Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => General Discussion => Topic started by: Graham Spencer on December 20, 2007, 11:49:43 AM
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Hi all
I'm posting this at Theo's suggestion - he thinks my Saltarelle is "a bit of an oddball", and I'd be interested to know what others think.
It's a Pastourelle II which I bought brand new about 14-15 years ago. The basses and the half-row are exactly as they came from the factory; only now, having played one or two other 2.5 rows, am I beginning to realise that they may be a tad unusual. It's never bothered me, because at the time it was the only 12-bass 2.5 row I'd ever played and I just got on with it.
The only modifications I've had made to it are in the lower register of the right hand, to give me a full 3 octaves in both D & G. The 4th button tonic note, again, is as it came from the factory.
Assuming I've successfully attached the image and it duly appears, observations would be welcome! Cheers
Graham
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Hi all
I'm posting this at Theo's suggestion - he thinks my Saltarelle is "a bit of an oddball", and I'd be interested to know what others think.
It's a Pastourelle II which I bought brand new about 14-15 years ago. The basses and the half-row are exactly as they came from the factory; only now, having played one or two other 2.5 rows, am I beginning to realise that they may be a tad unusual. It's never bothered me, because at the time it was the only 12-bass 2.5 row I'd ever played and I just got on with it.
The only modifications I've had made to it are in the lower register of the right hand, to give me a full 3 octaves in both D & G. The 4th button tonic note, again, is as it came from the factory.
Assuming I've successfully attached the image and it duly appears, observations would be welcome! Cheers
Graham
Seems a pretty sensible layout to me, on the treble end at least! The bass end looks more suited to an A/D/G box than a D/G. The E major chord on the pull is a bit wasteful when you already have E minor - assuming you have a stop to take out thirds of course - though this is by no means the only layout I've seen that does this. I think the current Saltarelle layout of putting a G chord on the pull on those buttons makes a lot more sense.
Cheers,
Clive
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Thanks Clive. The pull G bass is a really useful-sounding idea - next time it goes in for a tune I may get that done. I rarely if ever use the E maj bass, and as you say it does seem a bit redundant with the Em available (yes, I do have a third-removal stop); though I do find the A on the push useful.
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On the treble side, are those reversals on the pull of your second buttons (from the bottom) useful?
Following the logic of the rows, you'd expect to have B on the D row, not A, and E on the G row, not D. Now I know this arrangement is standard, and looking at it, it allows to get a full major chord on the r/h, on the pull (using the second, third and fourth buttons).
I was surprised when I first came across this arrangement on one-row boxes. On a one-row D, the absence of a low B seems a total aberration to me, and a serious disadvantage (for playing Irish music at least).
But the only answer I've ever got to the question of what those notes are really doing there is that it's inherited from harmonicas!
So, all you melodeon squeezers, is this arrangement useful, and if so how? And doesn't the absence of the missing note inconvenience you?
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On the subject of single row layouts (key of D):
English (East Anglian) one-row style defines itself by being played in the upper octave so the first button is rarely used.
Irish is similar when played in the home key of D. Much of the Irish repertoire is played in the second position key of A, so the low A on the pull can be brought into play. Cajun music uses similar techniques.
In Zydeco music the first button is the funk button. As well as fattening the A chord the A on the pull (button 1) can be alternated with the A on the push (button 2) in a groovy fashion. Bring in the bass chords and a few syncopated G notes (4th button pull) and you're in the Zydeco Zone!
Personally, speaking as an old fart, any other layout and it ain't a melodeon.
Merry Christmas everybody.
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...It's a Pastourelle II which I bought brand new about 14-15 years ago. The basses and the half-row are exactly as they came from the factory; only now, having played one or two other 2.5 rows, am I beginning to realise that they may be a tad unusual. ....The only modifications I've had made to it are in the lower register of the right hand, to give me a full 3 octaves in both D & G. The 4th button tonic note, again, is as it came from the factory.
....observations would be welcome!
Interesting layout, especially the G-row at the low end. Compare my Mory layout here:
http://info.melodeon.net/files/site/mory_steve_fr_layout.jpg
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Obviously your Mory is not a melodeon, Steve!
Thanks for the insights, Rees, but I don't think you'll find many Irish players thinking that an extra low A and no low B is a good idea. You need that B for an awful lot of tunes.
Cheers
S
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Erm... so do these count as melodeons? (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,192.0.html) ???
Seems they like their bottom B's in quebec too...
Horses for courses...
Ed J
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Hee hee, just stirring the soup.
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Obviously your Mory is not a melodeon, Steve!
Damn! I knew something was wrong!
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So, all you melodeon squeezers, is this arrangement useful, and if so how? And doesn't the absence of the missing note inconvenience you?
Melodeon playing, especially one-row, is all about missing notes and how to get round them. ::)