B/C & C#/D - differences and similarities - Part 1

[@briancartledge1775]

Thanks very much for this, Stiamh. It's engrossing, educative stuff, delivered with a special clarity.

[@quinn4626]

Very informative! Thank you, Stiamh!

[@bonenfant96]

J'ai hâte de voir la deuxième partie.

[@shad0wrunner69]

Thank you! Very useful and inspiring just like all of the others videos! :)

[@denniswinter2948]

Lovely approach! Thanks!

[@hamiltonnunn9602]

Thank you for explaining this so clearly.

[@Stiamh]

Glad you found it useful. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer. 🙂

[@c_farther5208]

Great voice, sounds like a radio personality.

[@bryanmohan3167]

Where is the C natural on the C#D or the D D#? or is it substituted with a close sounding note.

[@Stiamh]

On any semitone-apart accordion there is no need for substitution - all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are available. In this video I show you how to find any "accidental" (meaning in this case any note that is not on the D row) on a C#/D. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2mZh5mMr7iSa9Usi=tuK2k9NPXUEm73th&t=170 On a C#/D, C natural is right next to the C# on the D row, but on the outside row, diagonally a shade nearer the chin, and in the same bellows direction (pull). On a D/D# it will be on the inner row, right next to the C# on the D row, but diagonally a shade nearer the knee, also in the pull direction.

[@Orourkebanjo]

So does the C#/D system lend itself better to playing bass/chords with the left hand while playing reels/jigs in the key of D? I heard B/C players don’t really mess with the left hand. I want a system which feels completely full on its own in a busking setting.

[@Stiamh]

I would answer yes. In the key of D, for busking with straightforward tunes, definitely. As well as the three-chord trick of D, G and A, you can make good use of F# minor and B minor chords when you get more adventurous - and walking basses. Caveat: I haven't tried chordal accompaniment on a proper B/C, and competent B/C players might disagree with me. Some B/C players (not the majority maybe) are very good with the left hand.

[@Orourkebanjo]

@@Stiamh I play piano accordion. Irish fiddle as well so I have a lot of tunes memorized for fiddle. I never touched a button box. How steep is the learning curve for someone like me? Thanks so much for the advice. Specifically for c#/d is there a lot of learning resources online? I’m an American so I don’t think I’ll ever find a teacher here

[@Stiamh]

@@Orourkebanjo If you have the tunes in your head and you play fiddle and piano box, you'll have a head start. The main difficulty in the initial stages is getting your head around the push-pull factor. TBH I'm not aware of much in the way of online resources except for my own modest efforts. Put the time in and you'll do fine. There are teachers in the States: try Junior Stevens at juniorstevens.com/teaching/ He really knows his stuff.

[@Orourkebanjo]

@@Stiamh thank you sir. You British are such upstanding and polite people. Heading back to Ireland soon for a visit, but I hope one day I can travel through England. I hope you have a great Christmas with all the people you love!

[@raphaelpi8]

Thanks. That’s really useful to help to decide which system choose. However I think the bigger challenge comes when you add the left hand basses. Do you have matching basses on pulling vs. pushing. I wish you would talk about the different left hand systems out there. Is there for example a G bass available on a C#/D and if yes does it match the direction of G, B and D on the right hand? I’ve been a concertina player (G/C/alterations row) and am thinking of expanding to the Irish box. Thanks!

[@Stiamh]

Hi Raphael. I don't have a video comparing the various bass systems available on B/C and C#/D. But this long video explores all the basses you have on a standard 8-bass C#/D: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2mZh5mMr7iSa9U I say standard, but in fact most C#/D boxes will have either D/G or E/G (push/pull), meaning that you don't have a G chord available against the note D, which is pushed. That's why I follow Jackie Daly's recommended system and have G/G (push/pull). The standard bass setup works very well for anything with 2 or 3 sharps in the key signature. Not so good for tunes in G because there is no C chord. Hope this helps.

[@mandosandradios]

Excellent :)