Bellows Control & Emphasis

[artelagro]

My teacher had a hard time trying to teach me how to get the lilt into tunes. i.e. for a 6/8 jig, put the emphasis on counts 1 & 4. I never fully understood until I came across James Stewarts demonstration thus :-


Garth

 

[Soulsaver]

I wonder how much work is put in to make it look a piece of cake..?
Brill.
That's an Artiste 6, isn't it?

 

[Soulsaver]

And a different James Stewart...

 

[george garside]

My teacher had a hard time trying to teach me how to get the lilt into tunes. i.e. for a 6/8 jig, put the emphasis on counts 1 & 4. I never fully understood until I came across James Stewarts demonstration thus :-


Garth

The youtube vid shows him pulsing the bellows which is a totally different technique to the, to me, somewhat dubious technique of bellows shake

In effect another layer of rhythm is generated in addition to that (that should be!) inherent in the way the melody is played and enhanced by the bass giving thus giving three ?perfectly timed layers of rhtythm to a tune

for 4/4 and 6/8 it is pulse-pulse in exact time with bass and chord and for a 3/4 it is Pulse-pulse-pulse = bass/chord/chord

It can also form a very useful exercise in developing fine bellows control by just playing um pa or um pa pa on the bass and doing the GENTLE pulsing in time. In my view the pulsing on the video is a bit too prominent!

The second tune is one of my favourite tunes the quarryman by Charles Sheritt , often played as a set with the lemonsville jig. the dots for the quarryman are on the session website

george

 

[george garside]

try 'youtube gallowglass ceilidh band' for a couple of vids showing remarkably economical bellowing on both 120 bass piano box and a 120 bass continental played side by side. The technique of 'pulsing' (not shaking) the bellows can also be clearly seen

The gallowglass band was one of the longest running Irish ceilidh bands and the you tube vids are taken from a complete DVD

george

 

[Panya37]

The

remarkably economical bellowing

fascinates me - is that made possible by the fact that the bellows on the 120/41 accordions are so much larger than my 72/34? I can't replicate their style - I've tried. Maybe bellows airtightness/old leaky reeds is also a factor? I guess my dear old Hohner Concerto II is a touch asthmatic.

Both players also change bellows direction a lot more frequently than the recommended phrasing in the DVDs/books I use at the moment ('Buttons and Keys Vol 2' by DJ MacKenzie, and Sandy Brechin's Scottish Accordion, Intermediate). I understand why Sandy Brechin uses such athletic bellows technique with his 48/26 but DJ MacKenzie is a more conventional player and I often have trouble with the amount of bellows extension I need to get to the end of some of his phrases. I don't play particularly loudly, and only on two right-hand reeds (that's all I've got!) but often seem to run out of 'bellows room'. Any any further advice/suggestions/musings on this topic would be of interest to me.

 

[george garside]

Its very much down to practice and should be ok on 72 bass 2 voice box provided it isn't leaking!

Whilst the classical brigade seem to have set ideas as to where to reverse and indeed often have directional instructions on te sheet of dots the jolly tunes/folk'trad brigade tend to take a more pragmatic approach.

There is of course also the belief many box players have that displaying a vast fan of bellows is somehow required for display and showing off purposes rather like a peackocks tail!

A simple way of working towards compact bellowing is to play 2 bars out and 2 bars in and then try reducing it further. This gives much more fine control of the bellows and contrary to popular belief can actualy facilitate phrasing and certainly makes 'pulsing' easier.
'
A mate of mine, a bandleader and 120 bass excelsior p a player had severe left shoulder problems and as a result 'converted to close bellowing. Seeing his new style for the first time from behind I thought he had changed to a Shand Morino as most of the bellows work was within 6 inches of closed and he sounded just as good as ever - and he was bloody good!

george

 

[Panya37]

Thanks for those thoughts George, very helpful.

