michael01612
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Posts posted by michael01612
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Hi Alan,
I have timing issues.
On the piano...some of this issue is related to a lack of proficiency...a small delay here and there as I hunt for a note. Some of it may be "expression".
On the banjo...my timing is pretty good. I think this is because the right-hand clawhammer motion is pretty consistent. And I have practiced a lot with a metronome. Even so, I think I have a bit of a gallup.
On the concertina...my timing is not quite right. There is some of the occasional small delays as I hunt for a note. I also tend to stretch some notes...I am not sure why...I think if the bellows are a bit from median then I stretch some notes at the end of a phrase as an opportunity to get the bellows to a median extension.
On harmonica....when playing with others my timing is OK. When playing by myself, I tend to stretch or shorten some notes similar to the concertina.
For me anyways, the mechanics of the instrument certainly influences my timing. This is probably something I need to work on, but I'm not too uptight about it. When I play with others I am able to adapt somewhat. And when playing by myself, my brain smooths out a lot of the timing issues.
Mike
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Drats, I wish it was a c/g and I'd bid on it....it looks like a beauty and a good chance for me to upgrade to something of great quality. But as I am probably only buy 1 good concertina in my whole life, and as I am still a beginner, I think it will be a C/G I am looking for.
The button layout has me intrigued/puzzled. If I focus on the left side, my understanding is the front row is G (due to the F#9) and the back row is D(due to the C#16). So that makes the 6th button (G#11, A#13, D#18, F20) the extra button for useful accidentals.
The right side...front row is G and back row is D...same as the left side...with the accidental button in the center. For the G row on the right side, this makes sense...the F# being in the G scale.
So I am puzzled on the right-side back row. I have sort of established in my head the G row and the D row...and that the accidental button on this 24 button layout (a 20 button layout with an extra button for accidentals) in the center. So the D#30 and F32 are the accidentals...OK. So what is with the G#35 and A#37 .....I was sort of expecting those buttons to be in the key of D....and they are not. I guess I view that as inconsistent with my limited understanding of scales and the intent of this button layout.
Do I not understand the button layout...or intent of the button layout...or the scales? I was expecting a 20 button layout, with an extra button in the center for accidentals. And the right-side back row has me perplexed. Where have I gone wrong?
Mike
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Ok. Thanks for the info. Just so you know, I am sort of interested in buying this concertina...hoping it truly is a c/g. So I don't want to seem like I am challenging you on this point....
The item is relisted with button layout. Assuming the listed button layout is correct....this is a G/D, yes? I know it is probably theoretically possible to play in key of C on this...but this button layout is different than my 20 button C/G Stagi...even with the extra button...so I assume this is G/D?
Mike
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WDVW
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I am curious why you think it is a C/G. He makes both.
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Great pics! Fascinating..... Thanks for sharing.
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Why do ceiling fans have that tremolo effect on free reed instruments? Even in the stone chapel here with (I'm guessing) 40 feet or better up to the offending fans the tremolo is horrible. No other instrument or the human voice seems to be effected in a similar manner.
It's not just free reed instruments that are affected by ceiling fans. I had a ceiling fan that beckoned a bat. Imagine the disappointment. Looking for love and finding something so completely unresponsive.
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As it is an estate sale....and you follow the "About Me" link on the ID....the link goes to a "Love One Another" obituary for her Aunt Florence Brown Lamson. If you google that name, you can find the obituary.
http://www.cabinet.com/obituaries/2005/Obit04.07.05.html
Aunt Florence had many neices...I would gess sleeping dragoness is one. She is not wasting anytime selling off Aunties estate as she just died at the end of March. The seller's other items are all from the same estate, apparently.
In one picture on another item...I can even spot the same rug as in the concertina photo.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...6526418324&rd=1
All the items are listed with the same payment options...so maybe nothing particularly wrong with the concertina that would cause it to be listed with these payment options.
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Simple suggestions to rout out a scam....email the seller and ask for the concertina to be played over the telephone...or ask for a specific picture to be taken (say with the bellows open and a penny placed on the bellows). These simple techniques will at least prove the seller has the item, but doesn't say anything about the quality of the item for sale.
The methods of payment being accepted...are all without recourse. A PowerSeller not taking PayPal makes me wonder a little. Surely they have a PayPal account, but don't choose to offer it as a means for this particular auction.
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It looks very similar to the behavior being described at this URL:
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A tune from today's lunchtime jam...Scarborough Fair. Painfully slow.
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album....d=3240&alid=964
Jagan Nath (pronounced Juggernaut) on fiddle, Steve on guitar, wife Cindy singing. 2nd vocal harmony track dubbed in with Cindy again.
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It is an interesting issue. Yes, there is the economic theory of supply and demand to set price. Technically, "hoarding" categorizes as a demand...not a shrinkage of supply. So theoretically hoarding would tend to push prices up. Simplistically, I tend to agree with your premise.
