30 Button Anglo Chromatic concertina

[doggyvonne]

I purchased a cheap but amazingly good sounding concertina this Christmas just to find out how I can manage the Chromatic method.

This has 30 buttons and I have discovered with no book or advice at all how to do a scale on the left and right hand sides. This is done on the middle rows of both sides. I am finding some pleasant combinations of buttons on these middle rows however I cant work out how to use the other 4 rows (2 on right and 2 on left?) What are they for? I have no probs with the melody on the middle rows at all just want to know what the other notes are for please?

Edited December 27, 2008 by doggyvonne

[Greg Jowaisas]

I purchased a cheap but amazingly good sounding concertina this Christmas just to find out how I can manage the Chromatic method.

This has 30 buttons and I have discovered with no book or advice at all how to do a scale on the left and right hand sides. This is done on the middle rows of both sides. I am finding some pleasant combinations of buttons on these middle rows however I cant work out how to use the other 4 rows (2 on right and 2 on left?) What are they for? I have no probs with the melody on the middle rows at all just want to know what the other notes are for please?

 

Doggyvonne,

Anglo concertinas come in basic keys. If you have the most common arrangement it will be a C/G with the row closest to your palms being G; the middle row being C; and the 3rd row farthest from the handbar composed of various extra notes and accidentals. As you have discovered it is fairly straight forward to play up and down a row and find melodies and add some accompaniment. This makes the anglo a very intuitive instrument. However there are lots of possibilities to play in additional keys and even chromatically by using notes available in all three rows.

 

http://www.concertina.info/ should take you to one of the websites that has complete diagrams of typical 30 button layouts. With this overview you can begin to explore other possibilities.

 

Various styles and approaches have evolved around the anglo layout. Cnet's "Learning" section has a list of some of the available tutors.

 

It is an adventure! Good luck.

 

Greg

[doggyvonne]

I purchased a cheap but amazingly good sounding concertina this Christmas just to find out how I can manage the Chromatic method.

This has 30 buttons and I have discovered with no book or advice at all how to do a scale on the left and right hand sides. This is done on the middle rows of both sides. I am finding some pleasant combinations of buttons on these middle rows however I cant work out how to use the other 4 rows (2 on right and 2 on left?) What are they for? I have no probs with the melody on the middle rows at all just want to know what the other notes are for please?

 

Doggyvonne,

Anglo concertinas come in basic keys. If you have the most common arrangement it will be a C/G with the row closest to your palms being G; the middle row being C; and the 3rd row farthest from the handbar composed of various extra notes and accidentals. As you have discovered it is fairly straight forward to play up and down a row and find melodies and add some accompaniment. This makes the anglo a very intuitive instrument. However there are lots of possibilities to play in additional keys and even chromatically by using notes available in all three rows.

 

http://www.concertina.info/ should take you to one of the websites that has complete diagrams of typical 30 button layouts. With this overview you can begin to explore other possibilities.

 

Various styles and approaches have evolved around the anglo layout. Cnet's "Learning" section has a list of some of the available tutors.

 

It is an adventure! Good luck.

 

Greg

 

 

Thank you Greg for that information. At risk of sounding a real Muppet can I ask whether it matters which end you have on the right or left?

[wes williams]

At risk of sounding a real Muppet can I ask whether it matters which end you have on the right or left?

No problem - its usual to play the low note side with your left hand, and the high note side with your right. You usually have a air button on the right that you operate with the thumb - it would be very difficult to operate if you try to play the other way around.

[hjcjones]

You've already found how to play a scale on the middle row (which is probably in the key of C). You'll find that you can also play a scale on the inner row (closest to you) using pretty much the same fingering - this will be in the key of G. However, the outermost row is completely different - you can't play a scale on it in the same way, instead it gives you some additional notes (C# for example) which aren't in C or G. It also gives you alternative options for playing some notes which you may also have on the C and G rows - these start to be useful once your playing gets more advanced.

 

It most definitely does matter which way round you hold it, since the air button needs to be operated by the right thumb - this is one of the most important buttons on the instrument, and for more than just opening and closing the bellows when you start to play. So as Wes says, hold it so the higher notes are played by the right hand and the lower ones by the left.

 

Good luck! It's quite an intuitive instrument in many ways, but is enough of a challenge to keep most of us on here interested for many years.

