wunks

I remember exploring F tunes on fiddle years ago after learning that F was a much more common key of yore. You can go to www.slippery-hill.com for a list of downloadable F tunes. For what it's worth, F (and also Bb) are very "handy" on the Jeff Duet, perhaps even more so than the home key of C.

Strangely reminiscent of the costumery of the revelers at the Steampunk festival in Bronte's Haworth. Photos currant on the BBC.

Yes, my crude contraption defies human comprehension! Yours is much better. If you swivel one end toward the buttons you will swivel the other end away. Would this compromise playing at all? What about moving the swivel point further toward either end?

Half of a drawer pull makes a reasonable approximation. It would need to be ergonomically shaped, probably custom. The palm side ridge seems a bit too high. It could be made to swivel.

This little $8 barn sale item does quite nicely. Right foot on the floor, left on the hike. "Oh the lookout on the topmast stood!" nice and lofty, right up there with the youngsters......😃 Actually I don't notice much difference either way and a rim on the inside of the proposed "saddle" might provide more support and be less tiring than the strap under the thumb arrangement.

Alex, I'm not very good with this little Chrome Book but I can elaborate: I moved the anchor point of the left hand strap ( partly due to a sore thumb joint, partly to make it easier to hit the F# thumb key on Jeff Duet). I anchored to the adjacent end bolt and turned the end under. I think the pic. shows it well enough. It's a huge improvement in range of movement and comfort but the hand rest is now an encumbrance. It should be easy to remove it (although the single bolt holding each end is peened over like a rivet) and experiment with a rest for the pinky joint. None of this would involve altering the Instrument in non-reversible fashon, although the end bolt anchor might need strengthening if it's to be permanent. I don't mean to hijack the thread but this seems to me relevant to the swivel idea.

Little John, I think, has made the observation that the contact and thus the leverage through the hand rest is mostly if not all at the base of the pinky. This may vary with your style of play but is true for me. Having moved my hand strap behind the base of my thumb ( left hand only for now) I find the enhanced and desirable (for me) freedom of movement stifled by the hand rest. I propose replacing it with a sort of bollard/saddle at the leverage point. Bring on the wild horses!

Do lower pitched reeds "start" more easily?

The subject of a bidirectional reed has come up here a couple of times recently with a "consensus" that it's either not doable or not worth doing. However, there have apparently been attempts and at least one patent issued. I think it's a worthwhile pursuit. One approach that sticks in my head is to bevel the inside edges of the reed shoe affording free air access in either direction. Perhaps it's been tried. I'd be interested in any attempts.

Two other ways of finding the key of a tune; -ask ( a ghastly affront to decorum and of course your cover is blown but they'll soon be asking you "what is that fantastic tune and could you please slow the heck down!?"). -sit next to a pal who will discreetly whisper or signal to you. As for starting a tune, try a low soft drone with an appropriate bellows induced throb.

Is your aspiration to play at sessions? What about dances ? what about busking, pubs and coffee houses? How 'bout composing, playing for seniors, school programs, belly dance workshops, church music, sitting with the ocean or the forest or the cows and playing for them? Samba, Tango, Classical, Pop! Express yourself......😃

Thanks for this Don. After 37 years working the tracks every pic brings back a memory, even though from across the pond. From the high stone arch bridges and water towers to the wistful scenery these shots could just as well be along the Susquehanna river through NY and PA. The music and theme makes me think of the "Hobo Jungle " that persisted into the 70's along Erie Blvd, in Schenectady, Where old Hubba Bubba was the King.

I use a thin triangular piece of clear stiff plastic snipped from various product packaging to coax glue into small cracks. It is sometimes necessary to open the crack a bit with a tiny wedge or pin.

7 of the 9 are holding something either in their mouths or in a free hand. What might that be? What is the gent next to the box player holding? Late in the year judging from the shrubbery and the dress code. Badges or medallions at the shoulder. Nattily dressed but not in uniform. Boots/shoes all clean. The hats are all different as if acquired from a thrift shop. Countenance neither dour nor cheery, rather indifferent. All appear of a similar age. Arms over shoulders, quite chummy. A singing group of some sort, like a barber shop quartet I reckon. What say you Sherlock? 🤔

My assumption that such an animal didn't exist was based on a side conversation in the "Tenor/Treble" thread January 2 in which skepticism was seemingly expressed as to any "successful" version of such a reed assembly. My apologies.