Roger Hare

Which gives a pointer to probable answers to my question. No and no. Thanks Don.

Oops! I initially posted this in the wrong thread! Sorry! Satisfy my curiosity please. Are there any MIDI concertinas available on a commercial basis? Has anyone approached any member of the small but highly skilled group of concertina makers with a view to getting them to build a MIDI concertina?

Posted in the wrong thread! Content deleted.

Edit - 5 September. Apparently, the suggestions I made for sources for G/D tunes were not suitable for this project, so to avoid confusion I've removed 'em.

...and very, very true. Quoting my own post, 'cos this ceases to be funny. I had an email ~24 hours ago and did not reply immediately because I wished to consider my reply. Since then, I have had 2 follow-up messages from the OP plus one from a third-party who has been dragged in to chide me about my non-reply. I will now wait at least another 24 hours before replying, 'just for ducks'. Using electronic mail is not like using a telephone, and the sooner some folks realise this, the better - patience is a virtue...

(1) Yes, it's a pity - while visiting Jake to discuss my concertina-reeded instrument, I tried out a few of the hybrids which he had on the premises. They were so good that I almost changed my mind to go for one of the hybrids, however, I stuck with the concertina-reeded instrument and am absolutely blown away with it (took delivery in April)... (2) I completely agree - see my comment below, made while discussing Jake's instruments in another thread. We are dead lucky in this respect here in the U.K.

(1) So far, there aren't that many of us around - mine (a concertina-reeded instrument) is No. 31. I suspect that there will be a lot more of us as time passes and word gets around. It is a very, very nice instrument indeed! I just wish the standard of my playing (?) matched the standard of construction! It's good to hear that it's going to get better. I think that we are very lucky in the U.K. to have a group of such talented craftsmen capable of constructing these instruments to such a high standard - both 'hybrid' and 'real' concertinas. No names, no pack drill, but you all know who you are...? (2) I discussed the possibility of fitting the shaped hand rests and air lever (as opposed to button) with Jake before he started fabrication of my little toy. Basically, I bottled out - I wasn't sure that I'd be able to make a smooth transition between one instrument and another (I have several 'tinas). It's a perceived problem, if not an actual problem. I need to check now, on my different instruments to see if/how I have adapted to the differing hand-rest heights. I suspect I may have set slightly different hand-strap lengths. It's not a problem that had ocurred to me... (3) I rather like the idea of the detachable hand-rest adjusters - I might have a go at fettling something up...

I was curious about this, and checked a couple of my instruments. The height of the rests was about 27/32" in both cases (~2.1cm). Is that the 'standard' height then, in the same way that 6-1/4" is the 'standard' ax-the-flats dimension for an Anglo? Later edit: I should perhaps have said that at the beginning of April, I too was privileged to get my hands on one of Jake's custom builds (a 30-button C/G with drone). It really is a fabulous instrument! We discussed the height of the buttons, particularly the air and drone buttons, and everything is just wonderful! We didn't talk about the height of the rests - it never occurred to me at the time. However, I just measured the height of the rests on this one, and as near as I can measure, it's exactly 1"...

How very, very sad! But also very, very funny...

I agree, it's a flutina. Here is a recent thread on melodeon.net which I fired up on behalf of a friend who had one 'in his dad's old stuff'. It includes pointers to places where you can find out more about the instruments, and also to some photographs I took of the instrument in question - which (apparently), was in pretty good condition for one of these things 'as found'. I've added a few pictures which didn't make it to the 'final cut' on melodeon.net. I hope they help you assess the state of your own instrument:

I've seen two tab systems (which are used in tutors aimed at C/G concertina), namely Mick Bramich's and Gary Coover's. I'm also aware of a third which is introduced in the context of C/G but which is easily(?) adaptable to other key combinations (Australian Bush Traditions site). Are you aware of any more? I'd be interested to have a look, if there are...

Pip Ives' book was mentioned earlier in this thread. I can't find a complete 'review'. Anyone have any further comments 4+ years down the road?

My italics. I only started playing in a session regularly at the start of 2019, and the other folks commenting in this thread are far better players than I am (or ever will be). The session numbers vary wildly - I've seen as few as 7 and as many as 20+ (which, as a newcomer to the game, I find really daunting). Both the above observations are spot on. I've recently started to play much more on the D-row, which is more demanding - the most difficult bit is actually remembering that the D-row is there, and over-riding the 'memory' of the G-row version I'm used to playing. It's also true that a session with a smaller number of participants seems to allow space/time to approach the music with a little more thought than if I've an X-ist(*) and a Y-ist(*) going at full volume in my left and right ear'oles. I really look forward to the session having fewer attendees, which may be a bit selfish, but is certainly more beneficial for my playing. (*)Insert instrument of choice...

Jolly good - I'm doing something right(-ish) then . I wish I had expressed it so succinctly. Maybe I'll have your well-observed remarks printed off, and discreetly left lying around at the next session I attend... (*) My italics...

