Dirge

Lovely stuff Dirge, I especially like the Water Music effect ( caused by some distortion.. perhaps at this end or www coruption) ... sounds like you're playing Under water music. Thanks for the notes too, very thoughtfull. Geoff. Inept when it comes to the mechanicals as ever. But you'll recognise the instrument even through the seaweed?

Well I think it was the first 'proper classical' piece I learnt on the concertina. And still a huge favourite. I can do much fancier stuff these days but not much gives me more pleasure, even now.

Thanks Dirge. Makes me want a duet concertina... And so you should...

Ok I'm at a loose end while Sal puts her make-up on or something. I'll pick up the squeezebox and usually revert to this.Sarabande.mp3 It's by Handel from one of his keyboard suites but well known because, among other things, Stanley Kubrik created most of the soundtrack for Barry Lyndon from the orchestral version. Not difficult but you need those bass notes. You can, as you see, have a lot of fun playing it thunderously and generally mucking about with the dynamics, and if you want to get clever there's a couple of variations on the theme too.

I had bushings added to a 'budget' lachenal duet and found a few notes binding. Attempts to burnish the bushings, correct the alignment of the levers so they were as near straight through the key at half open as possible, do selective fitting etc didn't do it on 2 or 3 of the shorter levers that moved through a wide arc. They still stuck most annoyingly. Then I was getting some fluff out of one of the fancy boys and noticed that their short levers were filed to a taper to give a bit more clearance. I did this to the offenders and the problem was solved. So I concluded that the cheaper models need the larger clearances to function without further fettling. Bushing may not be all you have to do. And it seems to me that even Dave's paper bushing idea might be enough to take out that running clearance too. So be warned. Incidentally, Mr. Elliott had a clinic up at Swaledale. For large sections of the day you could just saunter in, present him with a misbehaving instrument and watch him fix it then and there. It was great. There's something really luxurious about having 'a Man' to fix your 'box at the drop of a hat. (I got the ubiquitous bit of sweater fluff in a reed.) So thank you, Dave, you may not realise quite how much pleasure you gave with this service.

To stop the bone rattling on the wood like a bag of old spanners when you play!

I bet you know Shenandoa. That counts. And across the western ocean is another nice wistful one.

Oh go for it. It'll have proper concertina reeds and evryfing, and be a charming old antique, and it won't lose value. Might not sell too fast, mind you, if you do decide to dump it. Even with the big duets, dropping into the LH for a melody note or 2 is fairly normal; sometimes it's worth doing purely to make fingering flow better, so you might as well get used to that. Or to put it another way, the keyboards are never QUITE big enough!

Never played anything but 'Maccan' but I started with a 61 (chance) and moved up in size/range all the way to 81 (biggest bar specials) finally settling on the next size down (71) as the largest 'comfortable' instrument. This was playing written music and increasingly piano music. For that I now think having the last few low bass notes is not worth the effort except for special occasions, and the 71 is top dog. Next size down, 67s are good too and may suit your physique better. The dodge with a 67 is to get the low G# converted to the low F, much more useful and makes it almost as versatile as a 71. Now I am doing a lot of playing by ear and garage band stuff, played standing, and I use an instrument that has about the range of a normal 53 ish for that. It obsoleted a 46 key in my stable. That's the one I've used for all my recent recordings posted here for starters. For this sort of use the std advice to 'save up and get one with the RH down to middle C' seems OTT to me. When someone isn't telling me precisely which note to play I get along fine with this range. The 46 keys miss a bass D, and it is a huge gap, you end up using Gs or F #s. I had the low G# converted to a D to solve that, then it was almost as versatile as my current tiddler. But because of the 'defect' of not having low RH notes the next size up are often bargains too, and if you are thinking 46 watch the 50 something ones too. The one you are looking at is the only one that I would tell you is TOO sparse. I think it was intended for 'melody only' work. Part of the art at your stage is working out where it is going to take you so you can plan ahead!

He's got a contact; why not just take a deep breath and ask him. After all it's not as if you wanted it for nothing.

If you're like me the baffles would not survive being stored separate from the box for any length of time; they'd end up lost, or damaged. On the other hand only a few weeks ago I was getting told severely by other Cnet regulars that these instruments are made to be played and if you have to make changes to achieve that you shouldn't hesitate. Given how early it is and my distrust of storing one item in several places, if it were me I'd be inclined to keep it in one piece and if necessary trade it on for something else. Brass reeds are not loud anyway, they say, baffles or not, so perhaps accept it for what it is rather than muck about with it and still be dissatisfied.

dunno what I did here....

