groeswenphil

Actually I play melodeon. Don't know whether I'd get a nice accompaniment in D on a melodeon though. Phil

Yep.....that is indeed how it goes. I've no trouble playing the tune.....but I'd like to be able to add some sort of accompaniment but I'm not to good at doing this in D

Hi, Trying to learn this Morris tune, Old Molly Oxford.....also known as Step Back. See it here :- http://www.banjolin.co.uk/tunes/pdfs/oldmollyoxford.pdf and http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gKZHUWznlMY The video, I suspect Peter Trimmings is playing in the key of C? I need to play it in the key of D I play a D/G Marcus. I never manage to get much accompaniment going in the key of D. How should I approach this? Thanks, Phil

If you've got a parrot then you simply MUST learn the concertina. The two go hand in hand. Love, Phil

You know.....you really should consider learning that instrument. It's a 2 row Anglo concertina. That means you are limited to play in just a few keys.......imagine a piano with four out of every five black notes removed. A 3 row concertina is a far better instrument as it wouldn't have those restrictions. Still.....a perfect first instrument for a beginner. It looks in good condition although one of the buttons on the top row looks a little lower than the others. Is the spring OK on that button. Bellows and ends look good. If it were mine, I'd think about changing the hand straps...they look a bit worn. If you place that on Ebay you might get a pleasant surprise. Watch what happens with this instrument http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/English-Made-Antique...id=p3286.c0.m14 Yours is very similar......but you might get a bit more for yours as it's a Jones. I still think you should have a go at it. Concertinas were designed to get people playing tunes very quickly. You can take years simply learning the basics of a fiddle. Concertina isn't like that. You can learn the basics in just a few weeks....... Mastering it though....well that's something else. Good luck, Phil

To bend a note on a harmonica you change the shape of your mouth and lips so that the air hits the reed from a different direction. Surely it would be possible to have some sort of slide move over the reed pan hole to redirect the air. Anybody here old enough to remember tremello arms on electric guitars? Phil p.s. Posting far more than normal. Recently had surgery to fix a hernia.....consequently I'm sitting around with little to do. I've even been warned not to play my concertina. So bored yesterday I even read my spam. Phil

The second b signifies a flat.........Thus Eb is the note E flat....Bb is the note B flat.....they're the black notes on the panano ) Alternately # signifies a sharp note so F# = F sharp. But I bet there are other opinions on the matter (wink) Phil

Actually..........you know those really cheap concertinas....the ones that we always warn people not to buy......well, if you give the bellows a really hard shove and pick a low note....it will indeed bend Phil

Just noticed....Wakefield. Have a look at what's on offer in places like the Music Room or PJs music. If you buy one of those cheap Anglos that you often see in music shop windows then you'll find that it will die just as your enthusiasm starts to kick in. Personally, mine comes from Marcus Music here in South Wales and I love it with all of my heart. If you play melodeon already you'll have few problems learning Anglo as they are so similar. Do you play for Morris .....if so then you might consider buying a D/G concertina as they really make life easy. Otherwise, get a C/G for a really bright sound. You can spend a fortune on a concertina......most are hand made instruments most are gorgeous.....most have what appears to be Swiss watch technology inside. When I win the lottery next week I'll probably buy something special.....possibly with the word Wheatstone written on it somewhere. Others here will give you different opinions, but only you know what is inside your bank account.

You'll be amazed to discover that a good concertina costs a lot more than a good melodeon. Where do you live? Phil

I'd love to play an English concertina.....better still a duet. Thing is, at 54 I don't think I have enough years ahead of me. I already find that when I'm in book shops I only by things that have won some sort of prize....haven't got time for the less than fantastic any more. Phil

Try to find a copy of this book:- Handbook for Anglo-Chromatic Concertina Specifically aimed at by Roger Watson the Hohner concertina, Wise Publications but applicable to other Distrib. by Music Sales Ltd makes. A bit perfunctory 8/9 Frith Street but covers the essentials. London W1V 5TZ Good chord list. England And if you can't find a copy......get back to me {wink} Phil

a nice patchwork quilted bag I for one will need to see a photograph of the bag. ;O) Phil

Have you heard one being played? That might help you make your mind up. Basically, there are three types of concertina. Anglo.......which usually makes a very rhythmical sound. English, can sound rhythmic but can also sound very lyrical and duet.....of which there are many variants.....hard to come buy, hard to find anybody who can teach you, probably expensive but sound absolutely gorgeous in the right hands....bit like a church organ. If I were you, I'd get along to your local folk music club, or try to find your local Morris dance side....I'm sure they'd put you right. Trust me on this though.........if you buy a cheap concertina you will either give up quickly or you'll end up buying another one very quickly. You might consider buying an English button melodeon instead? They look like a piano accordian but with buttons instead of piano keys. They actually work in pretty much the same way as an Anglo concertina. You can get a Hohner Pokerwork melodeon for just under £400 http://www.themusicroom-online.co.uk/produ...products_id/641 Mine must be about 25 years old now and is still going strong. Keep in touch, Phil