[doggyvonne]

You've already found how to play a scale on the middle row (which is probably in the key of C). You'll find that you can also play a scale on the inner row (closest to you) using pretty much the same fingering - this will be in the key of G. However, the outermost row is completely different - you can't play a scale on it in the same way, instead it gives you some additional notes (C# for example) which aren't in C or G. It also gives you alternative options for playing some notes which you may also have on the C and G rows - these start to be useful once your playing gets more advanced.

 

It most definitely does matter which way round you hold it, since the air button needs to be operated by the right thumb - this is one of the most important buttons on the instrument, and for more than just opening and closing the bellows when you start to play. So as Wes says, hold it so the higher notes are played by the right hand and the lower ones by the left.

 

Good luck! It's quite an intuitive instrument in many ways, but is enough of a challenge to keep most of us on here interested for many years.

 

Today I did find I could play another scale but not in the way described in the posts here..I was able to use the first two buttons on innner row of right hand side doh re me fa but the scale continued on the inner row of the left hand side which surprised me? I am a discovery learner and a kinetic learner so I will find my way eventually but have a need to recognise patterns in the buttons which so far seems a bit random?

s I have a melodeon I can already play a lot of melodies by ear but apart from middle left row buttons on this concertina the left hand buttons seem to clash with what i play on the right.

[geoffwright]

Then there is the "four button" trick using the highest two buttons (on C & G row) on LHS, and highest two buttons (on C & G row) on RHS

c row LHS push pull

c row RHS pull push

g row LHS push pull

g rown RHS pull push

 

and thats a G scale, the beauty of which, you can continue up the RHS G row for the higher notes

or continue down the LHS C row for some lower notes

(I will leave you to work out when you have to jump to the lower F# on the LHS G row)

[Anglo-Irishman]

I purchased a cheap but amazingly good sounding concertina this Christmas just to find out how I can manage the Chromatic method.

This has 30 buttons and I have discovered with no book or advice at all how to do a scale on the left and right hand sides. This is done on the middle rows of both sides. I am finding some pleasant combinations of buttons on these middle rows however I cant work out how to use the other 4 rows (2 on right and 2 on left?) What are they for? I have no probs with the melody on the middle rows at all just want to know what the other notes are for please?

 

Hi, Doggyvonne,

We're all assuming you've got an Anglo condertina - the kind on which each button gives different notes on the press and draw of the bellows, like a melodion.

 

The way you count your buttons, you have 6 rows - 3 right and 3 left. Try to make a mental switch, and think of just 3 rows, with each row extending over both sides of the concertina. The middle row plays the scale of C major, the inner row, next to the handles, plays the scale of G major.

The third, outer row has all the notes that are not contained in the scales of C major and G major plus a few more.

 

To explore, start with the middle button, middle row, left hand, and press the bellows. Keeping on that button, draw out the bellows. Move one button to the right, and press, then draw. Then the last left-hand button on that row, press and draw. Now go to the first button, middle row, right hand, and draw out the bellows, then press them in.

... and you've played the scale of C major! You can keep on going this way until you run out of buttons ...

Now start with the middle button, inner row, left hand, and repeat this process exactly, keeping on the inner row. You will have played the scale of G major.

Get familiar with playing tunes on the inner rows, and we'll talk about the outer row later.

 

In most cases, the buttons in the same row, right or left, sound harmonious. You'll soon discover which combinations you want and which you don't.

 

Later on, you'll find combinations of buttons from two - or even three - rows that make useful chords, too.

 

Have fun exploring. That's how I learned the Anglo many moons ago!

 

Cheers,

John

[doggyvonne]

Thanks for those last two post which I have copied and printed out to keep by me this week. I have managed, this Christmas, to learn quite a bit despite catering conscientiously for 5 men in household and 3 dogs I sometimes only have a half hour in the evening to give to it but i do practice regularly. I run out of wind a lot and dont have a rhythm for keeping the air supply up. I try very small movements but holding a position is quite hard whilst a more substantial movement assuages the muscles more. I am resting the instrument on my knees as was suggested earlier however I dont see many people doing that on You tube. I think I am a little reluctant to be strong with it in case I burst the bellows..this model is only a cheap one to practice on you see. Should I put more gusto into it or remain gentle with small movements?

Before I disappear for another year would just like to ask if any current forum visitors are in Ely Cambs and would they be interested to join a U3A group for concertina in Ely during the daytime? U3A is a DIY club for all kinds of interests mostly serving retired people or people over 50 who only work part time. Bye for now and Happy New Year. Perhaps next Christmas I will feel it is worth acquiring a much better concertina but my Chinese model £75 is absolutely fine for my needs right now.

Edited December 29, 2008 by doggyvonne