Stephen Selby

Early on, I got a Stagi G/D concertina, which is a bit big and heavy. I found that it was hard to play standing. So I looked for some way of supporting it against my pals palms. After experimentation, I found that two boxes for blues harmonicas were about the right size. So I got a piece of wood of the right dimensions and cut off two pieces 3" x 1.5" x 0.75". I glued on chamois leather covering them completely (rough side out), like wrapping a gift. As they are loose, I use them on all my concertinas. The chamois has just enough purchase to stop them shifting, and won't shed dust into the mechanism. The weight of the instrument is enough to hold them in place. Of course, this assumes a wrist strap. No use on an English concertina.

Thanks, all. You're right: it's very snug and tight. I was a little nervous of exerting force until I had asked. Now all is well: it comes away with some pressure.

I have a 30-button late 19th C Lachenal. When I take off the ends and separate the action plate I can access the reed pan. But the reed pan is united with the bellows frame and I can't access the back to check the back-side valves, where I suspect there is some problem. How do I get around the back?

To Dana: Thanks, but I think this must be a different instrument. Bought off a dealer in Germany. It's far out of tune (even with itself in places) and 2 or 3 of the reeds/sympathetics don't play. I'll take it on a project myself if my accordion repairer friend won't take it on. It was not an expensive purchase and it's very pretty externally.

Thanks for all that advice. Yes, normal Chemnitzer gang-mounted reeds. (It's an ELA). I'm going to ask a professional concertina repair man to do it.

Woops, sorry! that should be 34 - 38 cents.

I am trying to patch up an old Chemnitzer. Using a good tuner, I find that it is on average between 340 - 380 cents below current concert pitch. Is it possible to tune to the reeds up to such an extent?

I have also just bought one and I'm going to learn to play it. Hopefully, once I have made some progress, I'll have something to share.

Here are two popular tunes that I have arranged and tabbed. They are scored in the key of G; but the tab will serve on any standard 30 button Anglo concertina. Due to the limitations of my musical software (GuitarPro 6), I regret that I had to modify Gary Coover's excellent tablature method. The tab is adapted from Gary Coover "Easy Anglo 1-2-3". The button numbering is the same. Numbers marked with △ are on the pull. Unmarked are push. No more lines above. All numbers the treble stave are played with the RH unless marked 'L'. All buttons on the bass stave are played with the LH unless marked 'R'. Gary's vertically stacked button numbers are written horizontally in my version. Apologies for these changes. I'm not attempting to better anything that others have done. College Hornpipe.pdf Lads of Alnwick.pdf

I have tried to do a tablature using GuitarPro 6. Unfortunately, it requires some modification of Gary's method because I can't add lines overhead or stack digits. In my version, everything in the treble clef is played with the right hand unless 'L' appears before the button number; and everything in the bass clef with the left hand unless 'R' is inserted before the button number. The triangle before a button number indicates a 'pull'. It is repeated unnecessarily on the bass side to improve legibility. I know we don't need another tabbing method. This is just a variation of Gary's method to accommodate GuitarPro users. https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108739071/College%20Hornpipe.pdf

Thanks, Gary. I'll see if I can do the same with GuitarPro. Your books are much appreciated.

What software can output tablature like what Gary Cooper uses in Easy Anglo 1-2-3 and Anglo Concertina'?

What is the current status? Is it still on offer?