Hi, Anybody know where I can get this tune.....the music in dots, if you know what I mean. It's a Morris tune....Step Back (Field Town) Thanks, Phil

Pretty sure it's an English.....and I'm pretty sure that Tony Rose used to play and sing it. I'm also pretty sure I know where they are. Anybody else ever visited Juliette's Garden, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly? Phil

Nice looking melodeon.......extra buttons above the two normal rows, can't see any bass buttons. Reminds me of a story. You should know a) I also play melodeon and I teach. A few years ago I was asked to teach an adult evening class at the local college.....taking an 'Introduction to the Internet' class to adults. They were a mixed bunch.....one lady joined so that she could do the Daily Telegraph crossword on-line. One lady ran a local charity shop and wanted to be able to price items and sell things on E-Bay. Then an elderly lady hobbled in.....about 85 years old. I let her settle for a while, then sat beside hear and asked her what she hoped to get out of the class. "I want to find out more about the English Button Melodeon" was her reply. When I got up off the floor, I answered, "Well you certainly have come to the right place." Turned out that she had her fathers.....which apparently he 'got' from a WW1 German soldier. She didn't really explain how he'd 'got' it but was convinced that it was worth something. She brought it in the next week and it was very hard trying to explain to her that it really was a hopeless case. I was fairly sure that it had been used as an extra pump for a gas mask. Phil

I spent mine on the sea front at Cardiff Bay. I play for Cardiff Ladies Morris and it was our first dance out of the season. Cardiff.............Ladies dressed in Welsh traditional costume.........dancing a dance tradition called Llaregub [/i] (read that backwards) ......with a pint of Brains Bitter. A great day out. Phil

Careg Las Morris..............they often have a couple of dogs with them when they dance. when their musician plays, the dogs start howling. BUT if another musician plays......even the same instrument and same tunes.....nothing. My cat makes funny noises when I play bagpipes, but I can't decide whether they are appreciative or otherwise. She makes the same sort of noises when the smoke detector goes off. Phil

Super sounds. Is there a photograph of the band? Phil

A really unusual Anglo concertina. This is a 40 button model Anglo chromatic concertina made by Bastari about 20 years ago. At the time, Bastari were making a range of inexpensive concertinas to suit beginners. Commonly these were offered as 20 or 30 button models. This instrument is far superior. The build quality is of a much higher specification. The bellows is a far better build. As you can see from the pictures, it is fitted with accordion / melodeon style steel reeds. I haven't played the instrument seriously for quite some time, which is a shame. It deserves to be played and cared for. Strangely, it might suit two types of musicians. An absolute beginner would find it to be a much better instrument than the cheap concertinas often seen in music shop windows. Also, it might suit a more advanced player who would like to experiment with the versitility that 40 buttons can offer. The instrument is in good working order. It has just a few small scuffs on the leather. The end plates show a little tarnish, especially around the buttons that have been used more frequently. There is a review of the concertina in the form of a PDF file. It was written for the Concertina magazine shortly after the model first became available. There is also a movie file showing the instrument being played, with sound. They are available here:- http://www.esnips.com/web/Anglo Auction at:- http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...%2509%26fvi%3D1 Item 140178720916

Actually, I'm not sure whether he has THAT many ! Still........an awesome musician. Plays a new Wheatstone and if anybody hasn't heard him, he plays with a band called 'Last Night's Fun' Their CDs are great........but when you see them live you quickly learn that Chris could double......no quadruple his income by taking stand up comedy more seriously. Enjoy your Lachenal. So many of us owned one, started on one or still have one lingering somewhere. Phil

I have a pic of this somewhere but I suspect it is on my old computer. PLEASE DIG THAT ONE OUT !!!! Phil

Hi group, You really must take a look at the story in the Dallas Concertina book thread. What lovely memories. Phil

And there's more. Can anybody here do this? A final memory. When my dad played for the dances and my mother and my sister and I were there also, my dad would always have a dance with his wife. He did this by putting his arms around her and continuing to play the concertina behind her back as they moved around the floor. We went to the dances over a period of years, I suppose I must have been aged nine, ten, eleven, something like that. I know I was always SO IMPRESSED by my dad's ability to keep the music going in this fashion. Sincerely, Mary Chapman.