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Author Topic: Bellows Shake  (Read 5596 times)

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arty

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Bellows Shake
« on: October 18, 2014, 07:28:05 PM »

Spending time searching through YouTube, I came across this video by Paul Earwicker. In it, he seems to be practising a technique he calls 'Bellows Shake'. I find this enthralling and wonder, exactly how is this done, when would you use it and for what types of tune?

It would certainly add a lot of rhythm and seems very attractive if used in the right places and with the right music. Can anyone enlighten me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlWzNBr2ju8
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oolong32

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2014, 08:38:01 PM »

Yes please!
I have been trying all kinds of things, but so far I haven't been able to reproduce this effect.  :(
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Lester

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2014, 09:03:02 PM »

X:1
T:Salmon Tails Up the Water  - Original
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
G2 E2 D2 E2|G4 G3 A|B2 d2 A2 BA|G2 E2 D4|
G2 E2 D2 E2|G4 G3 A|B2 d2 A2 BA|G4 G4:|

X:1
T:Salmon Tails Up the Water - All Shook Up
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
G2 DE D2 E2|G3 F G3 A|B2 dB A2 BA|G2 DE D2 E2|
G2 DE D2 E2|G3 F G3 A|B2 dB A2 BA|G2 F2 G4:|

Fairly standard English type ornamentation, replace a note with the one up from it then the note (eg E2 becomes DE). Alternatively gut replace the note with two of the same (eg E2 becomes EE)

Anahata

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #3 on: October 19, 2014, 12:23:05 AM »

Yes, but in the video he's not adding a different note by reversing the bellows, just shaking it enough to make the sound stop momentarily mid-note so the note is repeated. It takes some skill to do that, but it's clear from the sound he's making that Bob Cann did it a lot.

(edit: typo)
« Last Edit: October 19, 2014, 02:15:28 PM by Anahata »
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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2014, 11:13:53 AM »

I think it's a technique more often used by players of big PAs and CBAs.  I first read about it in a book called How to play the Bayan (or something like that).
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Sandy Flett

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2014, 04:59:20 PM »

The best term I have come across for this melodeon technique is "pulsing". It has been discussed a fair bit in the past on melnet so worth doing a search for "pulsing".

Dan Quinn is another player who seems to do it naturally.
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Sandy Flett

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2014, 05:04:15 PM »

Accordion (PA or CBA) bellows shake is quite a bit different, much less subtle, as can be seen here -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUt6ObU_UFY
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paul earwicker

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2014, 12:23:51 AM »

Spending time searching through YouTube, I came across this video by Paul Earwicker. In it, he seems to be practising a technique he calls 'Bellows Shake'. I find this enthralling and wonder, exactly how is this done, when would you use it and for what types of tune?

It would certainly add a lot of rhythm and seems very attractive if used in the right places and with the right music. Can anyone enlighten me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlWzNBr2ju8
I learnt this from Bob Cann who called it bouncing the bellows.  The youtube video was for Tommy Piearce who called bellows shake when I showed it to him.  Bob played with his bellows as closed as he could.  it is a light technique and does not need strength. It is necessary the hold the melodeon so that the right had end does not move.
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arty

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #8 on: November 04, 2014, 07:40:09 AM »

Thank you Paul. Like everything else, it will take weeks of practice I guess!
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george garside

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2014, 09:16:01 AM »

I  agree with Sandy  that its bellows pulsing rather than    bellows shake which is indeed more of a piano box technique and is much  causer. 

Pulsing was extensively used by Sir Jimmy Shand  and that may well be where BOb Cann  can ,who played quite of Shand tunes, got it from.

The vital ingredient to doing it is  developing very fine bellows control so it can be done very subtly  ly and gently..  It doesn't have to be done all the way through a tune and in my view is more effective   if used lyon here and there.

The easiest way of getting the hang of it is to  try it with a waltz rhythm  and only on  bits of the tune where the bellows are going in one direction for  several notes.

