conband

I have a double action baritone that came from the Dumfries S.A. band. Looks very similar to the instrument held by the lady on right of front row in top photo. Les Branchett

Hi, it is really just a matter of personal taste. For full chordal work the duet is generally more suited, and can do full soprano, alto, tenor and bass voices as per piano/organ music. May not be quite as speedy on very fast, single note passages though. Anglo has a very good pulse feeling for dances. and because tuned in just two basic keys it can sound brighter, but the push/pull effect makes legato difficult. The English enables very fast single note passages in any key, and can play chords/harmony with practice. It has to be said that a good player in any system overcomes any shortcoming, and after you decide what type of music you will mostly play, you come back to "just a matter of personal taste". Enjoy the concertina - whatever system. Les Branchett

Puzzled. No, 2 line 3. If you have one treble and one bass clef, where do all the ledger lines come from? Les

Fantastic. Well done. Now looking forward for more! Les

The answer to the original question is most definitely YES. So please don't try and stop our fun! Les Branchett

Another variation on this theme my friend had was to see how many tunes he could play to the same bass line - even more fun if the meters were similar and all the different words sung at the same time. Les Branchett

Yes, band arrangements were, and still are, mostly written on the treble stave. So think of your quartet as a small band, and then it all falls into place. As you say, baritones will sound one octave and basses two octaves lower than written, not because they are transposing, but because they are lower sounding instruments to start with. As per the strings on a piano. Les

Hell SteveS. I think you are making your project harder by referring to the 4 concertinas as "transposing instruments", which clearly they are not. Think of your simple piano score - four note chord on two hands. They are just playing different notes on the same 'ladder'. You would not refer to the bass note as being transposed, it's just playing lower down - on a different rung. Similarly a bass concertina is not a transposing instrument, just on the same ladder but lower down; assuming that the four concertinas are all tuned to the same reference point,e.g. A=440, as would be the four notes on the piano). When writing the bass clef notes into the treble clef, a C still remains a C, but has a different position on the stave. When it's then played on a bass instrument, it's sounded as originally intended. Hope all goes well with your arrangement(s). Les Branchett

I've been removing a reeds for over forty years, with no problems. I choose top Dsharp (push). Last note, outside row, right hand side - I found I could find it with certainty, even with my eyes closed. Additionally, if you do encounter a bat out of Hell and need it fast, there are three alternatives. Firstly, Dsharp pull (only remove one reed, as wunks says). Secondly, Eflat on the left hand side (coincidentally, fifth note again, but in the inside row) push and pull. Heed what Alex says, and make sure you don't lose it. Les Branchett

Rebi: I think the final digit should be a 3, rather than 8. No real worry, it's just that I'm jealous. My first concertina was identical to yours and served me well for thirty years. Transatlantic transactions torturous at the moment, or I would be first in the queue. Regards, Les Branchett

What outstanding craftsmanship. Unbelievable! Les Branchett

So pleased to see this contribution - very encouraging. With apologies for not saying THANK YOU for the Homebaked series last year. So enjoyable. Les Branchett

Congratulations. So enjoyable and heart warming. Just waiting for all the others now. Les Branchett

Susie: Herewith come concertina restorers. All listed in the internet. MARCUS MUSIC. Newport, South Wales. Maker and restorer. Easiest to get to if you want face to face contact. Literally just off the M4. DAVID ROBERTSON. Norwich, Norfolk. Another very good craftsman, but East Anglia travel not always the best. DAVE ELLIOTT. Oughtibridge, Sheffield. Internationally known author, lecturer and renovator of concertinas. Mostly motorway. You can always post - but I always feel that insurance never covers sentimentally, where something has special meaning. Les