Spectacled Warbler

Jack, what country are you in? Barleycorn Concertinas in the UK have commissioned and starting selling a new line of concertina reeded Anglos for £999, not sure if it's C/G or G/D. It's called the Blackthorn, I think. I've heard one and it sounds good. Might be worth a chat with them. Good luck in your search Joy

I started on slanted, went to parallel (W2 and Beaumont) without any trouble at all, and recently started playing slanted again, also with minimal problems, just that some of the little finger placing is a little more difficult if I'm stretching - my finger doesn't know where to go. All of the other fingers instinctively know where to go on both. I prefer the parallel, but only slightly. I haven't found that switching between the 2 layouts has has been a big deal. Joy

The problem with the binocular harness, I have found, is that the harness straps are further apart then the ends of the concertina when it's closed, so they pull the concertina bellows open when it's at rest, which reduces the airtightness. For this reason I'm thinking of getting a neck strap, as the width of my neck isn't much wider than the width of the concertina when the bellows are closed, so the bellows won't be forced open. Cheers, Joy

Enjoyed Autumn Leaves, you have a good sound together. Nice concertina playing. Shame Misty's been removed from Youtube. Cheers, Joy

Love it Joy

Wow, this is fabulous. I've been looking for ideas to use in my own playing, and your playing has given me inspiration and something to aspire to. Thank you for that. Also - what a lovely thing to do as a family. Joy

Enjoyed that, thanks Simon Joy

Hi Soloduetconcertina, Hope you're well! I have one of those square double reeded Bastaris that Brian is playing on the film, it's very possible that you had tried it when you were researching available Hayden instruments a few years ago - what a joy it was to see someone play a Hayden well! I vaguely remember taking every Hayden I possessed except the Stagi which I didn't think would interest you. All the best, Joy

Enjoyed those. Thank you for posting them, and to Jim for uploading them. Joy

Another Beaumont player: https://www.youtube.com/user/aidas88?feature=em-uploademail He wasn't so keen on the standard finish so his ends are darker than standard, that's why it looks different to the usual Beaumont Enjoy! Joy

Oh yes! to this and to Robin above. Joy Joy

I don't do much octave playing, but when I do, I don't have any problem not using the same fingers, as I think in shapes not fingers, so I just use the same shape on each side with different fingers. Not quite as easy as a mirrored layout, but still fairly easy. The advantage to the non-mirrored layout, for me, is that the left and right hands are a continuation of the same keyboard, just split in 2 at the ceiling end, with an extra high row stuck on the right hand. So if I start playing on the left bottom row, floor end and continue up to the ceiling end, the next note in the layout is the ceiling end of same row of the right hand, continuing down to the floor end again. That applies to every row except one, where there's a note missing in the layout (55 buttons). So Eb, Ab, most of Db, are all doable with a bit of thinking. I love it. Horses for courses. Joy

Following the recent thread about 'soloduetconcertina' playing Hayden very well indeed on Youtube, here's a chap I've not come across before https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFrbzN208kI It's a delight to see people playing Hayden so skilfully. Fabulous. Joy

It might be worth thinking about a binocular harness rather than a neck strap, as your concertina is heavy. Binocular harnesses attach over both shoulders / back so you don't have to carry the whole instrument's weight on the back of your neck. Some harnesses are elasticated, which wouldn't suit your needs, but some aren't and could be worth trying. All the best, Joy

What a cracking tune. Thank you Joy

I find 4 note chords a bit muddy usually, and use them sparingly. I play most of my chords on the left hand, so that's what I'll refer to here. I try to use as many different ways as I can to play any chord to add a bit of variety to the sound. Before I decide how to play a chord, I write down all the notes in the chord - say C7 = C,E,G, Bb, then find where those notes are on my instrument. I then look at all the different ways I can play some or all of those notes, and decide what combinations I think sound best at each point in the song / tune where a C7th chord is needed.. I usually omit either the 3rd or the 5th, so in C that would be C, G, Bb, or C, E, Bb. Sometimes I only play 2 notes, that's any one of the C chord notes (C, E, or G) plus the Bb 7th note - it all depends what sound I want or what I'm playing before / after the 7th chord, and what anybody else might be playing. Sometimes I play the Bb above the C, sometimes I play the one immediately below it, - with an accordian reeded instrument this can sound ok as there are lots of harmonics which stop the two notes clashing and sounding ugly. Sometimes I only play the 7th (Bb) note sustained on its own, as a change from 3 note chords played before / after - to make the accompaniment more interesting or as part of a bass run. Sometimes I ignore the fact that it's a 7th because I can't find a way to play a 7th that sounds good to me. Just some ideas - there are no rights or wrongs - it's your instrument, your music, if you enjoy the sound you make and it fits with anybody else you're playing with, then it's fine. Good luck, have fun! Joy

Cononley Morris are looking for musicians. They're a small, very friendly mixed side dancing mainly Cotswold with some Border, and are based in Cononley, which is about 3 miles south of Skipton in North Yorkshire. They practise on the first 3 Fridays of the month at the New Inn, Cononley, BD20 8NR If you're interested, please send a message through their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cononleymorris/?fref=ts or visit the New Inn on a practise night. You'll be most welcome! Any instruments are welcome, as are new dancers. Lots of fun and smiles. Cheers, looking forward to hearing from you! Joy

Linrose, that sounds interesting. I'll have a go at that. start very slow and work up. Thank you.

Nice one. I prefer your version to Kasey Chambers. Thanks for posting it. Joy

Thank you ever so much for your interesting and informative replies, all of you. I now know how to be prepared for questions the Customs personnel are likely to ask, and what evidence I need to reply easily, and you've put my mind at rest about their likely view of me importing leather and wood. I've received a reply from Customs today, it states that if I've owned the concertina longer than 12 months, it is regarded as personal effects and doesn't have to be declared. Thanks again, everybody Joy

Thanks for all of your information, it's very helpful, especially the bit about the concertina wire - I'd not thought of that. I'll have a purchase receipt with me, and pictures of me playing it, together with details of the website advertising new ones. I'm still waiting for a reply from Australian customs. Thanks again, Joy

Does anybody have any idea if it is possible to take a concertina worth over AUD1000 on a trip to South Australia, for recreation only, then bring it back home again afterwards, and whether import duties are payable? The Customs website doesn't make it very clear, just wondered what people's experiences were. Thanks for your help Joy

Matthew, I don't think that there is such a thing as 'wrong'. You are using your own instrument to create the music that you want to play in the way that you want to play it. Other people will prefer to use it in different ways, or may have a lifestyle that gives them time to learn to play it in different ways. As long as everybody's enjoying their music, without trying to suggest that their playing style is the only 'correct ' one and thereby humiliating other players, that's all that matters. In my opinion. Have fun! Joy

The Board has mainly English sessions each night, and Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, if I remember rightly, the other afternoons are a mix of mainly American and English. Ish. The Elsinore also has slightly more mixed evening sessions, plenty of English music. Often with a trombone. Have fun! Joy