Steve Wilson
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Posts posted by Steve Wilson
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I was astounded upon viewing these two videos.
https://m.youtube.co...?v=UkTl1ecJ46QQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gkYomHm9Gg
Tatiana (orTatyana) almost rhymes with concertina doesn't it!
Currently I am working up a song I've composed as an acknowledgement of the historical role of concertinas in circus. Concertinas have long been associated with the circus, most notably used by clowns but also acrobats. I've come up with "The Flying Concertina", a light hearted fantasy where a concertina used in a trapeze act takes on a life of its own. The circumstance of this thread begs for a sneek preview. Here's the first half of the lyrics:-
The Flying Concertina
Oh what happy days when the circus comes to town
The acrobats amaze and there’s sure to be a clown
There’s elephants and horses and cheeky chimpanzees
But best of all of course is the girl up on trapeze
For when she summersaults and flies then the people shout with glee
Imagine their surprise when she swings it musically
She plays a concertina while swinging by her knees
With summersaults between a tune up on trapeze
She is the lovely young Sabrina with her flying concertina
She squeezes on that funny little box while swinging way up there on high
You know that everyone who’s ever seen ‘er adore the lovely young Sabrina
With her flying concertina making music in the sky
One night young Sabrina when high up on trapeze
Let go her concertina when she just had to sneeze
That little box he took his leave a chance not to be missed
What followed you may not believe but here’s what happened next........
What happens next? Well you'll just have to wait. It will be some time before this one is ready for performance. At my age it's not easy working up those trapeze skills.
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I do songs with concer accompaniment and have found the best solution for me is to have the mic about half a meter directly in front but angled up towards my voice. I'm using a reasonable quality mic, a Sennheiser Mk4 condenser so I have to put it through a mixer as it needs phantom power. Then into the computer where I use Cooledit, similar to Audicity. For video you have to sync but that's not hard, just do the clap at the beginning then edit it out.
Works well enough for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLyUNv6bxPo
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Here's a song about a "professional" lady, just click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhkmEYPHCPI
Enjoy.
This is likely to be my last video offering for a while. Instead I'll be directing my energy towards other means of promoting the concertina, TBA.
Cheers Steve.
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G'day Bob and All,
I'm not sure if I'm supposed to lob in a song that's not on your list Bob but here goes. There's an Aussie WW1 song written by a Corporal Neil McBeath who served in the AIF (Aust. Infantry Force) in WW1, not sure if he was near or in the action. The song "I'm Going Back Again to Yarrawonga" was performed in a review by the troops and later published in 1919 and then recorded by Ella Shields. As the title suggests it's one of those heading home songs with Yarrawonga being a country town in southern New South Wales. For so many of those rural youth back then, trapped in poverty on the family farm, six shillings a day and a chance to travel the world was irresistible. Little did they know....
Here's my slightly wobbly version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLyUNv6bxPo At the time Mahonga was apparently a well known Australian race horse. There is another verse which I don't do.
Cheers Steve
PS I think I've finally got my recording balance sorted. A new mic strategically placed seems to work.
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' Oh ! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning.' Very cute, love it. A nice little arrangement Bob, well done.
Cheers Steve.
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Hmmm, here I've been playing english concer for forty years and have never considered using the pinky. And I play lots of chords. So perhaps after forty years you should start to think about it. But I'm not.
Cheers Steve.
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Hey Jody,
Some great historical photos there, very enlightening. Thank goodness they didn't have chainsaws back then. Imagine how quickly all of the forests could have been lost! Some deer were lost I see. Now when is your country going to sort out the gun laws? Yeah, I know, never!!!
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Why don't you ask him? Via his website, very simple! He's very approachable in my experience.
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Gm is a lovely key on a 30-key C/G Anglo.
Bob Michel
Near Philly
Gm is a lovely key, full stop (period you'd say in US).
I'm impressed with your post in this topic Bob, well thought through. With the resources you've offered and the advice given I thing Sandy should have a good leg up on playing Gm on anglo. I hope so anyway Sandy. There's not many issues with Gm on EC thankfully.
Cheers Steve.
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Good-Oh Bob, bravo, an admirable project. I agree whole heartedly with Rod, you are a talented fellow. I have my hands full coping with just one instrument.
