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[penn]

It’s received wisdom that it’s easier to learn to play on a 2-row melodeon than a 1-row, and I saw this repeated recently in a thread started by a new beginner.

The point that is made (I believe) is that the two row gives you options for (some) notes. That can sometimes make quick notes easier because you can avoid changes in direction.
But unless you’re moving to a fully loaded three row (and surely nobody would suggest that’s easier to learn than a one row?) not all notes are available in both directions, and this can leave you hunting for a note, or resorting to the quick bellows change anyway.

I myself learnt on a 2 row, and learnt to cross rows quite early because it seemed a bit smoother and the Mally book suggested quite early on that I should try it. But I found myself re-learning tunes after a while to get some bellows changes and a bit of bounce back in – I like the bellows changes. In the last year I find myself addicted to one row playing … it just seems so easy and satisfying and no more difficult than a 2 row.
It’s accepted that the melodeon always has limits; the one row has further limits, but actually it’s not that confusing – each note appears once on the keyboard; for bass you just press the buttons in rhythm, so I can see advantages over the 2 row.

Yes, you may not be able to play some tunes, but the same may apply to a two row and there are thousands you can play.
I accept that I am coming at it having learnt first on a two row, and playing across the rows gave me time to develop some bellows skills.

So… am I just wrong about the one row – is it really harder to learn from scratch? Or do others agree there's little or no difference?

Steve
And BTW are there working links to the Tufty Swift booklet? That book cuts through everything and give a clear idea of how to start learning on a one row. The old links here seem to fail, but I found it by googling “Tufty Swift one row book”.

[george garside]

I think the main reason why it is said that a one row in harder to learn than a two row is because   the common 4 stop ( 4voice) one row is more difficult physically to handle and to hold. This is probably due to a combination of its physical dimensions and massive, comparitively speaking, air consumption  when playing in bottom gear!

Howwever, compared to  mainly cross row playing on a two row the basic tune playing on a one row is much simpler.  On the other hand playing on the row on a two row  is easier than playing a one row as the 2 row at least initialy feels less clumsy somehow.

As to playing tunes with notes you don't have on a one row that requires  indulging in the noble art of faking   which  requires great skill  but  is a very enjoyable activity
george

[Winston Smith]

After messing around with a nice Lachenal English concertina for the best part of 50 years, and never getting past the "improver" stage, I started my melodeon phase on a one row. I'd no musical knowledge or skills, but found that I could play a tune on the first day. A one row is very easy to learn on, so much so that after intermittently trying two rows, and failing to master the cross-rowing thing, I'm back to my little brood of them, and enjoying them all the more. No complications, just right for an idle old b****r like me!

[Tufty]

Based on my experience of starting on a one row, I feel that what is hard is starting on a one row, then moving onto a two row. For some time I treated it as two one rows taped together! It took a real mental leap to start cross rowing. So far as feeling more uncomfortable or awkward, it really is a case of what you are used to. I find my one rows feel like part of me, while my 3 row feels like a wardrobe!

[Anne Croucher]

The Hohner cajun style one row recently arrived has to sit on my knee for me to be able to play it, because otherwise the RH side slips down so I can't reach the levers. With the four voices it does sound well, but it is heavy going. 

Far less effort is the East German product of the Weltmeister factory D/G 'Barcarole' as everything is in reach and the strap holders are strong enough to support the weight of the instrument.
 
The tiny screw holding the single strap on the Hohner - well - the fairies would not trust their washing line to it.

I play cross row on the Barcarole because I did not know any better when looking for notes to the tunes I was developing - I had a couple of tutor books which I did try to read but found that I'd much rather be playing than learning how to understand the teaching methods.

[deltasalmon]

Based on my experience of starting on a one row, I feel that what is hard is starting on a one row, then moving onto a two row. [...]

I think this is the issue. I learned to play on a 2 row but learned playing up and down the row. I have a one-row 4 stop and once I put a shoulder strap on it instead of using the thumb strap I had no difficulty switching between the two. If you only want to play one-row then this is fine. But playing up and down the row is a lot more intuitive than playing cross-row and if you want to eventually play cross-row (especially on a 4th/5th tuned box where you have a lot of reversals) then you're better off starting to do it from the beginning.

[Mike Hirst]

Xmas 1978 I received a one row accordion as an Xmas gift. The following week I was playing for the local morris. Shortly after that i did my first paid gig for the opening night of Chapel-en-le-frith folk club (supporting Hobson and Lees).

I had never played any other melodeon (though I had been playing 20 key anglo for six months previously). I had seen other people playing melodeon, so I knew that you pressed buttons on one side to make a melody and the other side goes up-pah um-pah. It probably took me 30mins to get the basics. 40 years on I can still find new possibilities on this humble but ever intriguing musical delight.

