Squeezebox StudioC major on a D/G melodeon
C major uses C, D, E, F, G, A and B. On a D/G there is one complete octave, from C5 to C6.
From C5 to C6
Every note of this octave is on the G row, so you can play it without leaving the row. That takes six changes of bellows going up.
Crossing the rows cuts that to four changes of bellows, at the cost of two moves between rows:
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| C5 | 4′ pull |
| D5 | 6 push, 5′ push |
| E5 | 7 pull, 5′ pull |
| F5 | 1′ push (accidental) |
| G5 | 8 pull, 6′ push |
| A5 | 8 push, 7′ pull |
| B5 | 9 pull, 7′ push |
| C6 | 8′ pull |
Above and below
From C4 the scale is incomplete: this box has no C4 or F4. Tunes that go that far down will need a different note there, or a different key.
From C6 the scale is incomplete: this box has no F6 or C7. Tunes that go that far up will need a different note there, or a different key.
Tab is only the start
A scale shows where the notes are, but a tune rarely runs straight up the octave. Whether you play a note on the push or the pull depends on the notes either side of it, the rhythm, and whether you play along the rows or across them. Along or across the rows explains the difference.
Same notes, different home: A minor, D Dorian, G Mixolydian.
C major on other boxes: G/C melodeon, B/C button accordion.
Other keys on a D/G: G major, D major, E minor, A minor, B minor, A Dorian, E Dorian, D Dorian, D Mixolydian, A Mixolydian, G Mixolydian. Or see every key compared and the D/G button chart.