Duet Concertina Button Layout
David H. West
accounts of taking up the Hayden-system concertina when one
already played the English system (no replies - I'm still interested),
someone, probably Greg Bullough, asked about Duet button layout.
Now that I have a full-screen editor at home, I can give a partial
reply :-) The following is roughly the button layout on my
McCann duet box - "roughly" because the buttons are not on a
rectangular grid, but lie approximately under the natural arc of
one's fingertips. The highest G on the left is the same pitch as
the lowest G on the right. As usual with duets, push and pull are
the same note.
^ ^
/ \ / \
/ \ / \
/ \ / G \
| B C | | E F F# |
| G A | | D (Ab) |
| G# E F F# | | G# B C C# |
| C D | | G A |
| C# A B Bb | | C# E F F# |
| G (Eb) | | C D |
| G# E F F# | | C# A B Bb |
| C | | G (Eb) |
| | | F# |
| (thumb) | | |
\ / \ (thumb) /
\ Left Wrist / \ Right Wrist /
\ / \ /
V V
Can anyone post the layout for a Hayden? I looked at one for all of
five minutes a few years ago, and all I can remember is that the layout
of each row was based on whole-note increments, e.g. C D E F# G# A#,
but I can't remember for certain how adjacent rows were aligned.
Many years ago, Harry Crabb showed me a duet box that used yet another
system, which was called something like Triumph or Victory (I suppose
the inventor was proud of himself ;-) - it also dated from the end of
the First World War), but I've never come across one of those anywhere
else.
-David West d...@itivax.iti.org
Greg Bullough
>Last summer, when I enquired in this newsgroup for first-hand
>accounts of taking up the Hayden-system concertina when one
>already played the English system (no replies - I'm still interested),
>someone, probably Greg Bullough, asked about Duet button layout.
'Twas me. And thanks for remembering.
>Many years ago, Harry Crabb showed me a duet box that used yet another
>system, which was called something like Triumph or Victory (I suppose
>the inventor was proud of himself ;-) - it also dated from the end of
>the First World War), but I've never come across one of those anywhere
>else.
It's called a Triumph-Crane Duet. I personally know two players (yes
really) of the type, one in Connecticut and one here. The one back
East claims that it makes much more sense than the McCann system
(but everyone claims that their own brand of squeezebox insanity
is the least insane :-) ).
I heard Bob Webb, from the Maine Maritime Museum play his beautiful
McCann box last month. Ragtime and all. Very impressive. Then we
all piled in the car and went to hear Noel Hill at the Plough and
Stars in San Francisco.
There were a several duet players at the Mystic Sea Music Festival.
BTW, in "All Creatures Great and Small," during an episode of
the second series, a concertina appears. The young Scottish partner
in the practice is sitting in the yard of his lady-love's home, playing
a duet concertina. Really playing, as far as I can tell, and really
could tell, and really playing well.
Greg
Rick Mohr
Hayden-system duet. I find it very straightforward (I play English and button
accordion), and can easily see getting addicted if I owned one. It's very
easy to find melodies and make chords. The only drawback I can think of is
that playing fast melodies using only one hand could be harder than on the
English where you get to alternate hands or the Anglo where you get to push
and pull. I don't know the exact range of the instrument, but I am sure of
the relative spacing between rows:
... F G A B C# D# ...
... Bb C D E F# G# ...
... F G A B C# D# ...
... Bb C D E F# G# ...
For those who don't know, this system has the advantage of fingering the same
in every key (if the ...'s go far enough). With almost every other fingering
system, including the piano and all other concertinas, the player has to learn
different fingering patterns to play in different keys. (The big 5- or 6-row
button accordions used in Europe also finger the same in every key.)
The Hayden system is starting to catch on to some extent; Rich has helped
several people order Hayden duets from either Wheatstone or Bastari, and has
also modified the left ends of several accordions (both piano accordions and
Irish-style B-C button accordions) by request to use the Hayden system for a
"free bass" style where the player makes the chords him/herself. (Rich Morse
has an accordion and concertina business near Amherst, MA)
I've been thinking about another interesting use for the Hayden system:
turning a computer keyboard into an instrument, either just for playing or as
an entry mechanism for various music programs. It wouldn't be that hard and
would save the expense of getting a keyboard with MIDI output.
As a side note, Rich has ordered several button accordions recently from
Castignari in Italy (I have played one and it is truly wonderful), and had an
interesting problem when the first batch arrived. The specific layout of
notes to buttons was exactly as he had requested except for one note which was
a half step off wherever it appeared! Turns out that in Europe if you call a
note "B" you really mean "B flat", and if you really want B natural you should
say "H"!
-Rick
Eric Mohr INTERNET: mo...@cs.yale.edu
Computer Science Dept BITNET: mohr@yalecs
Yale University UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,...}!yale!mohr
Box 2158, Yale Station
New Haven, CT 06520 (203) 432-1282
Peter Young
> Many years ago, Harry Crabb showed me a duet box that used yet another
> system, which was called something like Triumph or Victory (I suppose
> the inventor was proud of himself ;-) - it also dated from the end of
> the First World War), but I've never come across one of those anywhere
> else.
>
The Triumph system was also called the Crane system, possible after the
designer. I think the name Triumph may be because this system was very
popular with the Salvation Army. The 'Sally Ann' used to use concertina
bands to collect money, just as they still do with brass bands.
I once owned a small (20 keys, I think) Triumph duet. The keys were
arranged in 5 rows along the instrument, as for the McCann and English.
The top and bottom rows were accidentals (ie sharps and flats, not bum
notes:-) but I can't quite remember how the other three rows were
organised.
The only current exponent of the system is the singer Tim Laycock.
He is a very accomplished player and has a pleasant voice. (I can't think
of anyone else but please correct me ).
If you think the Triumph system is weird, wait until you see a Jeffries
duet. A friend of mine (an accomplished English player) and I once spent
2 hours trying to get a scale of G and then gave up.
____________________________________________________________________
Pete Young pyo...@axion.bt.co.uk
British Telecom Research Labs,SSTF, Martlesham Heath IPSWICH IP5 7RE
Phone +44 473 645054
Peter Young
> As a side note, Rich has ordered several button accordions recently from
> Castignari in Italy (I have played one and it is truly wonderful), and had an
> interesting problem when the first batch arrived. The specific layout of
Castignari (sp?) melodians have been available in the UK for a couple
of years. Hobgoblin music import them ( I think).
SOmeone I know has a 2-row one-reed G/D melodian. It sounds wonderful and
is a dream to play since it is small and light. But Beware:
The bellows have not worn well. In 2 years of fairly gentle use about
50% of the metal corners have fallen off and a number of leaks have appeared.
> notes to buttons was exactly as he had requested except for one note which was
> a half step off wherever it appeared! Turns out that in Europe if you call a
> note "B" you really mean "B flat", and if you really want B natural you should
> say "H"!
This is true in Germany, but in UK and Ireland we use B and Bflat.
David H. West
>I've had several short sessions over the years with Rich Morse's Wheatstone
>Hayden-system duet.
Two sessions, in my case...
[Thanks for the Hayden layout, too, Rick]
>(Rich Morse
>has an accordion and concertina business near Amherst, MA)
The latest address I have (from 4 months ago) is
The Button Box
Richard Morse
12 So. Main St.
Sunderland, Mass. 01375
(413) 665-8696
(The above reproduced from his business card, which is a drawing of
a 3-row melodeon.)
>Turns out that in Europe if you call a
>note "B" you really mean "B flat", and if you really want B natural you should
>say "H"!
Note that the British Isles are not party to this nonsense :-)
-David West d...@iti.org