that low C# is.

[Tootler]

The particular tune that is required for this show contains prominent C#s in both the upper and lower octaves (that is, including the C# below the D at the bottom of the melody scale).

 

I would want to make sure that if you use a C/G that it have sufficient accidentals in its 3rd row to handle this. A 20-button certainly won't do. I don't know enough about Anglos to know how common that low C# is.

 

Button layouts for 30b C/G Anglos are available on this site

 

As you can see, C# is available in three octaves on a 30b C/G Anglo. My Anglo has the Jeffries Layout rather than the Lachenal shown on the c.net link I gave above. The main difference is that the middle octave C# is available both on the push and the pull - very useful

 

Geoff

[david_boveri]

If you are talking about an anglo concertina, C/G is "THE" tuning for concertina in Irish music, and most of the tunes are in D, so it should do the job. G/D tuning is also suitable for D, it is easy to play D chords both on push and pull.

The particular tune that is required for this show contains prominent C#s in both the upper and lower octaves (that is, including the C# below the D at the bottom of the melody scale).

 

I would want to make sure that if you use a C/G that it have sufficient accidentals in its 3rd row to handle this. A 20-button certainly won't do. I don't know enough about Anglos to know how common that low C# is.

 

i dont have a problem with the low c#, but truth be told, it is in a god-awful location. you have to cross over with your middle finger to get to it from d.