Useful exercises and workouts to improve melodeon playing?

[Ted]

On the subject of 3 vs. 4 fingers, is there a certain number of tunes that are 'impossible' to play with only 3 fingers? Is this a long list? I'm thinking of one that's giving me some grief at the moment: The Primrose Lass played as a reel on a C#D box.

[Chris Ryall]

If you 'play in chords' you tend you use all the fingers automatically. For example I've got a reversed D mid box. When the tune wants a set of notes from the Em group {E,G,B} I'll often either trill into the D, or even hold it down with #4 finger as a descant - while I play tune with the other three. All I'm doing is adding a minor 7th to the chord to make Em7 so there is never tension there.  (It does beg the question as to whether such embellishment improves the tune)!

You can similarly dot in major 7th to extend major chords (eg add C# when the notes run Dmaj {D,F#,A}, without affecting music flow. However if you end on a major7 chord it sounds very 'jazz' - which might not be the effect you want. But again it brings all 4 fingers into play.

While I don't do dedicated workouts for my little finger, I never duck a chance to use it, hoping it might learn some of the musical tricks the others have mastered. Another example is my favourite from last summer

Basically - anything that extends your dexterity - Do it. The effort will pay you back - sometimes many tunes later. Chris

[Steve Jones]

Chris, I wouldn't quibble with any of that as far as playing r-h chords is concerned. But to answer Ted's question, I haven't yet come across a tune - melody - that I can't manage without the little finger on C#/D box.

Not to say that I haven't come across tunes or passages in which the little finger is a judicious choice, even for the rabid 3-finger merchant that I am. But so far in my exploration of (mainly Irish) music they are very few, and the little finger is still a useful option, never (yet) a necessity.

Edited to add: Ted, just had a look at Primrose Lass - this setting in G ( http://www.folktunefinder.com/tunes/223947/ ), which sounds close to recorded versions I've heard. Is it the start of the B part that seems to call for the little finger?

My strategy for phrases like that is to consistently play the d with the first finger. The trick I use for coping with the triplet is to play Bc#d with fingers 1-2-1, i.e. changing from 2 to 1 between the c# and the d, bringing me back to my vantage point and leaving fingers 2 and 3 free for the e and g.

But I see there are many settings out there so maybe that isn't where the problem lay.

Cheers
Steve

[Chris Ryall]

I very nearly put in "don't try extending to 7th chord in an Irish session" when I wrote that this morning. Their music seems to be based on triads. But I assure you it is very useful, nice even,  other contexts.  And for any note chord that little pinkie is very useful.

[LDbosca]

3/4 Finger debate aside, I used to swear by practicing all major scales at the start of practice, as well as doing all major scales in one note triplets with three fingers (CCC, DDD, EEE etc.) but now all I do is two octaves on C, G, D, A and F and occasionally Bb or Eb if I'm playing something in those keys. If I've a very difficult passage then I take it out on its own and play it dead slow loads of times and start speeding it up. Nothing fancy at all really, just playing things as slow as they need to go to be 100 percent right and then bringing them up to speed. My playing hasn't suffered by spending less time on this stuff.

I'm not convinced that scales are the most useful thing in the world to Irish musicians, even when there are scale passages in tunes it's often nice to ornament a few notes of them which means a different fingering is necessary. That said, it never hurts to know ones way around the keyboard.

[Just4Fun]

Lots of wonderful discussion going on here though only a couple of brief comments on practising triplets. I'm a relative newbie playing a BC, any suggestions?

[Steve Jones]

Lots of wonderful discussion going on here though only a couple of brief comments on practising triplets. I'm a relative newbie playing a BC, any suggestions?

Try this thread from a while back.

[Chris Ryall]

Start with twins?

[Steve Jones]

Waiting for a delivery again, Chris?

[Chris Ryall]

Waiting for a delivery again, Chris?

Very well spotted, witty to boot!  As you allude - the racks for my new wine cellar arrived on Monday. Now all 3 children (not triplets) have reached their majority .. I can finally perhaps afford to put something in them. 

Atually I'm finding the discipline of ToTM quite a useful improver. I'd really gone off the boil. 

[LIAM-ROBINSON]

I've taken up the idea of playing scales but I have a question about the fingers being used.
I understand Theo's idea of just using one (index) and four (pinky) or even one finger scales, as recommended by John Kirkpatrick.
If I'm using all four fingers is there a recommended sequence? I notice that in Dave Mallinson's book D/G Melodeon Absolute Beginners he suggests that there are 4 main ways to move fingers up or down -
change - when a single note is played twice - obviously doesn't appertain to scales
cross - when finger one crosses finger two to move up the scale or vice versa i.e. 2 crosses 1
stretch - a finger reaches further than the button it is hovering over
miss - miss out the hovering finger and use next finger up or down
As I have little chance to visit workshops I was wondering if there was a standard way when practicing scales?
Or should I use a mixture of Dave Mallinson's movements?

