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Hi all. We all hit the wrong note sometimes. We forget to sharp a note, for example. What sort of tricks have you discovered or do you use to cover up mistakes? A guitar player friend suggested a run. Let's suppose you hit an F when it was supposed to be an F sharp. This trick is to then play g, then f#. or g, a, g, f# and then pick up where you left off, as though this were an intentional flair. But for a concertina, unless you were doing a lot of fancy stuff, this might stand out and highlight the error. So what tricks do you use, if any? Or do tricks always make the sour note worse? Appreciate your advice.

My "calloused skin" problem may be due to the way I hold the concertina, and it seems to be worse when I play music written in the key of Bflat -- I think because so many notes are on the "pull." As I hang onto the concertina, it seems some of its weight is handled by my right thumb, near the joint. As it rubs against the metal bracket loop that holds the strap, it creates a calloused condition. My wife wrapped some thin yarn around the metal loops, but it keeps moving. As long as it is in place, it seems to help the situation. I was wondering if anyone else has this problem (misery loves company) and if anyone has come up with a good way to pad that metal loop (why reinvent the wheel?). Ideas appreciated.

Appreciate the informative discussion. I love my Rochelle, have had it a year and play it every day, and am very satisfied. If I get good enough, however (maybe another year?), I might be interested in this new model.

It seems to have cleared up, I don't think because of my fiddling. I wonder if Will Moore maybe was right about weather, or if some minuscule debris cleared itself, or if my relief is short lived? Time will tell. I cannot thank you enough for your support and help. Kokomo, Indiana, USA, is not exactly a concertina hub! Really appreciate this site. Thank you.

The wife says the concertina sounds fine from where she is at. So the problem is mostly to my ear. Those screen cloths are coming loose -- wonder if that could be it. Any idea how to fix those? Sometimes I also hear the sound with a D, too. I am wondering if certain frequencies resonate with that loose screen cloth?

Yes, Chatty Concertinist, the weather has been very damp - lots of rain. Although our house is air conditioned, that may be a factor. Perhaps I should wait a few days to see if it sorts itself out. Do you know where the F reed is located, BTW? Once you disassemble the tina, Is it on the top? Thanks!

Hi all. I am new to the concertina world and own a Rochelle Anglo. Been playing for 4 months now and love it. I play it at least an hour daily, and use it when I visit folks in nursing homes, etc. Since I am a minister, I use it more than weekly with nursing home visits and visiting shut-ins at home. I do put it to work a lot. I don't know if transporting it has caused the problem below or not, but I do know of no rough events, just a lot of use. I had one problem and received advice from the Button Box folks when a note went out -- had a silent note, tapped the reed with a screwdriver lightly, and that fixed it. Now I have another problem. When I play a (first space at bottom of staff) F, the note plays but sounds distorted, as though I were pushing too much volume through a cheap speaker. The E has a little bit of this, but not as much. The notes might be slightly louder than other notes, I think. If i play with the left side (where the note is) aimed downward, the distortion is less than if I play that note upward. I keep the concertina on my right knee. Sometimes the note will sound cleaner. I tried putting a piece of paper under the reeds, or lifting the plastic strip and lightly touching a screwdriver to the reeds opposite to remove debris that might be causing this. I am not sure where the F reed itself is located. Is it on the top, next to the E? Or is it in the mid-section or bottom? My instincts tell me the top. Or might it not be the reeds at all? Or is one of the plastic strip flaps inappropriately vibrating?.Or might it be a bellows issue? Any help appreciated. I can get by playing, and I probably notice the distortion more than listeners. If necessary, I will call the Button Box folks again, but thought I would inquire first here. Thanks!

Thanks, guys. I have only been playing two months, so I am far from venturing into the innards of my concertina, but will keep the modification in mind. In the mean time, I'll try the low B.

I have a 30 button Anglo, and I would like advice on a good note to hit when the music calls for a low G#. This is the space below two lines below the staff. Fake books in the key of C sometimes go that low. On the top row, left set, second in from the left is a Bb key for the pull, and an A for push. The A doesn't sound too bad when used for a G#, but was wondering what others might suggest! Any advice appreciated.

Small world indeed! I am a pastor in Kokomo, IN. When visiting our daughter (who works in an admin position for Reston Bible Church), I met a fellow who was from my best (Indiana) pastor-friend's chruch; My friend Nord pastors in Lockport. Do you know where that is, or know him? Wherever I go, I seem to meet people who know of infinitesimally small Lockport. It is eerie. His wife plays the accordion.

Nice site. Our daughter land son-in-law live in Reston VA, so I am out that way about once a year. Maybe, if I strike it right, I'll be able to see you in person. I live in Kokomo, IN. I see you are playing at Seeker's Church. Have you ever done anything at Reston Bible Church?

Enjoyed it very much -- good job. I hope to play that well some day. Nice concertina!

Dear Jim R., oops -- you are right. Thought I started this in General Discussion! Can't figure out how to move it now. Sorry about that. John, thanks for you help. I will study the charts with interest!

I have an anglo Rochelle. I am just learning to play (less than a month), and can handle most songs (melody line) in the key of C, G, and F with practice. I am practicing a lot and making good progress. But trying to add chords perplexes me. My interest in music is mostly vintage popular jazz tunes of the 20's and 30's and 40's, hymns, and contemporary Christian. I understand that many players use a one note approach to add depth. There seems to be so many chords. I was wondering this: if I play with a group and I want to play chords (probably partial): (1) Are there chords that are not necessary and can be substituted by other chords? If so, which can be substituted and with what? Or perhaps there is a chart somewhere. (2) Since most of my notes seem to be played with the left hand, is it ever advisable to pay chords with the right hand? When I play traditional hymns, I noticed it easy to create harmonies that sound decent. Playing the tune in thirds on the left hand works sometimes, and when playing with the right hand, a good note seems to be playing the C/D and E/F buttons on the left. But thirds or fifths don't always sound quite right, and this does not seem to work well with popular jazz. Any advice on this subject?

If you are interested in support, here is what I do. I use soft wrist braces -- wrap around types with velcro. Sometimes I use carpal tunnel braces, too (I struggle with carpal tunnel for over a decade). This adds support for my wrists and keeps my hands from getting numb. Here is a link to the wrap-around ones I use when I play the concertina: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IEZAS4K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 There are many other versions of this available.