Think in terms of um pa pa, um pa pa  which in pulsing terms becomes very gentle ''push  push push''-  ''push push  push'''  as an overlay to the main directional pushing or pulling of the bellwos.  In other words you are adding a(perfectly timed!!!) 123 123 rhythm with the bellows.  Same done on the  pull buts its easier to start doing it on the push

george
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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2014, 09:30:03 AM »

What a nicely made video!!  I've always admired this technique and it's been in the "too hard" drawer for too long.  I've only got it going against my (D/G's) unisononoric C chord (this in tunes rather than song, see below) Thanks.

Yes, Dan Quinn was another master at this.
« Last Edit: May 06, 2016, 05:03:34 PM by Chris Ryall »
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paul earwicker

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2016, 06:44:23 PM »

I am happy to help anyone who wants to learn this.  One of you lives near me(Sandy) and anyone who can reach me is welcome to come.  George's comments agree with my view.   I have made several other videos to help people get the hang of this and I will list them in another post.  The have names like 'take_1',' take_2' etc I think.  One shows it done with one finger on the bellows to show that is very light to do.
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gmatkin

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #12 on: May 06, 2016, 11:35:49 AM »

Here's some shake/pulsing in waltz time... https://youtu.be/k7oujWH7WCY

Or this well known tune: https://youtu.be/n6IhXeqIsRI

Playing waltzes is definitely the place to start, as George says.

G
« Last Edit: May 06, 2016, 11:38:21 AM by gmatkin »
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Sandy Flett

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #13 on: May 06, 2016, 11:50:30 AM »

Is Ed Rennie using the pulsing technique (particularly in the A music) in this YouTube video, or would the sheet music show the "repeated" notes?
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Sandy Flett

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2016, 12:03:36 PM »

Here's some shake/pulsing in waltz time... https://youtu.be/k7oujWH7WCY

Or this well known tune: https://youtu.be/n6IhXeqIsRI

Playing waltzes is definitely the place to start, as George says.

G
Gavin - although you have lovely waltz-time pulsing through both of these tunes, I did not detect any of the "quick repeated note pulsing" that I believe this thread has identified, and which results in two plays of a note where only one longer one is in the written music.
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gmatkin

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #15 on: May 06, 2016, 12:06:24 PM »

I thought it was at least in part about what you and I call pulsing but which I /think/ other folks call bellows shake - and which is clearly evident?

I think of dividing notes or playing a low note briefly before hitting the note the tune requires as being a standard technique for getting more drive into a tune, which is something I hope we all try to do much of the time. I know my version of this is probably slightly left field, but still this has both some pulsing and some note dividing... https://youtu.be/SZ-1zjN-ICY

Gavin
« Last Edit: May 06, 2016, 12:19:43 PM by gmatkin »
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gmatkin

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2016, 12:09:24 PM »

PS, I expect Ed is doing both! It sounds like it to me, and beautifully controlled it is.

Sandy Flett

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2016, 01:16:25 PM »

I think it comes down to whether the note-dividing is done by pressing the button twice (like I think you are doing in Canal) or achieved by a pulse of the bellow (with the button held down) which is what Paul Earwicker does. Both very effective and rhythmic, but subtly different effects.
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george garside

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2016, 01:22:48 PM »

Bellows 'shake' aand bellows pulsing are totally different.

To me the bellows shake , loved by many piano nd continental box players is verging on the horrible, particularly if overdone!. It consists of quite violent shaking of the bellwos which of course on a same both ways box plays a jerky version of the same note.

Bellows pulsing is a much more gentle technique  and on a diatonic box  can also be used to give a very subtle grace note of whats on the backside of a button so to speak. It is not a random thing as 'shake' seems to be but subtly follws the rhythm being generated by both treble and bass

Try a simple waltz like daisy daisy  on treble end only played 'straight'  aand then repeat pulsing a gentle um pa pa rhythm with the bellows. Doing it along with bass gives an extra layer of rhythm  free of charge!

Pulsing the bellows should not be visualy noticeable  by anyone standing a few feet away or certainly not by an audience.

george
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gmatkin

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Re: Bellows Shake
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2016, 01:25:32 PM »

That's /very/ fast and wide pulsing isn't it? Worth practising, even if it were only for developing control.

Gavin
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