Depending on his health he may be out with the fire brigade too, but his establishment is literally IN the trees so I'll keep my fingers crossed for him too.

Not sure why they didn't always make miniatures Anglos; if you're main aim is novelty petiteness while still creating a useable instrument (of sorts) surely 2 notes per button makes huge sense. And what does it matter for something like this even if you do play another system normally?

Dunno really; it seemed nice toned but I'd nothing of that ilk to compare it with and not much air to do it with either. I started on it because I fancied owning a pukka maori piano. I may eventually tackle it but at the moment I have too much knackered stuff ('projects') for my liking and perhaps sanity.

Yes I have such a beast. I started doing it up, it has had the ends professionally repaired and repolished, new valves and pads (and springs?); it's fairly sound, brass reeded, but the bellows are shot and it's at that point that I lost interest. Needs a keen owner...if you're interested I'll dig it out and sort pictures. 120 pounds posted anywhere in the world.

Oh dear and I never DID get to share a beer with you in the Sorrel Horse. Well I hope the retreat goes well.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.737201552962605.1073741830.118689434813823&type=1 Go to the bottom 2 pictures to find me playing with 'The Pukes'. They're nominally a ukulele band but I 'guest'. There's a bass, a couple of electrified tenor ukes and my small duet. (The one I was agonising over moving the keys in) This is the monthly uke club; all amateurs who mount their own show but done at the local rock music venue using the PA, lights and a man who knows how to use them. $5 for a good night, and we get to play too. I set the zoom up but my computer melted the other day and I think I've lost it.

If you want to talk duets All but the very smallest vintage duets have 4 octaves or more, unless you are talking 'per side' which I don't think is the right way to approach it anyway. You need to get the idea of a continuous range in your head When I'm 'vamping' I sometimes find myself playing chords across the melody when the RH dips low and I idly play my std LH chord (which are usually placed quite high on the LH register). It doesn't seem to offend. I fondly believe that a listener's ear will emphasise the melody line a bit for you before you do anything else about it. There are lots of tricks to help bring out the melody but a lot of the time I don't think it's worth the worry some put in. In my view, putting baffles in one side of a duet is hamstringing it, regardless of size. Rock'nRoll keyboards seem to stay in a fairly narrow range (the bass does the low notes!) and they fit on a concertina fine, because I've been doing exactly that with a band recently. I seem to make a few tunes work solo but you need at least a guitarist with you to add the 'percussion' for convincing pop if you ask me. Sorry Lukasz...

I'm sure I've asked this before but has anyone ever found a website with music for the Boermusik classics?

or chuck all the original buttons and make a full set out of whatever you fancy...

Nice to see you resurface, Alan!

Well there's Lois and there ought to be me although having gained some ground with my alternative medicine technique I try to ignore it... I ought to be interested though because I expect it to be back. Go on then, I'm interested too.

I've had that for ages; on my middle finger on the LH and third finger on the RH. It never resulted in lost strength, but I can imagine if it is getting bad it cuts your reach and that's where you'd notice it most on your little finger; with me it is not pretty but no problem as yet, but read on... A local doctor told me the gene came down from Viking ancestors. I don't really sunburn despite the hole in the ozone layer down here and this has also been suggested as implying Viking blood so it must be true. It has crossed my mind before now that a large axe would save time and nuisance in certain circumstances, but I think that's just a standard reaction to modern life. Baron Dupuytren was famous in his day for treating Napoleon's piles, now his name is attached to this tiresome thing. Fame was out to get him. I tried to suggest to friends that the marks on my palms were stigmata, proof of my pure and simple lifestyle, but they didn't swallow it. There is a strictly owner's risk fourth treatment option. I went to see the quack and he named it (so he was happy). He said surgery was not certain and sometimes made it worse, which really put me off that one. Time passed and the fingers started to annoy me with their pathetic failure to get into line like they should, so one day I sat at a table and forced them back beyond where they belonged. Flesh tore inside my hand; it was a bit unpleasant but I gritted my teeth and shoved harder against the table until they 'conformed'. This must be 2 or 3 years ago now and the left hand quickly settled vastly improved and has played ball ever since. Complete cure bar a lumpy palm, at least so far. The RH kept trying to revert, so, having started down this trail, I forced it again, and again. It was still unpleasant. The finger and I have now drawn back from open war and reached a sort of N and S Korea type understanding. I leave it alone more than I used to and it doesn't seem to be getting noticeably worse. So that's one success and a partial success. Not bad overall. It worked for me. I have no idea what I risked doing this, AND DO NOT WANT TO KNOW thank you. Ignorance is bliss. But if you feel brutal enough to try it don't come blaming me if you destroy your finger completely.