AnnC

I think every melodeon player I see for the next few months is going to be asked if they will let me have a try of their instrument, with the offer of a pint as an inducement That should help me get a good idea of the different makes and which type will suit me best. Thanks everyone for the advice

I'll read that thread next

Been approved so I'm busy lurking and reading the forums

I've registered, just waiting for approval and reading the beginners guide in the meantime

I play everything from 17th c dance music, Music Hall, English Country dance, some Scottish, a bit of O'Carolan and Finnish/Swedish ....... oh and Morris

I've heard the call of the really dark side and fancy trying to learn melodeon does anyone have any advice on which would be the best one (on a budget) to get ? I'm used to a 30 button C/G Anglo so would a 2 or a 3 row be easiest to get to grips with? Now to duck my head below the parapet

Hello From your profile you're in Scotland There are quite a few Scottish players (of all systems) on this site so with luck there might be someone near you who might be able to give you some advice. There's a 'Concertina in Scotland' discussion board, run by Ptarmigan http://englishconcertina.proboards.com/index.cgi which is worth looking at If you can get a someone ( concertina/ melodeon/ accordion player) who would be able to spot the main faults, to look over anything you fancied buying it would be a bonus. Best of luck Concertina's are addictive ..........

Nithering = bitter, finger freezing sub zero temperatures. The weatherman on the local BBC TV/Radio will often refer to 'a nithering wind'

Bay Victorian Weekend 5th Dec. no fishnets here, just multiple layers of woollies and a friendly landlord supplying free drinks to stave off the nithering cold

jumpers always go at the elbows..... and morris/clog dancers go at the knees ......... that's why I stuck to being a musician

It's pressure from the bellows that affects the volume. The touch on the buttons should be independent of bellows pressure. True, but if the button has to be fully depressed to sound the reed ( rather than barely stroked) then it can be more difficult for someone just starting out to control the pressure on the bellows. All good practice though and the baffles idea sounds interesting

Try not to move the bellows when you touch the buttons, as if you're just practising the fingering rather than playing. This will reduce the flow of air through the reeds and hopefully help make things quieter though a lot will depend on how responsive the concertina is ( I'm lucky, a light touch on the buttons sounds the reeds so playing softly is possible) Best of luck

Looks fun hope you have a warmer time than I did this last weekend playing in Robin Hoods Bay for the Victorian weekend.

....nothing wrong with joining the darkside ..... Where are you based ?

Thanks for the links, I've bookmarked the ICA youtube one and will be trying to 'play along' with the tunes over winter Ann

Where are you based? There may be an Anglo player nearby who might show you the basics

Thanks for the tip. It works This last week I've cut down from an average of 10 mugs of tea a day to 5 and the pain in my shoulders and knees has lessened and ( touch wood) the back ache has gone.

You vould haf been velcome...........

How did it go?

But if you already know them that well, where's the need for posting the fact online? I keep my 'friends list' private anyone looking at my profile can't see it but I use it to catch up on what people have been posting and if I need to 'pm/e-mail' anyone the link is easy to find

I'll only ask someone if I can add them to my 'online Cnet friends list' if I've met them in real life or had a long 'online' exchange of posts with them Quality rather than quantity

that's just 7.4 miles from where my father's family were 450 years ago, 42 miles from where he, my brothers and I were born, 58 miles from where he lives now and 77 miles from where I live (why move far when you're already in God's own country .......YORKSHIRE ..... )

Thankyou for a great ACE, my first but not my last, so many concertinas with such lovely people and music Next year's dates are in the diary already

It's ordered (I think). Not quite sure what the method of payment will be but they're sure to let me know. Thankyou for that link, it's a goldmine of books and recordings, it's been bookmarked for future spending sprees Cheers Ann

See you onboard it is and the offer of a lift is gratefully accepted the following description to aid recognition has been copied from a thread on another site, not flattering but accurate .......... 'plump, about 5' tall with greying hair up in a bun, not dressed like a Folkie. ........and has a Discworld 'Guild of Assassins' badge on the concertina case' .......... the concertina case will be in a plain black bag though I look forward to getting the dots/sound files, a week of practising to come Cheers Ann