SIMON GABRIELOW

What does it sound like? Being of plastic may affect sound quality.

My late father ( whose melodeon accordion I now play) used to very characteristically over worry over the details of his accordion notes.. "Does it sound in tune". type of worries.. of course the more he kept hearing .. the more he was convinced notes were not right ( to his own ears at least)! There again with accordion often there two reeds mildly tuned to slightly waver ( clash) which is prefered apparently ( I was told by a tuning professional when I had it tuned years later )..more continental players prefer that effect. Well my dad was from Poland, however he obviously did NOT have that view ( of the wavering clashing wobbling) accordion sound . That accordion I use still some 40 years since he bought it and is.. incidentally in C and C SHARP.🌝

Imagine, you are sitting in a garden, or in a green wood, relaxing, and a distant sound stirs, and then a mysterious melody makes carries rustling leaves in a coiling journey into the air, and then a beguiling group of tiny figures develop in amidst the swirl of energy and dance about. Did you see it? Or was it a daydream? Strange things Pixies ! A cheerful little tune [in cut time] - in D major played with a happy foot tapping rhythm. Dance of the Pixies by Simon Gabrielow

Oh its that dam mobile phone keypad so tiny I often need to use magnifying glass to see it - at all! No wonder spelling errors occur!

I think that the joy of listening to live performance is the realness of it.. that iis I mean mistakes and all. We often get used to perfect performances with each note precise .. and then a musician shows their humanity by what we may term 'fluffing' a note, slipping up so slightly, or altering a tone whether by choice or fact they are so taken with performance; then they forget the rigid rules. That, to me, makes it more exciting, than absolute adherence without any sole🌝.

That sample of music ( I have quoted here).. would be easy to take down one place to C major avoiding the dreaded C sharps altogether😊You do not need to manually copy it.. just number it down using a tablature will do same job🌝🌝

I do not think that fellow musicians would mind adapting their own playing range to suit your playing, after all there is a lot of music out there and chamber orchestra, groups, that play 'period' instruments in which have a more limited general range, compared to today's standards, and they adapt to that required limit to accommodate the solo instrument. Really quite a lot of older instruments have simple range but are still useable and heard on record, etc.. I am playing a simple Chlumeau this year, a very straightforward wooden instrument, with simple cane reed, and one octave range, no extension keys, but am working within those limits quite nicely now. So, you may not even need to go any further and find your own voice with your 20 key concertina as it is.🌝

I still think that transpose music to suitable range will also help, along with the other advice, and once in pitch that fits your own concertina it will then all sound more in tune with that altered choice. For example in.. D major with that C sharp, down to C major ( each note down one place)..will get rid of that C sharp straight away ( unless accuidental is needed,).

I think they look lovely to look at as they are myself. However, you may find there is a lot if hidden technical issues with them, with them being of an age. However I hope you can get them fixed Even modern ones can have technical issues cone up by constant use anyway.

These two minuets are played one after the other; the first is in G major [ with couple of accidentals in it] and then it goes into a D major minuet, before retuning to the first tune at the close. They are written on melody line only, but I added a few little harmonised notes, here and there, as I went along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t25EiwPncCE

Lovely and so cheerful [ brightened up a dark winter's night here] thanks for that.

When I had, years back my 20 key Anglo concertina, I had to transcribe or learn to transpose music to fit, when I found it, and it is possible to do this. But it is also a skill in itself to do this, but straightforward once you know how; music is simply taken up, or down, in its pitch and the tone alters to fit new key.

I began on 20 key Anglo (GDR) made one at that time, and it certainly spurred me onto learn more musical things .. in fact by time I bought a new instrument I had found well over 300 pieces of music to fit it's two row G and C range🌝

So cheerful and merry ..great !😊🌝

Like a whole orchestra has been somehow magically squeezed into that little music box🌝 Lovely .

I often think that you know when you are really progressing or advancing in playing music on instrument, when you are not as consciously having to think too much over the technicalities, that I mean the basics, of say where finger goes to make a note, or sound production, when it becomes a more intuitive approach, and can be called upon as a skill when required at a consistent standard.

I really enjoyed that lovely performance and sound🌝

You do not have to continuously practice almost none stop; do take a rest between. You will still find you are becoming familiar with the technical side of instrument, even after a rest period, as your mind and memory will 'kick in,' when yo start again. Aches in muscles may be sign you are 'overdoing' the process at this stage.

Oh oh uhhh? What is that horrid thing and how did they have the guts to even put it online for everyone to see... Hillarious rubbish! 😄😄😄

And when you get new instrument I am sure you will get loads of hints and help from everyone here on c.net. 🌝

Looks like one of those European produced twenty key concertinas ( many were made in GDR. They made hundreds and are still there in the market place today long after factories closed. I started with one years ago before going up to my 30 key Anglo (another kind). I suggest it sounds out of tune more because of those delightful attempts at squeezing it out by the person trying to play it..than being out of tune!😊😊

Quite try to an extent, except some of button numbering on treble part ( my accordeon. melodeon) has same note as on button on Anglo which helps a bit. Example 3rd button anglo 30 key Is middle C, and 3rd button up from bottom of melodeon is similarly the middle C.

You will get to where you want to I am sure. Learning new things is interesting; that early stage there's the need to want to be doing more than you can at first few steps, the mind is ahead of the hands. Then it becomes intuitive and your fingers will find their way. Even after years of playing there's challenging pierces of music to discover. The funny thing is that once you maybe practice what you may consider a difficult piece everything else seems a lot easier in comparison ( I found anyway).

Sounding promising already. Don't forget to use your left hand little ( smallest) finger as you progress.. as you will in future find it a great help to use as many free fingers as needed as you get to even more advanced pieces. But carry-on .🌝

In the one I use ( my late Father's hohner melodeon accordion) it is so configured that the button numbering is similar to Anglo 30 key layout; for example.. 3rd button along is middle C on both instruments. The accordion sounds good on lower tone range notes prticulately, whereas concertina ( I find) is good for medium to higher range. So, in a way, they compliment each other. Melodeon has that C sharp row which has a really unusual tonal feel used alone coupled with the basses.🌝🌝