Squeezebox StudioA minor on a G/C melodeon
A minor uses A, B, C, D, E, F and G. On a G/C you can play the whole scale up from A3 and A4.
It has the same notes as C major, so the buttons are the same; what changes is the note the tune comes home to.
From A3 to A4
No single row has every note of this octave, so you have to cross between the rows. This is the way with the fewest changes of bellows: two going up, and five moves between rows.
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| A3 | 3 pull |
| B3 | 4 push, 2′ pull |
| C4 | 4 pull, 3′ push |
| D4 | 5 push, 3′ pull |
| E4 | 5 pull, 4′ push |
| F4 | 4′ pull |
| G4 | 6 push, 5′ push |
| A4 | 7 pull, 5′ pull |
From A4 to A5
Every note of this octave is on the C row, so you can play it without leaving the row. That takes six changes of bellows going up.
Crossing the rows cuts that to two changes of bellows, at the cost of four moves between rows:
| Note | Buttons |
|---|---|
| A4 | 7 pull, 5′ pull |
| B4 | 7 push, 6′ pull |
| C5 | 8 pull, 6′ push |
| D5 | 8 push, 7′ pull |
| E5 | 9 pull, 7′ push |
| F5 | 8′ pull |
| G5 | 9 push, 8′ push |
| A5 | 11 pull, 9′ pull |
Above and below
From A5 the scale is incomplete: this box has no F6, G6 or A6. 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: C major, D Dorian, G Mixolydian.
A minor on other boxes: D/G melodeon, B/C button accordion.
Other keys on a G/C: G major, C major, F major, E minor, B minor, D minor, A Dorian, D Dorian, G Dorian, D Mixolydian, A Mixolydian, G Mixolydian, C Mixolydian. Or see every key compared and the G/C button chart.