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Author Topic: Using a Bb/Eb effectively  (Read 6901 times)

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Thrupenny Bit

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Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« on: October 09, 2015, 08:03:06 AM »

Dear All,
After being swept away by the general tonal quality of these beasties, a friend has loaned me a Bb/Eb box.
It's an old Hohner 2.4 row, Erika (?) and has the really lovely tone associated with them.

Having never played a Hohner for any length of time before, that in itself is 'interesting' for me. I believe it's been fettled by someone on here so the action is better, no fingers in holes, my common complaint! I always struggle with the Hohner button but after a couple of evenings am getting used to it.

So..... what to play on it?
I'm currently going though some of my slower tunes and enjoying the low tones especially from the left hand Eb push bass/chords. I've chosen 'slower', waltzes etc because the action is so different from my Hascy that I need to slow down everything at the moment.
After listening to the Brittania CoConut Dancers at Sidmouth this year, complete with their brass band, the Tiptop Hornpipe ( polka? I get confused! ) sounds so much better than on my D/G. Even got one of Ollie's tune nearly sorted on my D/G which sounds better on the flat box, not really surprisingly!

Any other tips for repertoire?
...... or do people simply just play their normal repertoire?
yours in learning mode
Q

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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Clive Williams

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2015, 09:19:28 AM »

Normal repertoire for me, though stuff that would normally be in Em comes out in Cm, which is a nice key, so I play quite a bit of that. The other thing with a Bb/Eb though is that it's just low enough for the upper register to be usable, and not so low that the lower register is unusable.... it's in the sweet spot, so you can play stuff that works in both octaves.

Chris Ryall

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2015, 09:22:13 AM »

Just to note that the coconutters "famously" will only dance to a silver band, or concertina. They are a bit like that up there, and I did spot one yellowish instrument last time I went.

C minor is a delightful key
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Theo

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2015, 09:24:56 AM »

Normal repertoire for me, though stuff that would normally be in Em comes out in Cm, which is a nice key, so I play quite a bit of that.

And particularly nice on a BbEb Hohner were the lowest bass reed is the C so you get a really good low C bass to go with the minor key.

The other thing with a Bb/Eb though is that it's just low enough for the upper register to be usable, and not so low that the lower register is unusable.... it's in the sweet spot, so you can play stuff that works in both octaves.
Which also applies to an AD box which is only a semitone lower.
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2015, 10:01:12 AM »

I love my Bb/Eb de-clubbed, Club I.
It needs new valves, but it is still a joy to play. Bb is also a key I like to sing in.


John
« Last Edit: October 09, 2015, 01:41:31 PM by John MacKenzie (Cugiok) »
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

Shakin' All Hohner

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #5 on: October 09, 2015, 10:14:34 AM »

So..... what to play on it?
I've had some fun playing military tunes - The Grenadier's Return is a good one. Got some funny looks when I once played it in a session though.
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2015, 10:18:04 AM »

Lilliburlero works too.

John
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There is no beginning to my talent :)



: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

Phil B

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #7 on: October 09, 2015, 10:31:27 AM »

"The other thing with a Bb/Eb though is that it's just low enough for the upper register to be usable, and not so low that the lower register is unusable.... it's in the sweet spot, so you can play stuff that works in both octaves." Clive

"Which also applies to an AD box which is only a semitone lower." Theo

Which is why I now have two AD Boxes, a single and two voice and would not wish to be without them PB
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2015, 11:20:52 AM »

Will try some Em tunes tonight, that is something to look for in my repertoire, and something immediate I can try.
Will try and look up  Grenadier's Return too over the weekend.....
Thanks both for that.

I have wondered, and something that has been hinted at here is that it's not too low.
Therefore, with a 3 voice box, which I presume brings in a low reed, does this low reed make it too low and  muddy?
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

Chris Ryall

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2015, 12:05:43 PM »

Should you accidentally wander amongst those who like to play Blues in D, or anything in Dm "with swing" frankly there's a handy and totally fluent right end D blues scale "built in" and starting on D, inner row >:E

  D F G Ab A C D (all pull notes, bass end not much use though)  :|glug
« Last Edit: October 09, 2015, 12:08:18 PM by Chris Ryall »
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David J

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2015, 01:52:23 PM »

I've just acquired a declubbed Bb/Eb Club II from Martyn White and am enjoying it hugely. I really like the fact that both octaves are fully useable, and in fact Martyn swapped some low notes so that there's also a low Eb scale, giving 3 octaves (the Anahata treatment) , which is what I have on my D/G boxes, and the bottom Eb is great! Not at all flabby sounding.