[tirpous]

The basic note layout is the same on a one- or a two-row box.  Ergonomic issues and strap adjustments will have to be sorted out in either case.  So I don't think there is a significant difference.  Of course you don't learn two-row-specific stuff on a one-row and vice versa.

[Mike Hirst]

Xmas 1978 I received a one row accordion as an Xmas gift. The following week I was playing for the local morris. Shortly after that i did my first paid gig for the opening night of Chapel-en-le-frith folk club (supporting Hobson and Lees).

I had never played any other melodeon (though I had been playing 20 key anglo for six months previously). I had seen other people playing melodeon, so I knew that you pressed buttons on one side to make a melody and the other side goes up-pah um-pah. It probably took me 30mins to get the basics. 40 years on I can still find new possibilities on this humble but ever intriguing musical delight.

Looking back I think my previous comment might seem rather arrogant. This was not my intention. The intention of my statement was to emphasise the simple nature of the instrument. If you do something rhythmic with your left hand whilst moving the bellows and pressing buttons on the right hand side the result will be something with a crude approximation to music. Once you have this under your fingers all you need to do is get better at doing it.

It is perhaps this simplicity which causes problems. It is useful to remember that music is like water, it will always take the easiest route. As a basic rule of thumb, if what you are doing feels difficult, awkward, or complicated, you're probably doing it wrong.

[911377brian]

.....or haven’t been doing it long enough...

[george garside]

sitting on the fence I agree with both Mike and Brian!

george

[playandteach]

  On the other hand playing on the row on a two row  is easier than playing a one row as the 2 row at least initialy feels less clumsy somehow.
george

Is that true for the Vienna one rows - with 4 basses and the same left hand hold as a 2 row?

[Winston Smith]

"as the 2 row at least initialy feels less clumsy somehow."

That certainly hasn't been my experience. I find two row machines much more clumsy, indeed awkward; reaching over a row of buttons on either side has to be more awkward, surely? I dread to think what a big, clumsy, three or five row is like to play!

I've currently got one of each of the one rows you mention, Pete, and find no real problem in changing from one to the other, it just comes naturally. After all, they're just a little bit different on the left hand grip.

[george garside]

  On the other hand playing on the row on a two row  is easier than playing a one row as the 2 row at least initialy feels less clumsy somehow.
george

Is that true for the Vienna one rows - with 4 basses and the same left hand hold as a 2 row?

not sure never having played one  but probably a bit easir for a beginner than getting  to grips of two spoon basses  and the air control/button. It very much depends on the individual . My remarks on difference between one row and two row were made with reference to those new to melodeons.  An experienced two row player should be able to pick up a one row anad get on with it and vice versa for an experienced one row player.

At the risk of thread drift  and the ensuing  'frowns from above'  I think the somewhat artificial  'divide'  some seem to have between on row and cross row playing on 2 row boxes is totally unnecessary  as  an experienced player  will not be wedded to either  and will  mix and match both so called systems  according to mood, the needs of the tune, where and for what and with whom its being played etc etc.  On that basis there is   no fundamental difference between one and two row playing, the two row simply offering the player some choices that  are not available on a one row box.  And for what its worth there is no fundamental difference between playing a two row 4th aprt box  and  a 2 row semitone box  as both can be played either on the row or across the rows and haave the same fundamental 'diatonic' principle of two notes per button. 

george

[Lester]

The main difference between playing 1 row and 2 row boxes is that you have to play the 1 row box in the dusty end as the note you have to steal from the outside row when playing on the inside row just ain't there.

[Gena Crisman]

The main difference between playing 1 row and 2 row boxes is that you have to play the 1 row box in the dusty end as the note you have to steal from the outside row when playing on the inside row just ain't there.

If I'm inferring correctly, I have to say that in the past week, I've actually played a couple of boxes that had (in DG speak) the needed low pull E instead of a low pull D reversal. One was an apparently old one row in C, the other was a 20+ year old 2 row Dino Carnival 3 in 4th button start, the latter of which came as quite the surprise. I have the same arrangement on a toy one row, so it was familiar enough, and meant I would have been able to play a lot of the tunes I know up and down a single row in the usual, less dusty location. Probably just a weird coincidence but you never know, I guess?

[george garside]

why don't they all have the low E instead of  low D reversal ??

george

[Sebastian]

why don't they all have the low G instead of  low D reversal ??

For RH chording.

[rees]

On a D one-row - generally speaking, English/Cajun players favour A on button 1 pull while Irish/Quebecois players have B on that button.

[boxcall]

Low B on my D box. I play most stuff on the low end, occasionally going up for a change.
There's not many chording options one a one row and you already have the fifth on the bass end pull.
Also it's easy to hit one button instead of three.
When playing tunes on the high end I find I run out of notes needed at the high end, one row four stop is not that dusty when you stop off the high reed.