larryjhs

Thanks, I had seen his name, but there is nothing like a personal recommendation!!

Things to do with bluetak. I will consider this.

Hi, one is in Perth, others are in NSW in the hills, there is an accordian guy somewhere. It is a bit country as you know. Hey, that's a good thought! But I'd have to play with solder...

Hello all, thanks for the encouragement- if I do anything it will have to wait for the weekend! But the plot thickens...I downloaded a chromatic tuner- thank you Rod, and discovered that the whole box is pretty much in tune. But.... The 2A button, as it is as Jeffries is D#/D#, rather than C#/D#. I thought there was something funny at times. So so I actually have 1A D/C#. 2A D#/D#. Before there were 3 D#. It must have been due to some prior tweaking. I think I can live with that! Again thank you for all the comments but maybe others have this tuning as well. I did notice as I was looking for a musical staff/ button list that Royalance Anglo-German Companion 1889 has lots of tones tuned as flats in the Wheatstone arrangement for reeds, , but I am writing over it with Jeffries’ tuning in an effort to learn how to read music properly. I am sure the reason why is explained online, but someone may wish to remind us. I like those old instruction books, but for learners like me, Gary Coover is +++. See the photos of Royalance. I like the cockcrow and bird whistle. I hope some had a train, which would have added to the steampunk dimension.

ik, maybe. But as it iS D, isn’t the purpose to get it up, not down a semitone, to D#. I am a mechanical virgin

I've got a very nice 30 key AC Norman concertina tuned as a Jeffries with one or two oddities. The right 1A key was tuned c#/c# rather than c#/d# for Irish music, but I'd like the d# back. Now with Andrew Norman's advice I went in and altered it - yes, there was a bit of solder on the reed, and I carefully removed it, but it is actually tuned now to c#/d rather than c#/d#. The c#/c# was not tuned as such by Andrew. Andrew also suggested I file it myself and use a frequency gauge or whatever the right term is to get it to d#, but I am really scared of making a mess out it. I can just mail the reed block (is that the word) to the right person? I did discover a nice online tool in all of this. https://www.szynalski.com/tone-generator/ Click the sin on the right and a keyboard of different notes/frequencies pops up. Please let me know (and the charge).

Thanks for the comments. Mobile phones are pervasive in Bangaldesh, connecting both the rich and poor in all parts of the country. Connectivity is relatively cheap even for the poor. Now since you are all so interested, here is a video of boatbuilders at work in the rural parts of the country. You start with a log, saw it down, and take it from there. https://www.facebook.com/larry.stillman/videos/vb.725866405/10154709844536406/?type=3 And if I can say so myself, attached is one of my favourite photos. They are very easy to take- just an iphone does it. The landscape is a water-scape. In the phone, these are people who collect fry (baby shimp), standing in the shallow water and then they raise them with bonds The net is s blue nylone one. If any of you are interested in Bangladesh- just look at my posts and zilllion photos in Bangladesh-related albums on Facebook. And support good international development projects (totally off topic!) It's a long way from concertina playing, but on the other hand, they have a very strong folk music tradition that links into traditional poetry (poets like Tagore also contributed). Kids learn a common base of songs in school.

I know it’s a bit off topic, but...Just because it’s the weekend. As part of my real life, I lead an international development project in Bangladesh. I am there often. In old Dhaka, there are instrument makers on one street in the remaining traditional Hindu quarter who amongst other things, make harmoniums as well as traditional flutes that cost almost nothing (bansuri). My barber in the market plays one. There are also cheap electric guitars. You can see here the boxes and reeds. I didn’t see the bellows or keyboards but they may import these from India. I should find out if the reeds are local. These instruments are very cheap, about $60USD. The wood is not great Good ones are much much more. Also included is a tabla maker. I’ve seen skins being scraped on inverted turtle shells. I just thought these photos remind us how local workshops were 150 or more years ago when concertina were first being made. If I gave one of these guys the plans for a concertina I could probably end up with a very exotic instrument. There are lots of tiny bookbinders and box and paper bag folders and pasters who could do the bellows. The skills of many other trades are on display in the countryside, such as shallow-water riverboats that look like gondolas built just by hand with no special tools. And furniture makers are everywhere Harmoniums are of course very popular. One of my students sings and plays very well. Why they survived as an outcome of Empire maybe due to the fact that they are more robust in the climate. I cannot believe that concertinas were not also brought to the subcontinent

I've just come back from a long sojourn overseas, and am delighted that Adrian's book (which I 'won' because I spotted an error in one of Gary Coover's books) was waiting for me. What a beauty. So it is back to music but Jake the cat has colonized one of Gary's books (the second I think). I forget the name of the tune, though I can hum it...

I had a benign carcinoma aka Mr Lump in my forearm years ago. The lump was removed, but there was nerve damage as they hat to cut it out so I lost some feeling for years in some fingers, so it was hard to write. I was not playing at the time. But the nerves have responded over time. I think any exercise such as playing is good. I also had therapeutic massage after my operation. That was great.

Thanks, or make that the prize I won (if Adrian permits). Or contact me off line.

I’ve been wanting something like this. I’d love someone to take on Bach or Vivaldi... But to my disappointment, I have discovered that amazon in the US or the UK won’t ship this book to Australia. It may be some rights issue and/or how Rollston Press lists with Amazon. It it may be the collection of sales tax for Australia by Amazon. Nor is it with Book Depository. Do you mind checking out what can be done, including a downloadable copy (it appears that is possible).? Thank you.

Help!

I came across this article and video of an old Irish New Yorker. What’s the tune? https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/nyregion/matty-talty-a-musical-concierge-from-county-clare.html