Note Bending And Uncommon Techniques

[Alan Day]

A few players I have listened to seem to be using unusual techniques when playing and I just wonder if any of you have been experimenting in this area.

Certainly the used of a flat slurred into note will give the feel of bending (eg Bp to B = Doo Wah sound ). An increase of air pressure through the bellows will slightly bend a note.

Bellows shake alters the note sound. It has been mentioned that Noel Hill can alter the sound coming out of his concertina by hand movement or cupping.If this is thought about seriously then only notes underneath the hand can be controlled in this manner, or are we talking about left hand accompaniment being altered by the fingers going over the exit area of the note being played? I have not tried it but I suppose that the end of the concertina being muffled by the knee or leg is a possibility. Tapping the concertina with the opposite fingers to those playing the tune make an interesting sound. I have been experimenting today with the air button to try and alter the note sound, but even a touch on the air button the sound does not alter,which is a relief as I use the button on regular intervals in this manner.

So is it as simple as air pressure that is the technique? Two consecutive notes one played normally and one very slightly forced there is a definite difference in note sound and I quickly add it is not volume that I am talking about. This is not the sort of air pressure that pulls the end off your concertina or breaks the reed ,so please do not send me any repair bills.

I am interested in your comments on this subject.

Al

Edited July 21, 2008 by Alan Day

[PeterT]

Bellows shake alters the note sound.

Hi Alan,

 

This is really all that I can offer, in terms of the bellows technique (see video notes):

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2afiZdnNc

 

Thought that I had another video of me "bending" a note, but you can hardly detect it. I don't use this technique much, but I couple an increase to bellows pressure with movement of the concertina through the air. Not easy whilst seated!

 

Regards,

Peter.

[m3838]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm2afiZdnNc

 

Excellent playing!

That's the Anglo at one of it's best, imo.

It was sent to favorites. Very unique and sound on it's own, here we hear pipes, here's a recorder, and a glimpse of an accordion, and above all - an Anglo Concertina. A show off piece. I'll add it to my examples of free reed instruments talk, just in case someone will ask for such.

[m3838]

A few players I have listened to seem to be using unusual techniques when playing and I just wonder if any of you have been experimenting in this area.

Certainly the used of a flat slurred into note will give the feel of bending (eg Bb to C = Doo Wah sound ). An increase of air pressure through the bellows will slightly bend a note.

 

You'll be laughing, but here's Russian Trio with bayan, and a nice useage of bending.

[Richard Morse]

A few players I have listened to seem to be using unusual techniques when playing and I just wonder if any of you have been experimenting in this area.

IMHO many "unusual" techniques should be more common. The one's I'm working on are mostly:

 

Bellows control for shaping the beginning and ends of notes. Choosing to start and end key notes with a certain sound character (from/to a stationary bellows or from a bellows reversal rather than hell-bent "running bellows") can give a lot expression and feeling to a piece. Here are a snippets played by Wim Wakker and Dave Townsend.

 

I find that bellows reversals really helps English and duet players achieve traditional "feeling" and helps keep their tunes from sounding flat. Specifically, sometimes I'll play my duet as an anglo would play the piece (particularly for Morris), and sometimes I'll try bellows phrasing as a American fiddlers bow for backbeat (great for American tunes and especially for fiddle rags). Unfortunately I'm hard pressed to find examples on the net of English and duet players doing this (shows how rare this is!).

 

And then there's shaping the sustained note vibrato, usually by gently wiggling the wrist or elbow. Very effective on waltzes and tunes that have long-held notes. I'm referring to a sound akin to what a violinist produces rather than a bagpiper's wail.

 

And then there are some seriously special sound effects like the Boer bellows shake and the swinging 'round the concertina to effect church bells such as John Kirkpatrick does so well. Neither are those are on my project plate though....

 

-- Rich --

[m3838]

from a bellows reversal rather than hell-bent "running bellows") can give a lot expression and feeling to a piece.

Can you elaborate?

You mean to push bellows in, but on the first not pull? But what does it do? Sort of "ta-Tah" effect?

[Dan Worrall]

A few players I have listened to seem to be using unusual techniques when playing and I just wonder if any of you have been experimenting in this area.

