Sidsqueezer

A cheaper option might be to turn down the heating thermostat a degree or two. I find 20C quite adequate and often switch heating off.

Just watch any international Rugby Union player taking a penalty kick at goal. A classic study in internal visualisation, often in close-up on TV.

Of course I could really upset the esteemed members of this forum and suggest that that OP changes to Melodeon. I'll get my hat.....

I only mention that because a few days ago I had the experience of trying to teach a group of EC players (some experienced tune players, some novices) how to play chords to accompany a tune. I was surprised how difficult they found it. Of course it makes a big difference if a novice EC player already knows music theory and knows what notes are in required chord and where those notes are on keyboard. Novice players often find music theory an added complication and simply need to learn shape of chord, which of course applies for any concertina. I just find EC buttons too small and too close together for my big old fingers.

Sorry to spoil the party, but perhaps you should have bought a 30 Button Anglo if you you wish to play chord accompiments. A lot easier to play chords on than an English. IMHO. Also, on most Anglos the buttons are more widely spaced and laid out more naturally under the spread hand, so you might find less strain on the hand joints.

Excuse my ignorance, but surely a 1/3 interval is a fixed mathematical ratio of frequencies. Any note other than this precise 1/3 is not a 1/3 but nearly a 1/3? So these alternative turnings are actually mis-turnings which may happen to sound harmonious.

I would think changing bellows direction rapidly would be the last thing to do as would then sound very English Dance style. ITM is generally played at a brisk pace with little use of pauses or emphasis, so as much as possible in each direction seems the way to do it. Also, tune only with little use of chords.

But notice that often the same note will be push on one row and pull on the other row. This is really useful when playing chords on Left side and Tune on right. Useful to really study which notes are duplicated and which not so that you can reach for alternative notes instinctively. Remember, F and F# always pull notes. BTW, convention is that note names always typed as capital letters, unless you are depicting which octave a note sits in when upper and lower case letters are used.

We are sorted now with one of our local box players filling in.

Brian Lewis, lead box player for Sidmouth Steppers has been taken ill. Nothing too serious, but means he can't take part in torchlight procession on Friday evening. Anybody free to play with me to bolster the rather depleted Steppers Band. We would be playing Hot Punch (G) and Lady in The Boat (G). We will be meeting at 9:30 pm at Connaught Gardens. Martin Pratt

Good choice. Rochelle comes with a reasonable Tutor book, but I would recommend books by Gary Coover (of this parish) should you wish to progress to playing melodically I.e tune with chords. As a Melodeon player, this feels natural to me although I know a lot of English Conc players stick to tune only.

Rochelle is great instrument for beginners, although looked down on by those with "proper" vintage boxes.

Move the song to D if you must. When we sing in choir, we often go up and down a tone until it feels right.

What do you mean by "mini" and what is your budget?

Sounds like leaky bellows. if you have a 30 button instrument, think about alternative fingering so that some notes change from pull to push etc.