But as I think about it...it is not so simple. Yes, selling on eBay looks like a perfect marketplace. But technically, it is not a pure marketplace. Also, the product is not a commodity. Every concertina is different, have different makers, some are new and some are used, and among the used all have different amounts of wear. There is risk associated in buying on eBay that the product is not as described, has hidden defects, or is a scam...and I assume all this gets factored in the price.
It seems there are various price plateaus: the entry-levels consisting of Stagi and Hohner, new quality instruments around $1500 from various makers, used ones of uncertain quality, and the high-end ones. Evn within these plateaus, there are various qualities.
If one were to hoard, I assume we are talking about higher-end instruments...so hoarding wouldn't effect the price point of the entry level instruments at all. I don't think there is much hoarding of the very high-end...how many $5K instruments can anyone afford?
"Supply" is not so simple. Concertinas are being built every day...except of course in the high-end vintage segment. Even in this segment, concertinas from attics are being restored. New makers may enter the market, such as with MIDI concertinas, and this affects supply. And this makes "supply" quite a dynamic.
And "demand" is not so straightforward either. People may want a C/G for starters....and then another of a different key...but the demand for this 2nd instrument may not be as great as the demand for the first...diminishing returns. And hoarding...well...this may be a different type of demand...a temporary purchase..buying and selling over the years....or some sort of opportunistic behavior. Who can explain this behavior? Certainly it is not pure demand though.
A complicated marketplace for sure.
Mike (owner of 3 banjos)
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Thank you sir!
By the way, your recorded link page in you byland is a fantastic resource I just visited again and again to hear songs in various keys. What a collection....and well organized....invaluable!
Mike
1) If I play 99% of the time by myself, it doesn't matter what key I am playing in.2) If I learned on a C/G, I could do the same exact fingering on the same exact song on a g/d and it would sound ok, only in a different key.
3) c/g is higher key, g/d is a lower key.
4) G/D is preferable for playing Irish jigs/reels in groups or at jams. There are more songs in these keys.
5) The resale value of both keys is identical.
6) There are more c/g concertinas around.
I would confirm statements 1,2,3 and 6.
I am not sure about 5.
Statement 4 are in fact two statements. There are more Irish tunes D than in C.
Whether G/D is preferable for playing Irish jigs/reels depends on the style you would like to play (assuming that you have a 30button Anglo).
Starting from a D tune:
For playing mainly the melody line in a cross row style, the C/G is preferred by many Irish players.
When you would like to use chords (like in English Country Music) a G/D gives you more possibilities.
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Just trying to understand the issues in c/g or g/d anglo concertina.
True or false:
1) If I play 99% of the time by myself, it doesn't matter what key I am playing in.
2) If I learned on a C/G, I could do the same exact fingering on the same exact song on a g/d and it would sound ok, only in a different key.
3) c/g is higher key, g/d is a lower key.
4) G/D is preferable for playing Irish jigs/reels in groups or at jams. There are more songs in these keys.
5) The resale value of both keys is identical.
6) There are more c/g concertinas around.
I guess I tentatively think these are all true, no?
Thanks,
Mike
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Oh my Tom....thanks for sharing. That is a good quality recording. More important...that is very good playing! If not perfect, an excellent bid. Wow.
NowhereRadio is a great deal. When I joined they had a free trial period where you could upload up to say 10MB of stuff free. But to be a full fledged paying member with unlimited upload and playing bandwidth it costs a whopping $25 a year or so.Recording oneself and listening is a lot of fun...like sharing family snapshots over the internet. And it can also be very humbling to hear oneself play. In that regard, it certainly is educational. I use a cheap portable 3-track recorder called the Zoom PS-02 that I bought used on ebay for $175. Very happy with that as well.
Thanks for that Mike. I had my session in the studio last night and the result is here
my radio page (click on discography and then Jackie or Lachenal
I found it astonishingly difficult to get a note perfect recording under studio conditions. I am going to now spend more time practicing and have booked another session in July when my Lachenal will have been fully restored.
Tom
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Glad you liked it!
Yes, it was a party. It started with just a few peopel and grew to about 25. We had a fiddle, a cello, 3 guitars, mandolin, 2 banjos, 1 dojo...and affiliated spouses and children. A very good time...I am planning on doing it again real soon.
NowhereRadio is a great deal. When I joined they had a free trial period where you could upload up to say 10MB of stuff free. But to be a full fledged paying member with unlimited upload and playing bandwidth it costs a whopping $25 a year or so.
Recording oneself and listening is a lot of fun...like sharing family snapshots over the internet. And it can also be very humbling to hear oneself play. In that regard, it certainly is educational. I use a cheap portable 3-track recorder called the Zoom PS-02 that I bought used on ebay for $175. Very happy with that as well.
Mike
Great stuff. I like the Ashokan Farewell - both versions. Great atmosphere in the background - was it a party? I'm trying to detect the clinking of wine glasses.I'm recording tomorrow evening - my friend John has assembled a great studio in his spare room from components on ebay and wants to try it out. We're going to do my Lachenal before restoration (now) and after (in July). Also a couple of tunes on the Jackie I think. I like the idea of Nowhere Radio and have signed up for an account so I can load them there.
