Melodeon.net Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome to the new melodeon.net forum

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Playing in D on a G/C  (Read 1471 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Paul Brennan

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7
Playing in D on a G/C
« on: May 18, 2020, 07:09:11 PM »

I just got my first box - an inexpensive G/C because I like playing French tunes. Trying to get the feel of it, and watching a Tim Edey video, I see that you can very easily play a D tune on the draw as long as it's reasonably pentatonic, i.e. not too much use of the leading tone C#. The same would presumably apply to playing in A on a D/G. Actually the C# is an accidental on my box so I can even play it sometimes.

A lot of Irish tunes seem to fit the bill, and it's easy to play quickly. I was able to go through my fiddle book and rattle a few off by fudging the C#. But I suppose it's got the problem that you would *only* play on the draw so how do you take a breath? You'd run out of bellows. I'm curious if people actually do this in real life. Is there a technique for playing mostly draw and still being able to take air in some way?

These are, of course, beginners questions!
Logged

Theo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13727
  • Hohner Club Too
    • The Box Place
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2020, 07:24:51 PM »

You don't have to play entirely on draw.   You have D E B all on both directions and G push only, so plenty of opportunities to get the bellows back in.  You can play the whole D scale except C# on the G row!
« Last Edit: May 18, 2020, 07:55:03 PM by Theo »
Logged
Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

Proprietor of The Box Place for melodeon and concertina sales and service.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for stock updates.

Tone Dumb Greg

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4929
    • Dartmoor Border Morris
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2020, 07:34:48 PM »

...You can play the whole G scale except C# on the G row!

Is that supposed to be D scale?
Logged
Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

Theo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13727
  • Hohner Club Too
    • The Box Place
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2020, 07:55:21 PM »

...You can play the whole G scale except C# on the G row!

Is that supposed to be D scale?

Oops!   Now corrected
Logged
Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

Proprietor of The Box Place for melodeon and concertina sales and service.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for stock updates.

Stiamh

  • Old grey C#/D pest
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3538
    • Packie Manus Byrne
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2020, 08:02:36 PM »

A lot of Irish tunes seem to fit the bill...

Many of the finest Irish tunes are in D-mixolydian, i.e. all the Cs are natural (give or take a passing C# or two in some of them) - a rich vein for you to explore. Uilleann pipers relish these tunes because of the wide range of tonal possibilities of the note C-natural on that instrument, often a prominent feature of these tunes, but they sound great on anything else too.

A few jigs you could try
A few reels

Paul Brennan

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2020, 08:17:51 PM »

Thanks all!
Logged

Gena Crisman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1041
  • 🇬🇧
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2020, 08:42:02 PM »

Yeah, you want to be using the push versions of the notes where possible to get the air out. On an 8 bass, it's simpler if you don't play chords because you can use the push D on the G row, instead of the pull D on the C row, and obviously you hang out on that note a lot. But, if you do wanna play your chords too, it's much much easier to play in Mixolydian than it is Ionian, because you can use the press C chord that would otherwise be a disaster in regular D Ionian.

Does your box have a thirds stop/no thirds? That makes it much easier to bring your chords in.
Logged

rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4734
  • Windjammer
    • Wesson Accordions
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2020, 09:19:14 PM »

Many of the polkas and slides from the Sliabh Luachra region of Ireland play in this style (usually on a D box in A) - check out Jackie Daly.
Also Cajun and Zydeco styles.
Creole musician Cedric Watson uses a G/C Hohner Erica, he mostly plays it in D or F.
Logged
Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
Gungrog, Welshpool, Wales, UK
www.melodeons.com

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2020, 11:59:23 AM »

D mixolydian (as with A on a DG) is a great mode, the method is in part mastering the different push/pull pattern on inner row, then where the reverse alternatives are on outer. G and A are there both rows and can ease putting them together.

stick at it. In the end your brian learns a whole series of phrases, and most tunes become a matter stringing these together in some order, and a bit of new stuff for that tune.

It is less celebrated than it should be,  that D mixo (b7) and D dorian (b7, b3) modes differ but just a single … F/F# note, making D one of the 2 gateways into blues on the box. No 3rd in chords also useful for that.

It repays any practice put in 😉 …

« Last Edit: May 19, 2020, 12:02:55 PM by Chris Ryall »
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

-Y-

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 749
  • Handry 18 (G/C), Mélodie (D), Club IIb (A/D)
    • a database of 400 or more melodeons here
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2020, 01:46:49 PM »

When I played more Irish music than I do now, I used to mimic flutists' playing, and having minor air intakes as soon as it was possible. I could of course have used the notes on the push, as suggested above, but as I was (and still am) lazy, taking air was easier than thinking about fingering.
« Last Edit: May 20, 2020, 03:04:17 PM by -Y- »
Logged

Chris Ryall

  • "doc 3-row"
  • French Interpreter
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 10171
  • Wirral UK
    • Chris Ryall
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2020, 05:39:20 PM »

“Feel” is very much what it is about in accompaniment, as you are not the one in audience focus.

I used to try to mimic bagpipe burls, and “tuk tuk” noises as Manu Paris calls them. Also hurdy gurgy ornaments. Moving on to singing, my paradigm is the wonderful, percussive 1970 English guitar style
Logged
  _       _    _      _ 

rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4734
  • Windjammer
    • Wesson Accordions
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2020, 06:03:14 PM »

Can you post an example of your playing these please Chris?
Logged
Rees Wesson (accordion builder and mechanic)
Gungrog, Welshpool, Wales, UK
www.melodeons.com

george garside

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5401
Re: Playing in D on a G/C
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2020, 08:51:54 PM »

I regulary play in D on a G one row 4 stopper either by choosing tunes without a C# of where possible causing an aural diversion to take listeners mind off the missing C#. 

same goes for A on a D one row  or of course on the D row of a DG, box.

maybe it is easier for non readers who don't worry about modes or whatevers and just work on the basis that it is right if it sounds right , or even right with a bit of ''ish''

george

 

























Logged
author of DG tutor book "DG Melodeon a Crash Course for Beginners".
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 


Melodeon.net - (c) Theo Gibb; Clive Williams 2010. The access and use of this website and forum featuring these terms and conditions constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal