Steve Schulteis

Price reduced to $1000, including shipping to lower 48 states.

Really, kudos for making this silly idea a reality. Sorry if I came across as ungrateful.

I was hoping for some drones too (I'm just never satisfied, am I?), but I suppose those would have completely drowned out the melodica. Fun to see, all the same.

Take those small pipes and replace the chanter with a melodica to get some free reeds in the mix.

You may be out of space. Each user gets a relatively meager amount of storage for attachments, which is completely reasonable for the purpose of keeping down the costs for hosting the forum. You can check your available space here: https://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?/attachments/ Most users deal with this by hosting files elsewhere and linking to them. I've used Google Drive and Photos for this in the past.

When playing from the tabs in Gary's books, you don't need to worry about the chord symbols to begin with. Everything you need to play to sound like the youtube recordings is already captured in the button numbers, note durations, and bellows direction. The chords are a bit of extra description, explaining part of the outcome of playing the tabs. They can also be used as a starting point for developing your own harmonies. The way the chords are given isn't specific to concertina tabs - it's typical of lead sheets. When a chord is given, it's generally assumed to persist until a different chord is given. That doesn't mean you need to hold down all the notes of the chord for that entire time, but the harmony being played in that interval should generally support that chord. In the example you posted, the C chord is being played in an oom-pah style, alternating between the root note of the chord (left hand 3) and its remainder (left hand 4 & 5). And sometimes there's some cheating (or gaps in the chord notation, depending on your perspective), as in that pull 4 & 5 that aren't actually part of a C chord. As for the notes that make up a chord, yes a C chord is C-E-G, but it doesn't entirely matter which octave C, E, and G you play, and you can double up on any of them as well. That's what Gary's chart is showing - any combination of the buttons he's highlighted will sound like (or at least be compatible with) a C chord. You could add the left hand button 2 to the mix as well, but you'd need an extra finger to play all of those buttons at once! There are various reasons to pick different combinations of these notes when playing a chord, but the short version is that they sound different from each other while still sounding like the chord, and they give you options for moving smoothly (or not) between chords as well. If you want to get more specific than that, it's time to look for resources to learn some basic music theory.

I agree completely. Anecdotally, I've found beginners to have no trouble with Coover tabs. I recently put my concertina in the hands of someone who had never handled one before, and with only a brief explanation they were able to decipher and slowly play a couple bars with harmonic tablature. This was followed by an enormous grin and hunt for a concertina to call their own. Individuals may have differing preferences (I'd make a few changes myself, given a time machine), but this system is good enough, and shared standards of communication are enormously valuable.

Regarding the logic of the Anglo's layout, I'm not sure anyone has explicitly mentioned that the core 20 buttons use a variation of Richter tuning. To appreciate it, you need to think not just in melodies, but in chords. The apparent pattern break at the low end of the C row is to provide a low C chord on the push (actually an open fifth, since there isn't room for the E) and a low G chord on the pull. These are the two most important chords in the key of C major. So why not follow the same pattern on the G row? The answer is that button 6 would only have notes that are already available elsewhere (push G on button 2 and pull D on button 3). Replacing them with a couple of otherwise missing bass notes expands the range and harmony options of the instrument. I use button 6 on both the push and pull with reasonable frequency. The third row, filled with accidentals and reversals, also has a logic, but it's much less obvious from looking at it. If the 20 button layout is a donut, the 30 button's third row is the donut hole - a sort of negative image that shows what the original was missing. Note order is from low to high, just like the rest of the layout. Bellows direction is a function of what's harmonically convenient relative to the 20 button layout (and what fits). And some of it is a result of preference or the influence of different musical styles, as demonstrated by the existence of both Jeffries and Wheatstone layouts, as well as individual variations on them. Even so, most layouts stick pretty close to the same choices of notes and bellows directions, because that's where the music leads.

I'm not sure where people are finding G notes an octave apart on adjacent buttons in the same row. Could someone identify them using this button numbering system?

I'm listing this on behalf of a friend who is no longer able to play. Her desire is really for it to be played, so any reasonable offer will be considered. It's a lovely little instrument in good working order, featuring gold tooling on the bellows ends and silver inlay decorations. Located in central Iowa, USA; shipping included to lower 48 states. Hard case included. Asking $1000, reduced from $1274. Apologies for my inability to play English, here's a demonstration of bellows tightness and all notes on the push and pull:

The "1, 2 open rectangles" are to mark different endings for a repeated section of music. In this case, the second ending continues on into another section of the tune. https://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/repeats-and-endings/ The italic 3 over some of the eighth notes indicates that those three notes are part of a triplet. Instead of taking a total of 1-1/2 beats like three eighth notes normally would, those three notes are played slightly quicker to only take one beat in total. https://www.studybass.com/lessons/rhythm/the-eighth-note-triplet-subdivision/

I just noticed that the button map you posted appears to be for a (modified?) Jeffries layout. If that's what you're playing, there are a couple uses of the right hand 2a button in my tablature that you'll have to replace, since I'm using the Wheatstone layout.

For some reason this tune captured my attention today, and I ended up tabbing out the whole thing. I did it pretty quickly, so double check for transcription errors on my part. Like Gary already pointed out, there are multiple options, and I picked buttons that I felt helped the phrasing as much as possible, but it's not the only way or even the "right" way. If you find my choices awkward or hard to play consistently, pick something that works for you. La Vie En Rose.pdf La Vie En Rose.mscz

It's just above the staff, which is the convention for Coover tabs.

I'm not spotting the error you're talking about. As far as I can see, the tabs do show using the same button in opposite bellows directions for those notes. Can you be more specific?

They give a different effect, so it's a musical choice that's up to you. But practice releasing and re-pressing the button, because that's the less automatic action to perform and often the preferable sound.

After only 4 months, that sounds completely reasonable. Your friends probably didn't expect anything more when they invited you to join them; they just wanted to share their love of music and encourage you in your playing. Everybody starts at the beginning. One of the best things you can do to improve is to keep playing with other people. It's a different thing from playing solo, and it forces you to fix weaknesses that would be easy to ignore otherwise. Playing with recordings or a metronome can help build some of the same skills. Recording video of yourself and watching it later is also great for revealing the truth of what you're doing. And hang on to some of those early recordings - in a few years, you'll be able to look back and see how far you've come. You should also ask your friends what they think you should focus on in your practice. They've actually observed your playing, and while they may not have a clue how to play a concertina, they can probably tell you what you need to work on to mesh more with the group and develop a better sense of musicality. There's tons to learn from players of other instruments.

Back on the subject of raised ends... It seems to me that raised ends make a lot of sense in the context of metal ends. They add structure that makes the sheet metal more rigid. They make room for a bushing board while minimizing the perceived bulk of the instrument. If you're already using a press to form the edges of the sheet metal, they perhaps don't add a huge amount of extra labor to production, at least at scale and compared to carving or laminating wooden ends. This leads me to wonder if raised metal ends appeared first before being copied in wood. Anybody have historical evidence to support or reject that theory? I'm not familiar enough with vintage models to have a clue.

I don't think anybody said the single change by itself was significant. What was said is that many similar small changes may add up to a noticeable total. It's the same idea as an ultralight backpacker sawing half of their toothbrush handle off. It only saves a few grams, but if you can save a few grams in many places, it can result in a worthwhile total weight reduction.

Assuming small differences add up to a bigger total, I've found that a lighter Anglo is significantly easier to play standing up. While some are content to play only while seated, for others this is an important practical difference. In my opinion, many of the differences in the construction of quality instruments (not just concertinas, but any musical instrument) are more for the enjoyment of the musician than the audience. And why shouldn't they be? After all, people become musicians because it's fun. So why shouldn't they want an instrument that maximizes that, even if it doesn't make an audible difference?

Not hypothetical at all. Shorter button travel has already been identified as desirable in this thread. If making the holes larger allows shorter pad travel with a similar tone, that in turn allows shorter button travel. Increasing pad size isn't "simply impossible" either, although it may require a larger instrument or some other compromise. Looking around a bit, I rediscovered a relevant blurb at https://www.concertinaconnection.com/concertina reeds.htm:

HansQ, I'm well aware of the construction characteristics you mentioned. What I'm asking is if anyone has experimented with how the hole and pad diameter interact with the shift in tone that Alex described when adjusting pad height. Is it the same effect? Does increasing the hole size allow a lower pad height with the same tone, up to a point?

How does hole/pad diameter affect the required vertical clearance?

I don't think this is universally true. Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne appears to use the air button frequently in his playing, and I would consider him to be highly proficient. I use the air button quite a lot myself (whether I'm proficient is for others to judge). I expect the importance of the air valve to individual players depends somewhat on style and repertoire. Harmonic-style playing probably forces more frequent air button use, since it reduces the availability of bellows reversals. Choices in articulation and dynamics could influence this as well. In any case, I wouldn't neglect learning to use the air button on Anglo. Whether you use it frequently or not, being able to use it when you judge it appropriate is something I would expect from a proficient player. Then again, the music is the real goal, so if you make good music, you're proficient in my book, regardless of what you can do with the air button.