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I was looking at various new concertinas and was curious about the difference in bellows materials, primarily leather vs paper. What are the issues? Is it purely cosmetic and for appearance? Is one more expensive? Is one more reliable over time or less prone to damage? Is one more playable?
Mike
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Here's a link to try ... http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/del/
It's music from the Renaissance. I just played and recorded one called "Trihory of Brittany" ....
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album....=3240&alid=1013
I'm playing banjo and concertina. Piano and flute are GarageBand.
Mike
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I fell in love with this song, by Irish Anonymous, the first time I heard it on Ken Burns' Civil War movie. So sad, so anti-war...and it evokes all the emotion of that movie for me. My lunchtime jam partners indulged me today and we gave it a go.
The great Jagan Nath on fiddle. Steve on guitar (strumming some here, working on a lead for next week), and me on my concertina. When I got home I asked my wife Cindy to sing.
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album....d=3240&alid=964
Mike
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Hi,
I am on the brink of buying 2 or 3 CDs...and am soliciting advice. I know there must be a million really good CDs. But for those people who own multiple CDs...what are a few good ones? I guess I am not looking for a recent favorite...but a CD that would be a favorite of all time. I am looking for one in the Irish genre, and another in the Sea Songs genre. And of course I am looking for CDs that include Anglo concertina.
Advice?
Mike
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Thanks all for the advice. I can't wait to get home from work and get back to working on my song again.
Mike
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I am a new beginner and working through the Mad For Trad CDROM, which I like very much. I am through the 5 initial airs with marginal competency and understanding of the button layout etc. I am starting to work on the reels, and having some questions with the rhythm of a reel.
If I listen to the mp3 on the CDROM on my computer and run downstairs, a good portion of the time I lose the essence of the rhythm of a reel. Then I just end up playing notes and it doesn't sound right. Some of this is related to me hunt-and-pecking for the right button...but some of it goes beyond that. When I lose the song, I can't even hum it in the rhythm I heard on the CDROM.
So I gave my wife the sheet music for The Old Concertina Reel to play on the piano. She is a human metronome on the piano...and when she played it it didn't sound right..e.ven though her timing was good. So then she listened to the CDROM...and played it again...subtly adjusting her rhythm...and it sounded good. I asked her to articulate what those subtle adjustments to her timing were ...and she really couldn't articulate it.
So I am curious...what is it about the rhythm of a reel that makes it a reel? If there are 8 1/8th notes in a measure...which of them are played longer or shorter or louder or softer or with emphasis or less emphasis? Any tips on understanding the rhythm of a reel?
Many thanks,
Mike
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Thanks for listening everybody!
Henrik...I'm glad you like my banjo. That one song you mention...that is a slow one...painfully slow as I relisten to it. Ouch. I have only been playing banjo 3 years...that must be from my early days. I've gotten a little faster...but speed is not my forte or a point of emphasis for me. I've started playing with a fiddler (http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=3240&alid=964 )and he pushes me faster...but when I play by myself I keep a nice and relaxed pace. That's very interesting that you are a frailing banjo player too....if you have any recordings I'd enjoy listening.
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Sorry about any technical difficulties. I am new at the recording thing as well as the concertina so it is entirely possible there are one or more technical difficulties impeding your ability to play the .mp3. On your PC there needs to be some associations set up between file types or file extensions and applications that play music such as iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc... so it is possible something is awry there. Or maybe the usually reliable (and inexpensive) NowhereRadio has an issue. Or maybe I made the .mp3 incorrectly. I've been doing this for a while with banjo .mp3s and thought I had my recording act together...maybe I messed up this time though.
I moved on to to another song in my Mad For Trad CDROM...The Britches Full of Stitches. To help me with my timing I used an acoustic guitar loop from Apple GarageBand. So this is a duet of me on concertina with Apple GarageBand on The Britches Full of Stitches. It is a slightly different URL which points to a different folder where I have organized my Apple GarageBand duets.
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album....=3240&alid=1013
Hopefully this will work. Also...if it doesn't work, I am curious if it is just the one song...or all the songs on NowhereRadio that is the trouble.
Mike
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After watching "Master and Commander" (I think that was it) I became slave to my desire to play sea shanties, jigs, and reels on a concertina. I poked around the internet, found this website and posted some beginner questions. Then off to ebay where I landed a Stagi...and then the Mad For Trad tutorial CD.
Well...it all came in yesterday...I practiced 2 hours last night..and another hour today. So Stagi + MadForTrad + 3 hours + a mic + recording software = this:
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album....=3240&alid=1252
I am dying to try The Concertina Jig this weekend...but think I need to first pay my dues learning the other airs and polkas that proceed it on the CD. What a fun instrument!
Camptown Hornpipe -- Video
in Tunes /Songs
Posted
Short video of me playing concertina on the back porch.
Mike
camptown_hornpipe.mov