Quite a while back, I bought a huge stack of sheet music from someone, through C-Net. It's all concertina arrangements, mostly by H. Silberhorn, from around the 1940s, and is all American popular music.

The arrangements are for accompaniment -- it's not for solo work -- no main melody lines, for the most part.

I did ask someone about this, also way back....sorry but I can't even recall who it was...and I think he said that this was music for a type of duet system concertina. Anyway, it's obviously not for an English, and I'd assume not an anglo.

Every piece says it's for 'concertina' but....??? What kind?

I'm wondering if it's the same kind of concertina as what is wondered about, here, at C-Net: http://www.concertina.net/jg_mystery.html -- though, that one isn't 'square.'

Maybe it's a bandoneon?

I just pulled out the box of this sheet music again today, to make a list of the titles.

Anyway, I've posted two photos in my 'Forum Posts ~ Photos' album at webshots. (I'd put them here, but, they're too big.) There are only two photos in that album....IF YOU SEE TWO GARDEN PHOTOS, PLEASE WAIT and check back again....sometimes Webshots takes a while to show the pics I've just uploaded. (I'd wait and post this note tomorrow, but...I have more time, now, etc..)


If anyone can give me any clues about this music and/or the type of concertina, that'd be appreciated!

That is chemnitzer notation. I used to come across that a lot in Norther Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.

Ah, Kurt beat me to it.

For more examples of Chemnitzer notation, take a look at www.concertinamusic.com

I ran across them when I was looking for music to play on EC and got REALLY confused.

- Keith

As Kurt says, it's for the Chemnitzer-style concertina, big square kind with many buttons. And Silberhorn (a name you'll see on the music) is a guy who published a lot of music for it.

To see lots more of it on eBay right now, go to Basic Search and type in both the word concertina and the phrase "sheet music" (including the quotes) into the "Search Keywords or Item Number" field, then press enter. There are about 2 pages. (In case you plan to do the same, you may also notice that there have been few bids.)

For more about Chemnitzers, you could start here. I'm sure there are other links on the Concertina.net links page, Don Nichol's links page, Chris Timson's links page, etc.

Thanks, all. I'll definitely check out all those links, probably tomorrow, since I just got in from a long day and lots of driving.

Maybe I should just hang on to the music and try to get a chemnitzer, someday! Hmm....don't know...

Yeah, I've listed some sheet music before at....Yahoo, I think, and maybe e-bay, but, not great results. Of course, there ARE certain pieces of sheet music that are very rare, and sell well (...not so sure I have any!)

So...I'll probably have more of a reply, later. Still hearing road noise in my head...

Bought another songbook for my 'library' today, though...for voice but with piano arrangements that I think will work out really great on the English concertina (which, BTW, I would never trade in for a chemnitzer... ).

Why not? It's sort of like an anglo designed by Congress.
And there are usually a few on eBay, e.g., the current listings nos. 3723111027 and 3723291549.
Nos. 3722704095 and 3722555392, on the other hand, look similar, but can be expected to have significantly different layouts of the notes.

QUOTE
'For more examples of Chemnitzer notation, take a look at www.concertinamusic.com'

...Yes, I seem to remember finding that site, one time, while looking for EC music....then, I forgot about it, so, good....now I can check it out again!


QUOTE
'Why not? It's sort of like an anglo designed by Congress.'

Hmm...I do still have a headache and not much is getting through today, but...what do you mean? You mean it's like a re-do of the anglo?

Anyway...

I did check the e-bay links. Hmm, too much money to spend right now for something that I only 'sort-of' want, out of curiosity.

For one thing, those chemnitzers look like such big monsters, next to the English concertina. It seems to me like they'd be a bit heavier and clunkier, not as easy to play smoothly. Don't know.

My other reason for not rushing to get one is that I am immensely happy with the EC! More and more, I am pleased with my choice of this type over the others. Just personal preference.

I'm happy to have this stack of music, though, for the chemnitzer, in my 'library.' When I finally have a list all done maybe I'll put it online.

So...re the 4 concertinas on e-bay that Jim gave the numbers for -- if my music is for the chemnitzer, then, what does notation for the bandoneon look like? The same? (The 3rd listing of those 4, at least, is called a 'bandoneon.')

I'm not sure. I think it's similar to Chemnitzer notation, but the details are different. I do know that there's more than one layout variant for the bandoneon.

I'm too busy to research it right now, but if you go to the Concertina.net links page you should be able to find some trails to follow.

There's a central part that's like a simple 2- or 3-row anglo, just like bills in Congress have a central "purpose".

But then the Congresspersons start negotiating: "If you like me tack on an unrelated pork-barrel amendment here, I'll let you do the same somewhere else." It looks to me like the Chemnitzer folks did the same with adding buttons.

And pretty soon the original "purpose" or "design" is nearly unidentifiable amid the unrelated and entirely haphazard "amendments".
.........

I don't know, but, it does seem that (maybe) part of its 'purpose' is to accompany -- to be part of a band, more than the English (and probably Anglo) is meant to be.

Dunnoh...

I'm not quite sure what you mean.
Are you suggesting that accompaniment -- or band playing -- uses different notes (maybe even different chords?), or uses them in a different order? Or even that it would somehow benefit from a more haphazard arrangement of notes? And that other (melody? solo?) playing doesn't/wouldn't?

........... Puzzled in Denmark

P.S. Or is it that you feel there just has to be a central purpose behind the details of the design, while I think it's an accidental accumulation of small, independent changes, like the evolution of the platypus?

Dear Puzzled In Denmark...

Hmm, I would say I am thinking more along the lines as per given in the quote.

But...you would probably know better than I do, about types of concertinas!

It just seems, going by the sheet music I have, especially -- not only by the arrangements, but the types of songs -- that the chemnitzer is more boisterous and....maybe? designed more with chord-playing in mind (than was the English).

(Hm, sorry if that's a twisty sentence, I've been at this computer too long, today.)

Though I do play chords and whatever else I want, on the English, it's best feature seems to be it's melodic and counter-melodic features -- not chordal accompaniment.

I'm only assuming, so far, that a chemnitzer is potentially more suitable for chords, loudness, accompaniment, etc...in a band-type setting. I could be wrong.

I'm sure sometime I'll get my hands on a chemnitzer, and find out more!