m3838

Thanks. Good, but not enough. I want more. I need more. We all need more. with so much talk, it's time to listen.

Replying to myself and for everybody else: I found this site: http://www.concertina.com/callaghan/reuben...eo/#single-file But unfortunately can't play the files neither on my Linux, nor on my Windows XP, nor on my Mac with MacOs 10. Anybody can give me an advice on how to transfer these files into something mp3 or real audio will recognize? Thanks.

Anybody knows of any sites with mp3 (or other fomats) of duet playing? Thanks.

Berthram Levy is my advice. Great book, great player, real inspiration. I had my 20 button Lachenal and could go through most of the pages. The only problem was where I had to change keys. Berthram teaches to play in home keys (C/G) and in D. His D was impossible for me, so I played it in home key of C. (I'd advice to learn how to transpose (as I did) or get some software that does it for you. Transposing was fun, but major pain in the neck, as I always made mistakes, had to rewrite music and mixed going 5 notes up to change from C to G with 4 notes down, when going from G to C. Or is it vice versa? Frank Converse's book is full of tunes, too many, confusing. Very little of real instruction.

>Yes, I agree, learning is life. No complaints, but it's clear to me that what one person finds >*easy* another may find to be *hard*. Perhabs. I haven't encountered this with regards to button arrangement yet. May be the type of music has to do something with it, may be the learning curve you've planned for. >I found both the Hayden & Crane system much easier, It was my impression too. I just always try to remember my impressions of push/pull keyboard, B-system keyboard, free bass playing on Stradella bass system. - after some time all became easier. As you say, there are plenty of good McCann players, while Cranes are available too. May be what's simple for a beginner is not working as well later on. When I started accordioin lessons, I had small cute 48 bass Hohner Amica IV. I loved it. My teacher disdained it and persuaded me to get big and heavy 120 bass instruments with 5 octaves in the trebble. Boy, am I glad I did! Not only it is easier to play contrary to my belief, so much more music became available! Too bad I suck at playing this kind of music. But when I'm with my Pockerwork (3 random accidentals at the top of the keyboard. Speaking of irregularity!) - people stop to listen. Alas, the music is not Sonatina by Diabelli, who cares?

Hello. Well, I did try several "good" concertinas: Geuns-Wakker's Anglo, Morse Ceili, Wheatstone English with metal raised ends and 8 sides and another one, with brass reeds, made in 1850. Admit, duets were of the cheap sort. On duets: I have decided against them because I liked push-pull Anglo better. So after trying very nice brass reeded 20 button Lachenal I went to obtain finer instruments. After trying the good ones - moved back to accordion. I agree, a good player can play from wisper to thunder, but by some misterious reason it takes more effort, than on accordion. The cheap Delicia reeds in low end Weltmeister do better dynamics wise, than expencive Geuns-Wakker. May have to do something with the volume of bellows, I don't know. On learning the system. Learning is life. Complaining to difficulty of learining is like complaining to difficulty of living. Sure it's no picnick. A mistake many make is thinking they can learn it and THEN start playing. There are brutal concequences for such a mindset. We parted with my accordion teacher because he was of this opinion: tolerate the grunts of exercises to learn the instrument, and after a few years you'll be playing. What a terrible pit of self-worthlessness I had made of myself to cave in to such bizarre concept. On irregularity. I was learning two systems: Button diatonic accordion/Anglo and B-system Chromatic accordion. B system is 100% regular and chromatic. All the notes are where they "suppused" to be. Playing chromatic scales is easy. But playing "easy" folk tunes was a hardship, I wasn't prepared for. Especially compared to easiness of diatonic instrument. Piano keyboard is the most intuitive and easy to understand. Is it easy to play? There is a reason behind irregularity of bandonion. It's "playability". I think if "illogic" keyboard drives you nuts, you may not be learning "it" correctly. It's like learning a language: speak! Make mistakes and go through. It will come together regarless of how much grammar you know. On talent. No, I'm not all that talented. Just happened to discover a good method of getting introduced to varios keybaords. Though it is very easy to learn simple tune on any keyboard system in a few days (decently), by no means it guarantees further success, as while you are getting familiar with buttons, you start hitting the necessity of expressiveness. And that's where your talent or lack of it will start playing the major role. Discovered it the hard way. After all, there is a reason of why most of us have day jobs.

Hello Rich. It seems that "true" concertina sound falls between accordion sound, that I like, and more roundish whistle-like sound of brass reeds, that I like. Perhabs for melody it's too nasal and for forming harmony it lacks overtones. Concertina that I tried and liked the most was Morse Ceili with accordion reeds. I wish I tried G/D, as G/C was too high. The best smooth sound that I listened to was mp3 file of Frank Edgley's playing his Anglo. Again, accordion reeds. Seems like a concertina has every apeal to me: the size, the crafstmanship, the ergonomics, the range, the look - all except the sound. By some reason it had less dynamic range than even below the middle range accordion, took more effort to start reeds and those high reeds were just... squeaky. I realize small reeds must be thin, but not squeaky, and not quiet. They should be as loud, and start as easily as the rest, including the lowest. So I drifted back to accordion. Funny note, I have small one row, one reed Hohner, that sounds very well. it has mediocre accordion reeds from Checkoslovakia, is the size of a concertina and concertina-type buttons! But the sound is absolutely adorable! If you want to examine it, I can send it to you. I think it's in E. In the mean time I visit concertina sites and admire the look of various instruments with nostalgia.

I just read Ivan Niehoff's (I think) article on duet concertinas. It sounds the need of great caution in choosing the type of the keyboard, because of cost and difficulty of learning. So his presumption is: one likely not to jump from system to system to learn which one is preferred. I disagree. I tried all common systems: Crane, McCann and Hayden. Here's how I did it: I bought inexpencive ($500) Crane duet on the Ebay. Spent some $100 to fix here and there. While I was looking for it and weiting to apear on ebay, then to win a bid and have it shipped, I made myself a chart on a piece of paper, with buttons and names of the notes. Then I took a few simple tunes from this site and learned to "play" them on the desk top. When my Crane arrived, I wasted little time to start playing. Then I managed some simple accompaniment of two chords. Then I sold it, but not because I didn't like the fingering, but because of the sound. Thin and metallic (Lachenal Crane). I got myself a MacCann. Small, with only 2 octaves on the right and 1/5 on the left. Same process. Sold. Then a pal of mine lent me his Stagi Hayden. Same process. All and all it took me about 2 weeks to learn three tunes on paper and about an hour to adapt them to the real instrument. My conclusion was that all of the fingering systems are brilliant, combining playability with compactness. Hayden was the most difficult (!), Crane was the easiest. In Crane octaves are fingered differently, but the layout is so intuitive, it doesn't matter. I also disagree with the author about the importance of the layout versus sound. I don't play concertina today not because I don't like the layout, or couldn't get a nice instrument. It's because of the sound. I wasn't able to get an instrument with the sound that I like. So I guess if you put your hands on a concertina of ANY type with the sound that you absolutely LIKE - your search is over. Learning to play the thing is minor. Hope it helps.