Certainly the used of a flat slurred into note will give the feel of bending (eg Bb to C = Doo Wah sound ).

 

I am interested in your comments on this subject.

Al

 

Alan,

 

Kimber used your first example very nicely in Double Lead Through (see transcription, below), on the first note. He didn't play it exactly as written here....it was more of a (half step) grace note lead-in to a strongly accented first quarter note; played correctly it sounds like a single bent note. I find it effective, and a nice, offbeat way to really highlight that first note....as if to say, 'pay attention!' I don't think I'd want to overdo that in other tunes though.....it could easily get to be annoying, just like the bellows shake is (to me, at least). Then there is the windmill wave, which Victorian Anglo-German street players seemed to enjoy; it drove the classically-inclined observers of the period crazy.

 

Cheers,

Dan

 

 

edited to add: Just five minutes later, I see in Leo's post a great Boermusic U-tube, where both the bellows shake AND the windmill are used!....and they look and sound very nice:

Boeremusiek - Petronella vastap

Edited July 21, 2008 by Dan Worrall

[Jody Kruskal]

Hi Alan,

 

The first note bending technique that you mention is one that I use often to great effect. The idea is that you emulate the sliding up to pitch as a fiddle, sax or vocalist would do. This works on any fixed pitch instrument and jazz pianists do it all the time. You don’t really slide but rather, as you mention, slur two notes. If they are played in rapid succession and the interval is a half step then the brain hears it as a slide or gliss. I like to think of this as a slurred grace note preceding a pitch in the scale being used. An instrument or singer might not quite reach the second note and these deliberately flat pitches are often called “blue notes”.

 

The technique risks sounding kind of lame on the concertina in part because the instrument cannot play a blue note for it's life (at least I've never heard it done), yet, if you do all of the things in the list below, it can still be very effective. As in all things, let your ear be your guide.

 

The first pitch is played very short.

The two notes are played in the same bellows direction.

The second note is louder that the first.

The best interval is a rising half step.

The second note is placed on a beat with the first note just before the beat.

The most common pitch to slide to is the third note of the scale used.

 

A little of this stuff goes a long way. Just a hint of the first note is often enough.

 

I’ll be teaching a workshop at Bradfield UK on Aug. 9th where my focus will be this very suto pitch-bending technique.

 

4.00 PM EDGEMOUNT BARN

JODY KRUSKAL: "COOL AMERICAN STUFF ON THE C/G ANGLO"

[Dan Worrall]

Hi Alan,

 

The first note bending technique that you mention is one that I use often to great effect. The idea is that you emulate the sliding up to pitch as a fiddle, sax or vocalist would do. This works on any fixed pitch instrument and jazz pianists do it all the time. You don’t really slide but rather, as you mention, slur two notes. If they are played in rapid succession and the interval is a half step then the brain hears it as a slide or gliss. I like to think of this as a slurred grace note preceding a pitch in the scale being used. An instrument or singer might not quite reach the second note and these deliberately flat pitches are often called “blue notes”.

 

The technique risks sounding kind of lame on the concertina in part because the instrument cannot play a blue note for it's life (at least I've never heard it done), yet, if you do all of the things in the list below, it can still be very effective. As in all things, let your ear be your guide.

 

The first pitch is played very short.

The two notes are played in the same bellows direction.

The second note is louder that the first.

The best interval is a rising half step.

The second note is placed on a beat with the first note just before the beat.

The most common pitch to slide to is the third note of the scale used.

 

A little of this stuff goes a long way. Just a hint of the first note is often enough.

 

Jody,

 

We were writing/posting about precisely the same technique at the same instant....

Looking forward to seeing you at Bradfield.

 

Dan

[Alan Day]

Hi Alan,

 

The first note bending technique that you mention is one that I use often to great effect. The idea is that you emulate the sliding up to pitch as a fiddle, sax or vocalist would do. This works on any fixed pitch instrument and jazz pianists do it all the time. You don’t really slide but rather, as you mention, slur two notes. If they are played in rapid succession and the interval is a half step then the brain hears it as a slide or gliss. I like to think of this as a slurred grace note preceding a pitch in the scale being used. An instrument or singer might not quite reach the second note and these deliberately flat pitches are often called “blue notes”.

