unisonic concertinas bellows control

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 02 Nov 20 - 03:09 PM

on further experimentation, changing bellows on reels twice in a bar before second and fourth beats, then experiment for curiosity sake doing it before the first and third beat.
by changing bellows only before second and fourth beats the player plays across the bar lines

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Oct 20 - 11:56 AM

When i first learned concertina, Alistair Anderson stated [if i remember correctly] that slip jigs 9/ 8 have an emphasis on first fourth and seventh beats .so worth experimenting with changing bellows direction where you want to emphasise. so the first bar of drops of brandy has 3 groups of 3, try changing bellows first fourth seventh.
   irish mazurkas , which are written in 3/4 there is supposed to be an emphasis [as i understand it] on the second beat to achieve this i would change bellows between first and second beats,

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Oct 20 - 05:56 PM

however with reels it is generally considered emphasis should be on second and fourth beats, so bellows changes should take that in to account, so what i was trying to suggest above was an attempt at copying a 332 bowing patern
on irish polkas there is also an off beat emphasis.

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 28 Oct 20 - 03:41 AM

a variation on drowsyaggie first part, is to do first reversal after first two notesthen after next 3 notes, then after next pair, thenafter next pair then after next pair, then after next 3then after next pair then next 3 the after next 3 then after next 3 then after next pair, at end of first part.

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Oct 20 - 04:55 AM

a paradiddle in its simplest form is RLRR or LRLL.

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Oct 20 - 04:43 AM

here is an exercise taken from my snare drum playing days, the five stroke roll, this will help left right hand coordination.
lrlrl rlrlr, this can be done with hands tapping a table. then try seven sroke roll lrlrlrl rlrlrlr,
then investigate various paradiddles

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Oct 20 - 05:46 PM

i find irish polkas in 2/4 are ok, to approximately copy fiddle bowing , which some of the time is paired, but i also listen a lot to seamus creagh style and matt cranitch,listening is paramount

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Oct 20 - 03:13 PM

one of the aspects of the anglo concertina that provides intrinsic rhythm is the forced necessity to change the bellows relatively frequently.
if you attempt to play four bars or even three bars on the english concertina without reversing bellows the only way to get rhythm is through finger attack.
So another good exercise is to play the scale of c major playing it as staccato as possible and then as legato as possible

Subject: RE: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Oct 20 - 02:25 PM

another exercise is to take the reel drowsy maggie and
take the first four bars , the first part, and play e on the pull then the next two quavers on the push, then the next two quavers on the pull,the then the then the next two on the push, then the first crotchet ofthe next bar on the pull then the next two quavers on the push then the next two on the pull, then the next two on the pull.
bar 3 push first rotchet the reverse bellows for next two quavers, then reverse for nexttwo quavers then reverse fro next two quaversthen reverse for next two quavers or halfbeats then reverse for next two quavers then reverse for next four quavers,

Subject: unisonic concertinas bellows control
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Oct 20 - 04:52 AM

a simple exercise unisonic[not anglos] for bellows control. play an octave scale of c major, changing bellows direction evry third fifth and seventh note now change every 2 4 6 th 8th note . now changeon 3 not 6 note and 8 note, then try different combinations including groups of 4 3 or even 8.