Wheatstone or Jeffries?

Subject: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: Sugwash
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 03:38 AM

As an Anglo concertina novice, I was wondering what, if any, advantages there are between the two common fingering layouts of a 30 button Anglo with regard to playing traditional music.

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: treewind
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 03:58 AM

The Wheatstone layout is more standard. By that I mean that one Wheatstone is likely to be the same as another, whereas every Jeffries seems to be slightly different.

I play a Jeffries, and I have a Wheatstone box on order from Steve Dickinson. I've chosen the standard Wheatstone layout for that. If it's good enough for John K. it's good enough for me!

The bottom line is that whichever layout you use, you'll find some things you can do only on one and others that you can do only on the other.

It only makes a difference anyway if you want to do something fairly sophisticated, like playing independent parts or unusual chords or in remote keys. Whichever layout you have (even with my 39 keys!) there are limitations - part of the joy of playing any musical instrument is overcoming those limitations.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 04:29 AM

Is it not easier to play in A MAJOR ,on the wheatstone layout,or am I misinformed.

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 04:33 AM

I believe that Jeffries layout is preferred by players of Irish music, but I'm not sure why. Both systems have their oddities, and you get used to the system you play and work around those.

You might like to try asking this on www.concertina.net

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: Fidjit
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 05:00 AM

concertina.net ther you go Howard.

Chas

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: Sugwash
Date: 09 Jan 09 - 09:45 AM

Thanks Anahata, that was useful.

Andy

Subject: RE: Wheatstone or Jeffries?
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 26 Apr 17 - 03:55 PM

Most Irish music is played in the key of D and the Jeffries layout has 2 C#s (the 7 of the D scale) on the right, a push and a pull. This gives you a bit more flexibility when playing in the key of D.

That's my theory anyway.