 

The technique risks sounding kind of lame on the concertina in part because the instrument cannot play a blue note for it's life (at least I've never heard it done), yet, if you do all of the things in the list below, it can still be very effective. As in all things, let your ear be your guide.

 

The first pitch is played very short.

The two notes are played in the same bellows direction.

The second note is louder that the first.

The best interval is a rising half step.

The second note is placed on a beat with the first note just before the beat.

The most common pitch to slide to is the third note of the scale used.

 

A little of this stuff goes a long way. Just a hint of the first note is often enough.

 

Jody,

 

We were writing/posting about precisely the same technique at the same instant....

Looking forward to seeing you at Bradfield.

 

Dan

There are a couple of nice tunes that uses the first technique in an exaggerated manner,I will play them for you and Jody at Bradfield.

Should be an interesting Weekend

Thanks for your comments

Al

[Christian Husmann]

Hello guys,

 

although not having tryied this on the concertina, on the accordion you can do this (better on the deep notes) by making a strong crescendo and simultaneously decreasing the button pressure so that less air with bigger force rushes in (or out).

 

Christian

[Steve_freereeder]

Chris Parkinson demonstrated a note-bending technique for melodeon at Melodeons@Witney a couple of years ago. It works best on a single reed voice (which you can get on some melodeons using a stop to remove the 2nd voice), so it ought to work fine on a concertina, though I've not tried it myself yet.

 

What you do is to apply normal pressure to the bellows (push or pull as appropriate) fractionally before playing the note, and then just press the key a tiny bit, just enough to let some air pass through the reed. The note should sound but be flat by a semitone or so. Once the key is fully depressed, the pitch rises to its proper value. With practice you can achieve a quick upwards glissando on to the main note (at least Chris Parkinson can!).

[michael sam wild]

I'm really glad about this thread. I've been listening a lot to Paddy Keenan and Johnny Doran on pipes recently and playing along on Anglo to see if I can get that bending. I am severely tempted to get a set of pipes but can't yet justify it!!

I play blues harmonica too and there are all sorts of techniques to do it especially on the suck.

I find that if I just play along a lot and intuitively try for the bending various tricks suggest themselves, a lot of which have been mentioned.

Little shakes, cupping and bellows twists seem to force air through in a way that gives the effect, particularly if the button is touched quicly to allow a pulse through

Looking forward to Bradfield

I go regularly to The Royal at Dungworth and this year looks like a great gathering . Lets hope weather is good or we'll have to get stuck in pubs!

Mike

[Richard Morse]

from a bellows reversal rather than hell-bent "running bellows") can give a lot expression and feeling to a piece.

Can you elaborate? You mean to push bellows in, but on the first not pull? But what does it do? Sort of "ta-Tah" effect?

I don't understand what you're trying to describe. What I'm describing is that most people who play English and duet tend to play tunes with one-note-after-the-other with the same bellows direction until they run out of bellows and then reverse the bellows until they run out again. The result is that each note has the same tonal character as they all (except for the initial note's start) have the same "attack", "ending" and volume... which can be very boring, lifeless/mechanical. Sure, players can add interest/character by managing the timing of the notes and clipping of some, but so much more is possible when one uses from/to stationary bellows techniques.

 

The *start* and *ending* of a reed oscillating has very different properties than its *running* properties. This makes for considerably different timbre - which can be changed in many ways.

 

The *running* reed can be influenced by pressure changes (wiggling the end of the concertina can induce a vibrato effect, pressing harder on the bellows will lower the pitch slightly, tapping of the heel when the concertina rests on one's thigh, etc.) but the main tonal spectrum is pretty constant.

 

There is a lot going on when a reed *starts*, and therefore a lot one can do to alter the sound of a reed's start. If one starts a reed from a running bellows (IOW, the bellows is under pressure when the reed starts), the reed will ramp up quickly to it's running state. The ONSET of the reed, or "ramp" as I call it (and have heard others call it) has a different tonal color from the *running* reed sound.

