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Kathryn Wheeler

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Posts posted by Kathryn Wheeler

    Why Choose Concertina

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Kathryn Wheeler

    What got me started?

     

    Someone I know saw a Scholer Bb/Eb anglo  in a charity shop and gave it me (because I play piano accordion I think!)

     

    The way the notes are laid out intrigued me - I began to fiddle around seeing what it wanted to play!  And new tunes just fell out of that process of investigation.

     

    Frustrated by the feel of the instrument I got a lachenal 20 and am obsessed with it, still playing with the myriad possibilities it offers.

     

    https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCyfaF1wA2EZagdS7E8i3ixw

     

     

    20 button vs. 30

    in General Concertina Discussion

    Posted

    Hi Sunny,

    I very much focus on the 20button and have been coming up with tunes for it as well as seeing how to best arrange preexisting tunes for the instrument.  I have been playing solo (aided by the last year meaning I couldn’t go to sessions or band practices or gigs - I literally took up the instrument last year, but (like you) am already someone very used to both sheet music, playing by ear and jamming.

     

    Now things are changing and I’ve got together with friends to jam - I have been able to improvise stuff that goes with their tunes if they play in keys that aren’t too distant, do rhythmic accompaniment, countermelodies etc.  I’m used to playing of course in C and G but also a lot in E and A minor and modal D (Dorian) and other modes that only use “white notes plus F sharp”

     

    That said whilst this is possible, I’m still of course not as used to doing this as in my other instruments and to find that of course it restricts how I accompany _a lot_.  Which is interesting sometimes but at other times it’s this massive relief to get my piano accordion out and jazz away on those chromatics.

     

    So of course it makes me think about something with more buttons. I borrowed one from a friend and it’s handy for familiarisation although I miss how beautifully responsive my 20 button is.  Means I at least know what I want out of a 30 if and when!

     

    I will never get rid of my 20 - getting the max out of it is a real satisfaction to me and stands me in great stead when and if I get more buttons.  But the 20 gets my head thinking in interesting ways and being  inventive in accompaniment (when playing solo and otherwise!)

     

     

    Anglo Cross Row and In Row Harmony Style

    in Teaching and Learning

    Posted · Edited by Kathryn Wheeler

    Oh yes, I love exploring the options wherever they are - across or within rows - trying out alternatives for phrases - to find out what suits the mood of the piece, right then. Or then there is repetition, choosing an alternative to add interest eg a more legato fingering vs one that leans into bellows changes.  Or choosing very different harmonies for a section, which become available when you choose an alternative 

     

    I don’t really think if it as either playing along or across rows - rather more what options are available to play with, and you start to build up an arsenal of these options for commonly used arpeggios/runs etc.  But are always learning new ones too

     

    It all reminds me of violin bowing choices and choice of which string and position to play a given note on - also whether to use plucking, double stopping etc.

    • Like 2

    Etiquette/law on using arrangements

    in Teaching and Learning

    Posted

    We’ve come across the same sort of thing as Adrian Brown regarding an artist (or their “people”) saying we couldn’t use their song.  I am in a trio (Gloucester based Way Out West) that does very different versions of pop/rock/whatever tickles us on acoustic instruments with three part vocal harmony.  Sometimes to completely new tunes we’ve come up with that suit the new vision we have for the song.  We never knew the reason why one well known band refused permission.  Adrian’s answer actually goes a long way to reassuring me that it wasn’t necessarily because they didn’t enjoy it 😛. That said with other artists we were fine!  Pop music is big industry - maybe these days with more independent production and artists bring more hands on and accessible through social media it’s possible to do things a bit differently

    Eb/Bb Scholer - missing one brass Reed - anyone want it?

    in Instrument Construction & Repair

    Posted · Edited by Kathryn Wheeler

    Hi there

     

    This Scholer (E German) 20b  that interestingly plays in Eb and Bb came to me via a friend seeing it in a charity shop.  And fiddling about with it made me sure I wanted to get a really nice Lachenal 20b last year! (And boy am I glad about that..love it to bits)  So I thank it for that - it got me going just at the start of the initial lockdown with Covid!

     

    However that said one of its reeds is missing (button 5 on the left on the push)

     

    As I’ve seen before here, repairers have said it’s not worth repairing and they can’t get hold of brass reeds.  But I think someone here recently has a project they’re working on that they want brass reeds for too and it shows that people are interested

     

    But more to the point I’m not personally interested in restoring things - so I wondered if anyone else fancied it (for the price of postage) for whatever project they’d like to use it on

     

     

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    Etiquette/law on using arrangements

    in Teaching and Learning

    Posted · Edited by Kathryn Wheeler

    Thanks Jonny, that’s great to hear!  I’ve been thinking that it might be a good idea to do something on how to flesh out a melody to provide variety and interest.  And how to adapt a melody so it feels good to play on a 20b Anglo.  If my own learning process can help anyone else that’s a great thing. I am not quite sure yet what format that might take - possibly video discussion and demonstration.  In the meantime I’m putting down any stuff I do as sheet music and video and happy to chat.  If anyone wants to play anything I come up with (especially if they want to video it/play it for gigs but also generally cos it’s lovely to know) drop me a line 

    • Like 1

    Hazel - another new harmonic style 20button Anglo tune

    in Concertina Videos & Music

    Posted · Edited by Kathryn Wheeler
    Typo! Silly phone..

    Here’s my latest adventures on the 20button.  It’s back from its visit to the doctors, hale and hearty and raring to go :)

     

    And this one is a bit different in that it is accompanied by a poetry reading, inspired by tree folklore and a tale from Welsh and Irish legend.  But mostly because it just wanted to play this tune after coming back! 

     

    Having fun exploring the Lydian mode i.e. C major scale with an added Fsharp (made for this instrument!) and playing with a drone accompaniment amongst other harmonic treatments - and coming up with an introductory bit, for a change ;) 

     

    It would be lovely to connect on YouTube - always like to follow what fellow Anglo enthusiasts are up to so please do drop by and say hello 

     

    My channel is here:

    https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCyfaF1wA2EZagdS7E8i3ixw

     

     

    • Like 4

    Heronflight by Kathryn Wheeler

    in Concertina Videos & Music

    Posted

    Thanks Jim! Goodness, that looks so much fun! I miss a good dance.  That is very toe-tapping indeed.  Do you tend to mostly play the tune in that ensemble or the lovely acoompanied harmonic stuff we listen to here?  How is it playing standing up for long periods?  I have done that on a piano accordion but for some reason I just havent ever played standing up with an anglo yet - I should!  I wonder if it can lend more of a weight/emphasis.

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