Coming to the accordion from a piano-playing background, good bellows control has been a greater challenge than the keyboard side of things; it is improving gradually but before habits are too ingrained it will be very interesting to try a comparison of my present style - generally 4 bars out, 4 bars in - with the 2 out, 2 in style. These Gallowglass players have such superb control; their economical style certainly hasn't harmed their phrasing! The 'pulsing' will be the next project... Scottish/Irish Trad without good bellows control and 'lift' is not a Good Thing.

 

[Panya37]

Ive just realised that Mick Foster (of Foster and Allen) also plays with a barely discernible bellows action (and the subtle pulsing):
(I know the video is slightly quaint!....)

 

[george garside]

can anybody make a case for NOT keeping the bellows 'tight' other than perhaps the '' Iook at me , I've got the biggest' ' syndrome!

george

 

[rbs]

If you're playing jigs & reels you need to leave space between the notes (usually), and this gives you ample opportunities to change bellows direction. If you're playing for (say) a waltz, then you have to play in a more flowing style, in which case you can't change the bellows as often, and you have to plan when you'll change the bellows direction.

 

[rbs]

By the way, that video of Mick Foster is odd. By the end of the clip, the dancers are out of time with the music. I have a suspicion that someone has put the sound from a studio recording to a video of the dancers. Also I couldn't see a microphone anywhere, and there was no noise of the dancers...

 

[george garside]

If youre playing jigs & reels you need to leave space between the notes (usually), and this gives you ample opportunities to change bellows direction. If youre playing for (say) a waltz, then you have to play in a more flowing style, in which case you cant change the bellows as often, and you have to plan when youll change the bellows direction.

Try youtube foster and alan now is the hour. for an example of Mick playing a waltz with tight bellwos. There are loads more F & A you tube vids always with tight bellows irrespective of the rhythm.

I have seen him live many times and its all genuine stuff, no trickery of faking!

george

 

[BobM]

By the way, that video of Mick Foster is odd. By the end of the clip, the dancers are out of time with the music. I have a suspicion that someone has put the sound from a studio recording to a video of the dancers. Also I couldnt see a microphone anywhere, and there was no noise of the dancers...

Try youtube foster and alan now is the hour. for an example of Mick playing a waltz with tight bellwos. There are loads more F & A you tube vids always with tight bellows irrespective of the rhythm.

I have seen him live many times and its all genuine stuff, no trickery of faking!

george

These are videos made to promote new albums or tours etc, using their studio pre-recorded music, thats how the business works. To get a really good performance with equally good sound and video is next to impossible, unless its in a staged manner. Im not saying that MF doesnt use tight bellows when hes playing for real, its just that bellows control will be far from his mind when trying to make a good promo video.

BobM.

 

[Panya37]

Mick Foster playing live at the Cavan Fleadh - with tight bellows..........

 

[JIM D.]

I very good demonstration of what can be accomplished with a high quality box with good compression and fine hand made reeds. His excellent technique is also a factor.

 

[Soulsaver]

In contrast, spend 90 seconds listening to this clip to hear how changing bellows direction in a phrase screws it up. Listen to the rest and you realise hes quite capable, too.
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...&mid=92A00B301E4B57DBF30692A00B301E4B57DBF306

Hopefully someone will tell him...

 

[george garside]

that's a good example of the bellows being used with about the finesse of a bloody great air pump!

george

 

[BobM]

We don't know how long he's been playing for etc etc. But once we start criticising individuals, we need to be certain that we can take it as well. Not good..

BobM.

 

[Panya37]

Just re-worked my current practice-pieces (one song with waltz rhythm and two reels) with the shorter bellows changes and I have to say, for me personally it feels a LOT better than the longer intervals I have been striving for. Aside from the minor confusion of changing my style, I feel a great deal more in control and can sense the natural phrases of the tunes almost as if breathing them. It has also made me think about the phrasing more carefully. I am delighted and feel I have finally found my 'bellows style'. {}