 

If a reed ramps up to running oscillation slowly it will have a smooth sound. If it ramps up quickly it will have a crisper/brighter onset sound. This is NOT wholly dependent upon the bellows/air pressure when starting the reed. Longer scale reeds usually are more sensitive to start and have "sweeter" and more controllable start properties. Short scale, and especially harder reeds, and those with specific undercut vents, and with deeper reedpans... will ramp up quicker (a little "bite" sound when starting), to very quickly (a barking sound) to extremely quickly (a chirp sound).

 

All of these timbres are under your control (to the extent that the reeds are capable of producing these sounds). Starting a note from a stationary bellows or from a bellows reversal will enable you to control these timbres. Playing with a running bellows will give the same reed start sound to all the notes.

 

And beyond the ramp timbre is other stuff that colors the start sound. Poorer grade and poorly set reeds will have a slight "grunt" and/or "breathy" onset sound. Poor condition valves will yield a very distinctive "pop" sound. The quickness with which you depress the keys, and the design/construction of your key action mechanism can provide many sorts of clicks and clacks.... which can ADD or detract from the performance.

 

The ending of a reed speaking can also have considerably different timbre than the running reed. Decreasing pressure as the note ends often makes the pitch raise slightly and makes it smoother/sweeter sounding. The brain also hears an lingering "echo" of the sound which carries over to the next notes which doesn't seem to happen as readilly when a reed is abruptly stopped. Of course there's also action sounds to be considered as well.

 

There's a lot going on with reeds, and CAN BE a lot more going on expression-wise with one's playing if s/he is aware and takes advantage of the what concertinas can be capable of.

 

-- Rich --

[chris]

Hi

only if you are a virtuoso

chris (who is happy if he just manages to hit the right button)

[Alan Day]

I have just been on a long journey and been thinking about this subject and when I arrived home I tested my theory and I would like you to try the following whilst playing a long note move the ends of the bellows through forty five degrees that pushes the middle of the bellows away from you.See if you get a bending of the note without even using force. All this theory is an exaggeration of the bellows shake but only one movement of it.

See what you think. A World experiment !!

Al

[david_boveri]

I have just been on a long journey and been thinking about this subject and when I arrived home I tested my theory and I would like you to try the following whilst playing a long note move the ends of the bellows through forty five degrees that pushes the middle of the bellows away from you.See if you get a bending of the note without even using force. All this theory is an exaggeration of the bellows shake but only one movement of it.

See what you think. A World experiment !!

Al

 

for certain notes, yes that does work to bend notes! i messed around with that a few months ago. i was just downstairs, bending low notes. i am working on a two finger technique which achieves that same affect you are talking about, but without changing the bellows. however, i had completely forgotten about that technique, and i will have to see if i can combine using two fingers on one button and the extreme bellows change to bend notes.

 

my technique involves adding a small amount of air at low pressure into the reed chamber, effectively causing lengthening of the start up phase, i.e. before the reed achieves full resonance. the highest note that can get a full, looooong bend is the E on the middle finger, left hand, anglo. i can do it on notes above it, but note as easily. above first finger f# on the right hand, they are very difficult. a key thing to note, however, is that as you add more and more air into the reed chamber, you should reduce the pressure, so that by the time the reed achieves full resonance, you are playing with a standard pressure. this is nice, as it achieves a flattening affect of the note, without causing any damage to the reeds, as applying too much pressure to the reeds. i showed this technique to a concertina maker (i will leave his name out), and he said it wouldnt damage the reeds. however, i would like to add that it will probably lesson the life of the valves and pads, as it requires adding a LOT of pressure to the instrument without sounding a note.

 

i do not know if this will work on any concertina. it works on stagis very well. it works with a smaller range of bendable notes on my edgley. i have never tried it on anyone elses concertina for obvious reasons.

Edited July 22, 2008 by david_boveri

[Guest HallelujahAl!]

One of the notes on one of my concertinas bends all by itself - esp when the bellows is at the end of its close. Going up almost half a tone in value. I've been told this is a 'knackered reed' (their phrase not mine). Anybody else any ideas - would a jazz or blues concertinist be interested in purchasing just such a reed? Perhaps there's a market out there for 'knackered reeds'?