You can get some really rich chords using these lower octaves, great for slower tunes, but it's also a very lively box with responsive reeds, and pretty much anything I've played so far sounds good.

I shall sneak it into morris practices this winter, so that if I end up being the only musician, that's what I'll be playing!
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John MacKenzie (Cugiok)

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2015, 03:15:38 PM »

Quite right. Morris dancers can dance in any key, anyway.

John
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: Hohner Club Modell 1. Bb/Eb, de-clubbed : Early Hohner Pressed Wood A/D : 1930's Varnished wood G/C:  Hohner Erika C/F: Bandoneon tuned D/G Pressed wood: Koch F/Bb; G/C Pre Corso

Nick Collis Bird

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2015, 04:58:07 PM »

I really love Bb/Eb, I have a you tube demo some where where I say " wow! This sounds just like a church organ. I've lent it to a friend. Maybe I'll get it back one day. ;D
 It's a shame that we all went, as far as Morris is concerned with D/G the former would have been much nicer on the ear methinks.  :||: :|||: :M :|glug
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2015, 05:17:06 PM »

Would be cool ;) to do blues riffs  8) and impro's  :|||: for the lucky :neigh: Morris men.

Perhaps that's what Kennedy indended in pitching the Brit box as he did >:E

(Southern Champions actually did used to dance to blues)
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rileycat

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2015, 05:22:27 PM »

...and of course Bb and Eb are lovely 'singing keys', if you are so inclined! The old Erika doesn't 'over-power' singers, either - just lends richness  ;D
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Chris Ryall

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #15 on: October 09, 2015, 05:38:23 PM »

Indeed. About half of my songs like Bb. Am presently working on Bill Caddick's "Unicorns" in Cm - bit of a challenge frankly and not inflicted on the public as yet …
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brianread

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2015, 08:45:30 PM »

I've also become an Bb/Eb fan - my liliput  - just polished up by Mike Rowbotham sings in areas I couldn't otherwise reach.

I only wish "ordinary" session attendees were a bit more friendly!

Its great for wowing the neighbours and the cat (if i had one) though.
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Brian Read
D/G Oakwood (new model), D/G, C /F, Bb/Eb and E/A Liliputs,
A STREB!!,
2.5 D/G Self made Emmanuel Pariselle, D/G Pokerwork,
and Wolverton Advanced G/D Anglo Concertina and C/G  1937 Wheatstone.
all played "lefty" with mostly an extra air button, except the Concertinas which I play the conventional way round.

Chris Ryall

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2015, 08:48:22 PM »

Sort out the frenetic fiddler who pushes the pace ever faster on every tune, Brian, and you'd get a lot more regulars. Bb/Eb … whatever :|glug
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brianread

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #18 on: October 09, 2015, 08:51:07 PM »

Sort out the frenetic fiddler who pushes the pace ever faster on every tune, Brian, and you'd get a lot more regulars. Bb/Eb … whatever :|glug

What by taking his fiddle away? Its the starting a tune by playing the notes but not the tune that annoys me (and also his lack of appreciation for the need to link tunes together in a coherent way). Good job no-one else knows who we are talking about!!
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Brian Read
D/G Oakwood (new model), D/G, C /F, Bb/Eb and E/A Liliputs,
A STREB!!,
2.5 D/G Self made Emmanuel Pariselle, D/G Pokerwork,
and Wolverton Advanced G/D Anglo Concertina and C/G  1937 Wheatstone.
all played "lefty" with mostly an extra air button, except the Concertinas which I play the conventional way round.

Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Using a Bb/Eb effectively
« Reply #19 on: October 10, 2015, 08:54:30 AM »

Talking of fiddlers:
My friend brought his flat box to our local monthly session on Tuesday to pass it on to me for a try.
I picked it up and started to twiddle 'Speed the plough', and my fiddler friend sat beside me started to join in. Whilst my jaw hit the floor at the sound of the box, the fiddler started making the most incredible facial contortions trying to get in key. To be fair he got there in the end and was playing along.
We let him into the secret at the end, we sniggered and he muttered abuse at such an odd key  ;D
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!
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