Great to hear the verses to "...Tipperary", I think the first I've ever heard them! Often seems the way with these old songs. The only WW1 song I do "I'm Going Back Again to Yarrawonga" is reasonably well known by the older folk in Australia but nobody knows the verses. There's two but I only do one of them and there are recorded versions with just the chorus.
Anti war songs...mmmm? Wouldn't have thought there would be too many of those. Back then they needed happy songs, not ones to remind them of the horrors. Of course there were the songs the troops themselves sang in the trenches, parodys usually, there's a few of those that could be classified anti war. I wonder which are your "mostly neglected" anti war songs?
Thanks for introducing me to "Lena from Palisteena". What a gem. I might have to include that one in my repertoire and pair it with Yarrawonga. These girls and their concertinas...fertile subject matter. I've a composition in the works, Sabrina with her "Flying Concertina", a lighthearted celebration of concertina in circus.
I'm still working my way through your videos and look forward to the concertina being centre stage.
Cheers Steve.
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Whoo-hoo, wakko. What a gathering it must have been. Really enjoyed this little youtube offering. And all those english's - not an anglo to be seen. Where are you guys? I wish I had been there(since I play english).
Really nice to hear a reasonably contemporary tune played on the concertina(s). As was done before folk music was invented. Bravo to all. It looked like you all had a nice time(what was for lunch?). I just lament that there weren't so many younger ones there. This is an issue in the concer world isn't it. Same in Oz. What are we to do?
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Very nice Dick, enjoyed. Multi tracking is handy eh! Enjoyed the slide show too. What program did you use? particularly for the opening titles?
Cheers Steve.
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Would you mind if I share the PDF ? ( on f/b that is )
No worries. Share the knowledge. It's such a simple tool to use and visualise the concept of chords and scales.
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Hope some of you find it useful.
I did. Printed it out, cut it, pinned it together. Works a treat. Thanks!
Good oh. I hope you pasted it on some cardboard, could be a bit floppy otherwise with a limited life.
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Hi Adrian,
First impression was this sounds a bit jerky, a characteristic of the anglo I guess. I don't know Rory's music, had a quick look on Youtube. Bullfrog Blues, pretty rocky! Don't know... going, very 70's. Not sure it works really well on concer. No issues with the playing, very good, concer a bit loud sometimes to hear the lyrics. Just didn't quite do it for me. Just my opinion though.
Cheers Steve
Just a second thought, really nice to hear a (reasonably) contemporary song done with the concertina.
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I took my hand drawn chord wheel to the National Folk Festival in Canberra last Easter, handed out a copy at my workshop there. One attendee, a computer wizz, has come up with a computer generated version, an improvement because my hand drawn radials didn't quite line up sometimes. Hope some of you find it useful.
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I'd agree with Wolf here Steve. Lovely performance, but I find the accompaniment a bit heavy, in particular the long held LH notes seem to me at odds with what you're doing rhythmically. I could imagine a sparser, more punchy approach to the LH would work better, and the 2nd piece in particular cries out for an alternating bass line - to give it a sort of ragtime feel.
Adrian
Thanks for the critique Adrian, much appreciated. I'm reasonably happy with "Lonesome" but "San Francisco" I agree is a bit heavy. There is quite a bit long holding of notes (chords) with the RH too, but there is the melody line tucked in, perhaps a bit swamped. I'm going to to lighten up this song. As for an alternating bass line, there's not a lot of bass on an english treble but you've motivated me to give it a crack.
Cheers Steve.
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Steve, do you always perform standing ?
Yep, always when performing and rehearsing, mostly when practicing. On stage people can see one more easily(as I can them, and relate to them) and standing exibits a degree of authority and control of the performance. Plus when I play I actually transfer energy from my whole body to the concertina.
The Parnassus is such a loud instrument. It responds well when played quietly too but gosh it requires a very light touch on the bellows. I'm working on it. I was conscious of balance while recording and did my best. The recorder sat next to the camera and was angled to face above my head but the concertina woundn't be subdued.
This, for me, is a very interesting point Steve. I know well that different concertinas of the exact same model can vary quite a bit in their sound output, often to do with how they are set up or the period they were made, but your old Wheaststone is not one of the quieter types surely?
