english concertina technique for today

Subject: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 05:08 AM

There is a scottish fiddle,bowing technique,where two minims that are tied, are played with one bow, but an emphasis is put on the beginning of the third beat;with an extra pull with the wrist.
this is a very good exercise for the english concertina,start off playing a major scale each note lasting four beats, without changing direction but giving an extra pull in the same direction on the third beat. Then repeat this exercise on a push note. I advise starting on a major scale[ c is an easy one or g]then try it on the mixolydian scale in g [ g a b c d e f nat g]or G DORIAN[ G A BFLAT C D E F NAT G ]. Dick Miles

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Oct 06 - 06:42 AM

Good one Dick.

This extra pull trick also works for the Piano Accordion.

Depending on the bellows size and its position, the number of reeds being voiced, etc, the effect will vary slightly in intensity. It will often also vary depending on whether the open or close action is being used, and very much with your particular instrument.

Robin

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 05:06 AM

heres an exercise for intermediate players.
take a easy major scale c or g major.put yourself into 6/8 time.
go up the scale playing two semi quavers and two quavers using cross fingering cc c c, then practice it with the two semiquavers in the middle;c cc c       again using first and second fingers or second and third fingers,your count will be 1and 2 3 , or 1 2and 3, use a metrognome slowly at first, 90 then build up to jig speed 116[approx].DickMiles [ concise english concertina tutor].

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 09:56 AM

Dick,

have you ever heard of the set of exercises called "Hanon" - they were originally for keyboard (Piano) - I had a beginner book years ago, but were also done for Piano Accordion sometime in the 1930s - I've also got a copy of that somewhere. Try
http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=hanon+accordion&btnG=Search&meta= for some links to find what I mean.

Originally done by Charles-Louis Hanon (1819-1900) see - http://www.piano-pal.com/hanon.htm and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Louis_Hanon

Hanons were also done for other instruments too - don't think one was done for the Concertina, but if you got hold of one of the originals, you could 'translate' it ...

I mention this because 'The Hanon' is an ordered systematic set of exercises, to practice both musical techniques such as you are mentioning, as well as physical exercises for the fingers - with concentration on strengthening ALL the fingers, and teaching them to be comfortable working independently of each other - some pedants criticise this idea.

Just thought you may find the idea useful.

Robin

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Oct 06 - 10:03 AM

yes ,thankyou; I use these myself, plus a gripmaster.best wishes, Dick.

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Oct 06 - 07:03 AM

now try the next exercise, again in 6/8 time;cd cc, and c cd c,two semi quavers and two quavers,then    one quavertwo semis one quaver.again go up the scale of c ,first. then try other scales.and then substitute the d with a b note, cc b c.

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 05:24 AM

now try this exercise,instead of playing g a g as a triplet try g [low d on right]g ,this gives a piping effectfor a it will be aea, and so on.

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: Tootler
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 06:44 PM

I have come across "Hanon". They are the most grindingly boring exercises ever devised. I am sure if you persist with them, your technique will have improved no end, but any joy you had in making music will have long since been driven away!

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 10 Oct 06 - 09:15 PM

"but any joy you had in making music will have long since been driven away"

The trick to coping with 'Hanon' is to learn to meditate while playing - to allow your body to perform the physical exercises correctly while your mind remains calm and can multi-task. The same trick works for scales and arpeggios.

The result is that you are better able to function in ensemble work, because you are not so absorbed in just yourself, and more able to listen to and respond to what is going om around you.

It also strongly helps combat "stage fright".

This may be one concrete difference between 'classically-trained' and 'self-taught-folk' musos...

:-)

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 08:04 AM

If you intersperse tedious exercises with fun playing,maybe five minutes of practicng rolls in scales, and then play some tunes you enjoy, ones technique can improve without losing the enjoyment of music.
When I wrote my tutor I tried to incorporate playing arpeggios and scales by selecting appropriate tunes, to make it less tedious, eg atholl highlanders in both a major and b flat. Dick Miles.

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Oct 06 - 08:25 AM

"intersperse tedious exercises with fun playing"

Very good advice, Dick.

Personally, I only had the first book - due to an attack of 'life', circumstances changed - and I used it as a 'warm up', once thru them all. After a while I knew the early (simpler) ones by heart, and didn't even need to look at the page, the same as scales and arpeggios. I only needed to check the first phrase (the pattern repeats) of the later ones to get them started.

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Oct 06 - 06:59 AM

Here is another form of ornamentation which pipers call a shiver.
This ornamentation is an alternative to the double cran on the e or f sharp, but on the English can be played on any note if so desired,.
It consists ofthe melody note cut by the note above. On the English concertina that would be f sharp cut by g. so instead of an f sharp you would have F G F G F, its very similiar to a fiddlers trill.   Dick Miles

Subject: RE: english concertina technique for today
From: The Sandman
Date: 13 Oct 06 - 12:04 AM

another form of ornamentation that works well on the english concertina,which I use a lot is the octave triplet. if I was in 6/8and I had three quavers all of the same pitch,lets say g g g I might play G[ OcTAVE LOWER G]then normal g.
or g [low g] g g .two semi quavers two quavers. examples are in my tutor .Any questions please P M me. Dick Miles