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[Little Eggy]

Getting ready for the Melodeon Workgroup (where the Improvers group are going to be looking at row crossing and moving between G and D) I've been trying to learn this tune from Mally's Cotswold Book No 2 - It's number 12.

It's in G and apart from a couple of bars where you have to cross into the D row for a few notes, the A part is straightforward.

I find the first 4 bars of part B can be played in two different ways - either skipping between the G and D rows are sticking to the D row.
Obviously you have to adjust the basses accordingly.

I'm wondering if I'm missing something here.  Is there a "correct" way which gives the best bass/chord accompaniment?  Should one always try to play tunes in G using the inner row except where you simply have to visit the D row?

Does it even matter?

[Lester]

At the start of the B music

||efg efg  | eag fed|

I would play the first bar and a half against a C bass/chord picking the high G from the D row then revert to the G row for the fed against the draw D bass/chord.

This is not the 'correct' way it is just 'a' way 

[Little Eggy]

Thanks Lester.  Here is a .jpeg of the dots.
I'm not proficient in abc yet.

The highlights help me with push and draw notes.

Apologies for the other annotations.

I can play the start of the B part both ways and think I prefer staying on the D row and using the C basses at the start.

I've found this all very instructive.

[Anahata]

There are no rules!
On the music image you have posted, I would be playing D GAGF on the G row, and ED on the D row, because I'm in the habit of doing it that way. Anyway I'd play the G chord that you (or somebody) crossed out and replaced with a C!
I'd be on the D row for that sequence of notes out of necessity if I was using E minor chords, of course.

One piece of advice though: if you are using those C chords simply because you find it easier to play that part of the tune on the D row and the C is the best fit to those pull notes, that's not a good reason for choice of chord. If you really think C sounds better than G there, that's fine, but otherwise if the best sounding chord is available I'd advocate making the effort to find a way to include it. The melodeon has so many places where it can't play the 'right' chord, it's a shame to waste an opportunity where it can!

Should one always try to play tunes in G using the inner row except where you simply have to visit the D row?

There's no 'should' (see above) but in general you can play tunes in G mostly on the G row, whereas when playing in D there a lot to be gained by playing parts of the tune on the G row, mainly because it enables you to fit G and A chords where appropriate. Staying on the D row tends to result in lots of E minor chords that to my ears should be G, a 'melodeonism' committed by many players, and one that can be avoided.

[Martin P]

I tend these days to use both rows as one big keyboard and get away from the idea of playing on a single row and only crossing when forced to. In that sense, I play a DG box more with technique of a BC box. Fingering on RH is dictated by basses required, not vice versa. I wonder perhaps if novice players would be better taught to use both rows from the start, thus avoiding the learning hurdle of having to play across the rows.

[Winston Smith]

For those of us who find any learning to be difficult, I would expect that that would be the way to go (from the very beginning) if you want to play the two row, any two row. I seem to be stuck with playing my one rows, and am modifying some of them as I go in order to allow those extra notes here and there.
After all, they are different instruments with different capabilities, and should be played as such. (Unless you've been playing for a long time and grown into extra/fewer row(s) organically, as the need/fancy took you.)

[Tufty]

I tend these days to use both rows as one big keyboard and get away from the idea of playing on a single row and only crossing when forced to. In that sense, I play a DG box more with technique of a BC box. Fingering on RH is dictated by basses required, not vice versa. I wonder perhaps if novice players would be better taught to use both rows from the start, thus avoiding the learning hurdle of having to play across the rows.

I just worry that this implies a "correct" way of approaching the instrument. We would lose a lot if everyone played the same style. I have read that when the BC arrived in ITM it led to a blandness in playing after a while. The same could happen in DG country if only one approach was taught.

[Tone Dumb Greg]

Getting ready for the Melodeon Workgroup (where the Improvers group are going to be looking at row crossing and moving between G and D) I've been trying to learn this tune from Mally's Cotswold Book No 2 - It's number 12.


I find the first 4 bars of part B can be played in two different ways - either skipping between the G and D rows are sticking to the D row.
Obviously you have to adjust the basses accordingly.

...Is there a "correct" way which gives the best bass/chord accompaniment?  Should one always try to play tunes in G using the inner row except where you simply have to visit the D row?

Does it even matter?

I think you have discovered one of the delights of the fourth apart systems. There are always a number of ways any sequence of notes can be played and they will sound different. As has been said, there is no right way. Investigate them and let your ears be the judge. As you become more familiar with the options more ways of playing will occur to you. No rules, but it's worth saying, let the harmony and rhythm guide your choices.

[Julian S]

Yes - harmony and rhythm ! Switching as I do between 2.4/5 boxes and straight two row D/Gs, obviously I sometimes need to adapt the way I play tunes. Sometimes it's good to smooth out runs of notes by cross-rowing where possible, and at other times put more bounce in by staying on row. A French tune or slow air can call for a different approach to lumpy Morris tunes for example !
It's fun exploring all the different options, right hand and left.

J

[Thrupenny Bit]

I'm with Martin here.
I use both rows as one keyboard, and see how or where the notes fall to the fingers for ease of playing. I'm simply unaware of whether I'm on the row or not, it's just the way I view the keyboard.

Martin's other comment is a huge point to take on board
' fingering on the right hand dictated by the basses required on the left hand, not the other way round....'
When I understood this, and the relationship between the basses and keyboard things fell into place.
It is the basis of Anahata's comments too.
cheers
Q

[Little Eggy]

Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful and helpful comments. 

I will try each variation again and work through the suggestions in a more informed way.

[Little Eggy]

OK I've worked through the various suggestions and - although it's a bit trickier to get right - Anahata's advice to move between the D and G rows sounds better.  It also makes the D7 chords come out more strongly.

I think this makes the point (mentioned by several posters) that one should look at all options, seeing the two rows as one when preparing a tune, and starting from what makes the best bass/chord sounds.

Very instructive for someone like me about 15 months in to playing the box.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to respond.