I don't even bother to take the C/G to the fortnightly session I attend: 75/77 tunes are in G or D. The recalcitrant duo (both in C) are easy enough on a G/D... I was curious about this, so I did a very quick and unscientific head-count of the tunes in some of my books, and in a few ABC files of 'session tunebooks'. I specifically didn't include material which would be likely to be biassed towards G/D tunes (eg: LB's Tune-a-day). I used 11 printed books/ABC files, and of the 1321 tunes therein, 962 were in G/D (or rather 1 or 2 sharps). The remaining 359 were mostly in C/A/F/Bb. The largest proportion of G/D tunes was 100% (in a fairly small ABC file). The smallest proportion of G/D tunes was about two-thirds (in two large-ish books/files). So, is it self-perpetuating? We go along to sessions in which the predominant keys are G/D. We learn tunes from books in which the predominant keys are G/D, and then (the more talented of us) go on to write tune books in which the predominant keys are - G/D... I did notice that the two books which had the highest proportion of non G/D tunes were both selections of tunes from the North of England - maybe we're just awkward buggers Oop North... The preponderance (or otherwise) of G/D tunes is of interest to me at the moment because I'm in the middle of a project to write a program which automagically adds concertina tabs to ABC files. I'm currently at a cross-roads - I have it working (more or less) for G/D tunes ?, so, which way do I go next: (1) refine/improve the handling of tunes in the keys of G/D, or (2) try and add the other common concertina key combinations of C/G and Bb/F, or (3) worry about non-concertina keys... ?

I wasn't offended, just mildly puzzled ?. You would need to talk to sysman at Concertina Library to discuss the possibility of adding material to that particular archive. I hadn't thought of PICA as "predominantly classical" - maybe you have a point. The 'problem' (as I see it) with "categorical separation" is that by salami-slicing(*) stuff into finer and finer sub-divisions of subject matter, you reduce the chance of serendipity kicking-in with unanticipated (but welcome) consequences. For example: only yesterday, while querying the (mildly illegible) title of a piece in a 19th century MS, I was made aware that the piece concerned featured in an early 18th century ballad opera. While investigating that, I stumbled across an absolutely fascinating article about broadside ballads (and associated music) in 18th century colonial America. If the material concerned had been too finely categorised, I would never have found that paper about broadside ballads. There has to be a 'happy medium' somewhere? As it happens, I had already read the article you cite. Why? Because I read the preceding article about Miniature 'tinas, and thought the following article looked 'interesting'. If the one had been isolated from t'other, again, I never would have seen it... Oh, aye, Alf Edwards - try these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK0jrn9sGUQ (Moby Duck - great film!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElbCT-QPe60 (I think that like Wagner's music, Bert Lloyd's voice is better than it sounds...) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGQqgwZ-nRM&list=PLhSp1I0HhFFfG-OF4kCCRfwPoIspT7mXm (more in playlist at RHS) There's a discography for Bert Lloyd here (type lloyd in the search box). Alf Edwards features on many of these - some of which may be available in forms other than vinyl? It just occurs to me that there is another source of information available - The Concertina Journal. Of course, you may already be aware of this, but just in case... The top-level page offers the opportunity to subscribe to a mailing list which alerts you to new material... (*) I like my salami sliced thin, and my liverwurst sliced thick ?.

Are you aware of the Concertina Library? This might supply at least some of your wants. The contents of the ICA journal are already in a "central source for players" - it's the ICA web site, to which you refer in your post. How central do you want stuff to be? Do you want a site which contains just anything and everything which you find interesting and nothing else? Dream on... Not sure I altogether like your description of other stuff (stuff which doesn't interest you?) as "dusty historical relics" - different strokes for different folks - this is a broad church...

When I started this music malarkey, I thought that „well-tempered clavier“ referred to a musical instrument which was generally well-disposed towards the human race. We live and learn...

Perhaps I should have said that AD's tutorial is in fact a collection of sound files. I think there are printable scores as well, but it's primarily a 'listen' experience rather than a 'look' experience.

(1) Yes, that's the one. (2) Ah! That'll be what's causing it. Presumably, it happens all the time - it's simply never occurred that something I was following was followed so quickly by a subsequent post in the same forum with a different headline, so I never noticed the 'problem' before. Understood - thank you. Roger

What controls the length of time for which a thread 'headline' is displayed on the forum opening page? I ask because I've noticed that some threads to which contributions have been made quite recently are not headlined in the top-level forum page, whereas some threads which have not been contributed to for some time are still displayed. For example, threads going back as far as May 11 are still displayed, while threads contributed to as recently as 48-72 hours ago have 'disappeared'. Not particularly bothered (the 'missing' threads are still available, if looked for) - just curious. Thank you.

The OP didn't actually ask, but I guess that the revised serial number puts the date as ~1920s? (There are others here who are better qualified than myself to comment on that one.) I was wondering what model it is? The pricelists on concertina.com mention 26-button instruments with 5-fold bellows in paper-covered deal boxes, or 6-/7-fold bellows in mahogany boxes. This one appears to be 5-fold in a mahogany box. Maybe those pricelists are not comprehensive...

If you're on the learning curve, you could download Alan Day's Concertina Tutorial (hosted by Don Taylor of this parish). Also, there are some lessons on the Australian Bush Traditions web site. English- and Australian- style playing - should be handy in Uruguay? ?...

I wonder if it is worth checking the number - is it actually 117843? I have one instrument where the leading '1' of the serial number is hidden behind the edge of the oval hole in which the label sits. Just a thought, because it looks very much like one of my instruments which has a much higher serial number. Very confusing...

I wonder, does the fact that some folks (in sessions) play VERY VERY LOUD also constitute a danger to life and limb?