Taking as a sample the Czech Area Concertina Club sheet music, I checked to see what kind of key signatures are the most common.
No surprise, the most common keys are G and D.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Friday, February 14, 2014
Left Hand: All Major and Relative Minor key scales
The complete scales are too much to put an image, so this is PDF download only. Also, instead of merely creating the scale of each key, I wanted to create something that covered all the possible notes from a key - so each "scale" is actually "all of the notes from the given key possible while pressing/drawing".
In some keys, there is a full two octaves, in some keys, just one octave. With each complete key given, you can also see the notes possible for the relative minor [Every major key/scale has a relative minor key/scale, in which the minor key has the same key signature and uses the same notes as the major key. To identify the relative minor, find the sixth note of the scale, or go two notes lower from the root of the major scale. Thus, for C Major, the relative minor is A minor].
In some keys, there is a full two octaves, in some keys, just one octave. With each complete key given, you can also see the notes possible for the relative minor [Every major key/scale has a relative minor key/scale, in which the minor key has the same key signature and uses the same notes as the major key. To identify the relative minor, find the sixth note of the scale, or go two notes lower from the root of the major scale. Thus, for C Major, the relative minor is A minor].
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Antique German Squeezebox - The Grand Solo Accordeon
The thing that actually made me interested in concertinas, was the antique concertina/squeeze box/button box that I inherited from my grandmother. All she knew about it was that it was stored in a closet upstairs on the farm when she was a girl (so that would be in the 1920s, roughly), and that she had no idea to whom it belonged. In her words: "we were only allowed to look at it only rarely, and never tried to play it." Our best guess is that it belonged to her mother's father. However, her mother's brother owned a music store in town in the 1880s, so it may have come from there, either purchased or as leftover stock.
Right Hand: All Major and Relative Minor key scales
The complete scales are too much to put an image, so this is PDF download only. Also, instead of merely creating the scale of each key, I wanted to create something that covered all the possible notes from a key - so each "scale" is actually "all of the notes from the given key possible while pressing/drawing".
In some keys, there is a full two octaves, in some keys, just one octave. With each complete key given, you can also see the notes possible for the relative minor [Every major key/scale has a relative minor key/scale, in which the minor key has the same key signature and uses the same notes as the major key. To identify the relative minor, find the sixth note of the scale, or go two notes lower from the root of the major scale. Thus, for C Major, the relative minor is A minor].
In some keys, there is a full two octaves, in some keys, just one octave. With each complete key given, you can also see the notes possible for the relative minor [Every major key/scale has a relative minor key/scale, in which the minor key has the same key signature and uses the same notes as the major key. To identify the relative minor, find the sixth note of the scale, or go two notes lower from the root of the major scale. Thus, for C Major, the relative minor is A minor].
Natural Scale (No sharps or flats)
The natural scale is the same as the white keys on a piano. These are all the white key piano notes that you can play on a concertina, draw and press.
Complete chromatic scale of all buttons
The Chromatic scale is like all of the keys on a piano, black and white, arranged in ascending or descending order. The buttons of the concertina don't have as many notes as a piano, and at the outer ranges of the instrument, there are some skips between notes: we don't have half steps between every note.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Finger Memory
As a trumpet player and college athlete, I find the concept of muscle memory very useful.
"When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Examples of muscle memory are found in many everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, typing on a keyboard, typing in a PIN, or playing a melody or phrase on a musical instrument..."
How to read music - Basic
I intend this site to be for people who can already read music to some extent. However, if you can't, don't despair! By anecdote, report, and the layout of the instruction books, the concertina was designed so it could be played by people with no musical notation instruction at all. Just learn the rhythm and push the buttons and you're good to go for as many songs as you can memorize!
However, the various instruction books usually have a beginning section devoted to rudimentary music so that the student can at least get the hang of reading music in short order.
If you care to, check out the German and Anglo concertina manuals on this site. Bear in mind that these are the 10 and 20 button designs, and the key layout is not the same as our Scheffler layout, so pay no attention to the button instructions - just read about musical notation. The Jones Chromatic Anglo (1946) and Sedgwick's Improved Complete Instructions for German Concertina (28 key) (1893) I found had useful information.
I will also try to hit the high points here:
However, the various instruction books usually have a beginning section devoted to rudimentary music so that the student can at least get the hang of reading music in short order.
If you care to, check out the German and Anglo concertina manuals on this site. Bear in mind that these are the 10 and 20 button designs, and the key layout is not the same as our Scheffler layout, so pay no attention to the button instructions - just read about musical notation. The Jones Chromatic Anglo (1946) and Sedgwick's Improved Complete Instructions for German Concertina (28 key) (1893) I found had useful information.
I will also try to hit the high points here:
Concertina finger numbering
I took the following from Wolf's Concertina Course (for 38 or 52 key) (1957) instruction manual. I had the same idea, but I wasn't sure whether I should keep the fingers the same numbers, or if I should number both hands from left to right. In the interest of keeping some kind of standard, I'll just reproduce the hands from Wolf's, although I'll state that I was going to make the Roman numbers lowercase.
Concertina Musical Notation
The following is an excerpt of typical Chemnitzer concertina sheet music:
Thumb Air Valve and reed switches
On any concertina will be some kind of air valve that allows you to draw or press the concertina to fill or expel air from the bellows without making any sound through the reeds.
This is very important: Never force the bellows open or closed without using the air valve (or by playing). Forcing air out can damage the seal of the bellows.
Use the thumb air valve:
This is very important: Never force the bellows open or closed without using the air valve (or by playing). Forcing air out can damage the seal of the bellows.
Use the thumb air valve:
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Chemnitzer Concertina Button Layout
The overriding goal, whether you learn to read music or not, is to be able to play without constantly looking at the buttons. For this, it's necessary to memorize the button layout.
The buttons of a Chemnitzer "104 key" should look like this. There are a total of 28 on the right, and 24 on the left. Add them together, you get 52 buttons - so with two tones per button from pushing and pulling: 52 + 52 = 104 "keys".
The buttons of a Chemnitzer "104 key" should look like this. There are a total of 28 on the right, and 24 on the left. Add them together, you get 52 buttons - so with two tones per button from pushing and pulling: 52 + 52 = 104 "keys".
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Tuning a Concertina
Basically - take it to a professional who knows how to tune a concertina. Accordion repair guys might be able to do it - I don't know how similar it is.
Correct Posture: How to Hold a Concertina
First: When drawing or pressing the bellows, always have keys or the air valve pressed! Forcing the air out is how you get leaks in the seal of the bellows (besides regular aging of the bellows).
Now, I'm no expert, but just like there is good posture for holding and playing any instrument, I believe there is a correct way to hold a concertina as well. Gary Breuggen I think shows it very well: standing and playing on one knee:
Now, I'm no expert, but just like there is good posture for holding and playing any instrument, I believe there is a correct way to hold a concertina as well. Gary Breuggen I think shows it very well: standing and playing on one knee:
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