So,you are saying the Parnassus is soooo much louder that you are having difficulty concentrating on getting a delicate enough touch on it to get a good balance with your voice.....Hmmmm! For my use,playing in a dance band, I do have a loud EC with good dynamics but the tone quality can get slightly 'edgy' ( cutting). This crisp/sharp tone probably accounts for some of its carrying power and, although it is not as annoying as some models, I would not mind to have a fuller, rounder tone that I think I am hearing from your new baby.
My spy on the ground, downunder, has sent a descriptive report which is very interesting, your Parnassus made a positive impression!
I'd be interested in your, or anybody's, assessment of the sound and tone.... don't look like I'm going to get down to OZ any time soon. Perhaps there is someone in Europe who has bought a Parnassus that I might try ?
Geoff.
I think I know that spy. CG001 your cover is blown. I wish I could give an authoritative assessment of sound and tone but I really don't have the experience or the ear. All I can say is it seems pure of tone and it's improved a lot since I've been playing it for nine months. Next time I cross paths with CG we should sit down with it and I'll take notes.
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Perhaps the concertina is a bit strong in the mix ? Could you play it more quietly whilst singing ?
I guess if you were using a voice mic ,on stage, the balance that you are creating would be corrected but it sounds as if your recorder is closer to the concertina than your voice.
G'day Guys,
The Parnassus is such a loud instrument. It responds well when played quietly too but gosh it requires a very light touch on the bellows. I'm working on it. I was conscious of balance while recording and did my best. The recorder sat next to the camera and was angled to face above my head but the concertina woundn't be subdued.
For stage I have a wonderful mic, a Sennheiser Mk4, and also angle it high to refine the balance. No more mics hanging off the concertina, no wires, I can move around a bit. I haven't been able to get it to record very well at home, issues with my sound card or program perhaps. Shall have to get it sorted.
cheers
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Here's a couple of songs to get the toes tapping.
The first is one is fairly well known in Oz and was done by Australian country singer Kasey Chambers, an inane song of lost love, her bloke takes off with another gal. I was wondering about changing the words to make it gender correct for a male singer but then realised I didn't have to. These days it's not unusual for a wife or girlfriend to dump their bloke and take up with another lady! Kasey sings it with a contrived American accent. I had to be careful to avoid that country twang. Here ya go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj4jIILT1vI
Here's another, the old San Francisco Bay Blues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIch3lDVzC0
I like that these songs are a bit boppy. Both have a click beat, you'll see. I've been trying to develop a style of rhythm with my playing but am undecided about whether I'm really happy with it. Sometimes the chording sounds a bit too full perhaps. They're recorded with my little portable digital recorder which probably doesn't help.
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G'day Wolf,
Very nice, I always enjoy your playing. You've got your vocal/instrument balance sorted out pretty well these days. Nevertheless, because of your accent I found it difficult to understand the words sometimes, sorry. I don't know this song and I'm not a big fan of these longish ballads from a performance point of view. I can see the audience getting restless, looking at their programs, toward the end. But that's just my opinion.
Cheers.
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Very nice Wim. Great to have a bit more classical music around here. Very lovely playing indeed and that concertina sounds very nice too. No doubt you've done a bit of work on it.
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I just heard this sad news this evening and wondered if there would be some mention here. I didn't know Peter as I've not been very involved in the folk scene over the years but recently met when he played for our Concertina Convergence concert at the National Folk Festival this last Easter. He thrilled the audience with a swinging concertina piece, round and round, back and forth at arms length. We were very lucky to have enjoyed one of his last performances.
You're lucky to have known him Dan, I wish I had.
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I had a gig yesterday and while playing "Roslyn Castle" which is kind of easy but nevertheless a bit horrifying to me because I once messed it up really badly, my mind went wandering.... It went like: " I really should concentrate here"..... "better not think too thoroughly about what I´m doing"... "there was this thread on C-net about wandering while playing
!!!".... "What am I doing???... Then I fortunately made only a small mistake and managed to forced myself back to playing.You know this has happened to me a couple of times recently,"this thread on C-net", but only while practicing.
Wrist Loops On English Concertinas
in Ergonomics
Posted
Straps,loops, who cares what they're called, they're very useful for me. I get tendon problems in the thumbs so the straloops diminish the pressure on the thumbs when drawing the bellows. I have the straps attached at the top by the same screw used for the thumbstrap so they actually do come across the lower back of the hand. Don't any problems playing or chording the lower register notes.