Hiya Bryson!
                just to add confusion to the whole thing....I would recomend being able to do things in as many different ways as possible.  Adaptability is a really valuable part of technique.  Usually there is no "set way" that things should be done..so try to find as many ways of doing things as possible.  If I find a different way of doing things, I'll usually try to use the new way as much as possible to get used to it, but then often either revert or use a mixture....variation and adaptability are really useful! :-)

[LIAM-ROBINSON]

oh and just to throw something completely beyond reason.  I used to practice all scales major and minor on a two row DG with accidentals....starting with the home keys and then working every key chromatically...playing a scale up and down. G, G#, A, Bb, C etc This involves jumping around octaves and thinking where all notes are plus utilising lots of accidentals.  After learning this, I decided I had possibly wasted far too much time on something which was impractical for melodeons BUT it did give me great discipline and a greater knowledge of my instrument.  If you really have tiem on your hands give it a try...... ;-) 

[Chris Ryall]

Scales have their uses (all the more so if you want to changes nore in impro).   I'd not advise 'alphabetical' practice although that does prepare you for the unexpected! And I' not go to far into this without at least 1/2 row of 'accidentals'.

Scales in circle of 5ths is perhaps easier, more natural, and emphasises the relationships and differences. Eg that simple C>C# change that distinguishes D from G, (and via their Greek modes, Em dorian from Em aolian). Start with the 'flattest' you might ever use .. C G D A might suit most in GB.

Practice that little run, or altered II chord that moveds the muic into the other key. eg C .. .. Dm chord ... C  .. D7 chord => G key change

If you want to play Blues, find the G, D A and E minor blues scales and get them solid. For solo blues I'd add F#.   

Don't just play scales lineraly as "1234456787654321".  Learning 123 234 456 567 678 876 765 654 543 432 321 will pay off later.  (Jazzers would also do this in groups of 4).  This form of practice naturally takes you through the modes of the scales. Try to tap a bass drone in to emphasis that.  Move to doing same extending into 8 note runs - now you're doing modes. Some will be better on pull, some on push.

[LIAM-ROBINSON]

Great advice!!!! :-)

[Rob2Hook]

This may be a little off subject, but...
Our morris side is giong through a phase of doing warm ups and stretches.  I find that joining in helps lift me out of the lethargy of waiting to be asked to play!

Rob.

[Howard Jones]

oh and just to throw something completely beyond reason.  I used to practice all scales major and minor on a two row DG with accidentals....starting with the home keys and then working every key chromatically...playing a scale up and down. G, G#, A, Bb, C etc This involves jumping around octaves and thinking where all notes are plus utilising lots of accidentals.  After learning this, I decided I had possibly wasted far too much time on something which was impractical for melodeons BUT it did give me great discipline and a greater knowledge of my instrument.  If you really have tiem on your hands give it a try...... ;-) 

It's surprising how many keys you can play on a 2-row DG, albeit jumping octaves sometimes. As Liam says, not very practical but it certainly gets you thinking.

[ukebert]

oh and just to throw something completely beyond reason.  I used to practice all scales major and minor on a two row DG with accidentals....starting with the home keys and then working every key chromatically...playing a scale up and down. G, G#, A, Bb, C etc This involves jumping around octaves and thinking where all notes are plus utilising lots of accidentals.  After learning this, I decided I had possibly wasted far too much time on something which was impractical for melodeons BUT it did give me great discipline and a greater knowledge of my instrument.  If you really have tiem on your hands give it a try...... ;-) 

It's surprising how many keys you can play on a 2-row DG, albeit jumping octaves sometimes. As Liam says, not very practical but it certainly gets you thinking.

Indeed. G minor, F# minor, Bb major and Ab major are all surprisingly possible on a D/G box with standard accidentals.

[Chris Ryall]

Indeed. G minor, F# minor, Bb major and Ab major are all surprisingly possible on a D/G box with standard accidentals.

.. but you really do run out of basses

[ukebert]

Indeed. G minor, F# minor, Bb major and Ab major are all surprisingly possible on a D/G box with standard accidentals.

.. but you really do run out of basses

This is true G minor is possible if you can take the thirds out, even if you tend to play the dominant more than you would otherwise do, due to the pull Bb.