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: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion  (Read 5981 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

sallott

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« on: March 24, 2008, 10:44:24 PM »

Hi
I've been playing for some time a very old hohner cf in poor condition and I felt I wanted something in better condition so I've just bought an italian made serenelli 21 button 8 chord button box through ebay.  The seller wasn't sure of the key but told me it had belonged to a member of her husband's family and had been played regularly with others until the owner had died.   It has a lovely sound and it appears to be in keys of G-G#.  The G layout is standard G layout and I think have worked out the G# layout but I cannot work out the chord layout.  Does anyone know of a layout for such keys on internet or can email me such a layout?
Shirley
Logged

Pete Dunk

  • Typo Expert
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3690
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2008, 11:12:05 PM »

Are you sure you mean G/G# and not C/C#?
Logged
Squeezing on the Isle of Oxney, UK
Primo (Serenellini) D/G
Isis D/G
Hohner B/E, G/C, C/F, Bb/Eb G/C/F
Liliputs D/G (G scale), C/F, Bb/Eb, Albrecht Custom D/G (G scale)

sallott

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 12:55:57 AM »

Yes, I do mean G-G#.  The instrument is serenelli, made in italy and is numbered.  It seemed at first to be an unusual key combination but I've now worked out the keys and the lay out with an electronic guitar  tuner.  The G row (11 buttons) layout seems to be standard G with low notes for the G layout

  BD       DF#        G A         BC      DE        F#G        AB        CD          GE         F#B          AD

and for the G# row
C D#       D#G          G#A#        CC#          D#F       GG#       A#C       D#C#       FG#            CG

The way in which the buttons are arranged, I can play in most keys easily.  However, i haven't yet worked out the chords out and this is where I would appreciate help if there is someone who has had experience with such a key combination.   
 
Shirley
Logged

Theo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13727
  • Hohner Club Too
    • The Box Place
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2008, 08:45:09 AM »

Hi Shirley

This is such an unusual tuning, I'll be very surprised if anyone has a chart for the layout of the bass end.

The buttons should be in pairs of bass note and chord.  If you can identify the pairs then the next step could be to identify the bass notes.  You might be able to do that with the electronic tuner, or if that is not happy with low pitches then try to find basses that are the same note as the main notes on the G row.  I would expect to find G C and D somewhere in there and possibly A, B E and possibly F.  That is assuming that its mainly going to be played in G.  The chords will probably most be major chords, but you might find an A minor, and perhaps E minor.

BTW if the row furthest from the bellows is G# then you should really refer to the tuning as G#/G - by convention the outer row comes first.
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.

sallott

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2008, 10:41:06 AM »

Hi Theo,
Thank you so much for your reply. The furthest row from the bellows is the G row.  I know that the accordion has very unusual tuning but it is very easy to play in the  keys I've tried.    I do not know why an accordion was produced with such a tuning but i wonder if it was for  gypsy music,  particularly eastern European gypsy music as some of this music seems to be in unusual keys.   Perhaps there is someone else in the world who has one who can tell me about it.  Mine is numbered - it is 6364. Perhaps not many were made. 
I have used a tuner on the chords and these seem to be.
inner row - c base  c chord  eb baases eb chords
outer row  G#D# bases G#D# chords  GD bases  GD chords.   

If I ever come to England, I'll contact you and bring it to show it to you. 
Shirley

Logged

Theo

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13727
  • Hohner Club Too
    • The Box Place
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2008, 12:30:35 PM »

Interesting bass layout.  If you think of the G#/D# as Aflat/Eflat then it appears you have the three chord trick for  G and Eflat.

You could post a picture here - I for one would like to know what it looks like.  I think others would be interested too.
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.

Keithypete.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 917
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2008, 04:39:23 PM »

There is a CAIRDIN 4 voice D/G/G#, 16 bass,for sale at www.thriftmusic.co.uk. I asked if it was a typo and should it really be C#/D/G but they said not, and that it had been custom built. It looks very nice!
Logged
Beltuna Sara II - B/C flavour.
Borsini - G,D,A.
Pokerwork B/C.
PRIMATONA IV, B/C.

sallott

  • Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2008, 12:02:45 AM »

Hi
These are the pictures of the instrument I have, taken from the ebay ad.  on the side, not shown in the picture is a little plate embossed into the instrument casing with "made  in italy" and the number 6364 stamped in the plate.  The instrument has a lovely sound and is light (lighter than my wooden hohner CF). 
Shirley
Logged

EeeJay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 642
  • Old Grey Paolo
Re: layout of G-G# 21 button accordion
« Reply #8 on: March 27, 2008, 04:34:02 PM »

Interesting little thread over at concertina.net - Irish Button Boxes, from Scotland

G/G# would seem to have been far more common in times past.

There is a CAIRDIN 4 voice D/G/G#, 16 bass,for sale at www.thriftmusic.co.uk. I asked if it was a typo and should it really be C#/D/G but they said not, and that it had been custom built. It looks very nice!

G/G# is a low pitched tuning - commonal with the G row on a G/C. Wheras I'd hazard a guess that this Cairdin is in high pitched tuning - assuming the D/G rows aren't an octave lower than normal... which has been known...

Ed J
Logged
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