sidesqueeze

It sounds like a hoot! Any specifics on location/transportation/lodging would be appreciated!

Can you post a picture of the unfinished side of the wood?

Thanks, Paul! As it happens, I was aware of your collection and I'll be using it. Your influence is still strong here in southern California! And John, the tunes are simple, but I'm not good at finding chords. Also, mistakes sound particularly sour in Christmas music! Apparently there's a void waiting to be filled by a book of holiday music arranged for Anglo.

I'm expected to play Christmas music on my 30 button C/G anglo in a few weeks. I can torture out a few carols, but are there any collections already available? I need to play the melodies, but that can sound a little sparse. Ideally, I'd like to find some carols with a few chords. I know I should have started sooner, but my appreciation for christmas music did not outlast my childhood. If you know what I mean. Thanks for any help or suggestions on this.

A true frozen shoulder, adhesive capsulitis, is a mysterious thing. No surgery is appropriate, but it's often treated by manipulation under anesthesia. That means that you go to an operating room, receive anesthesia, and then the doctor moves your arm around to the full extent of its range of motion. This breaks the tiny adhesive fibers that have been tying down your shoulder. Usually there's no pain when you wake up and the problem is resolved. For less serious adhesions, you can do the movements yourself under the guidence of a doctor and physical therapist. This may be difficult and painful, and you might still end up going for the manipulation under anesthesia. Reasons for frozen shoulder are still not known, but people who are prone to this ara also prone to recurrence, in the same shoulder or on the opposite side. If you get frozen shoulder, it's important to do range of motion exercises for maintenance. Swimming sounds perfect! Apologies to any who may disagree with this, and apologies if I sound like a know-it-all. Nobody likes a know-it all, according to my father, who knew it all.

I feel the same way. If it were for the weekend, I'd come! Please consider a more extended offering!

Thanks, Bill! The first two sets look like fun but I'll have to look around for the tunes in that third set.

Yes, please report back after the dance! I'm experienced in playing contras on several other instruments. It seems like playing my anglo for such extended periods would be quite a workout! Also, if you would share some tune names, I'd appreciate that too.

OK then, Get those 'tinas away from that open fire!! Keeping your instrument in its case will protect it from changes in temperature and humidity, from sun damage, and in my area, from falling plaster/timbers/roof tiles during an earthquake.

Thank you all for these tips. I'll get a copy of the updated maintenance manual, read it, and keep it with my growing collection of concertina books. I'll also pick up a set of valves (with a few spares) and a few springs. This little mishap turned into quite a learning experience!

Thanks, Theo. I should have mentioned that I do have Dave's maintenance manual - somewhere. I think I even know what room it's in.

The only remaining problem is the two strangled notes. Isn't this more likely to be a reed problem? What would a new set of valves do? -Thanks for your response!

Yesterday I let a string player try my 32 button Lachenal anglo. She didn't do anything radical, but when she returned it the button for the left sided sound effect was stuck, rendering the instrument unplayable. I haven't seen any shop with a shingle advertising concertina repair in this city. I decided to use my usual allotted practice hour to see what was wrong. I bought the concertina through this forum in 2006 and have played it since then. There are a couple of stuck reeds, but I've learned to play around them. I've always planned to have them repaired after I buy a modern instrument. I removed the six screws and the strap screw on the left. When I removed the end gently, the first thing I saw when looking into the bellows was a nice foil sticker for Chris Algar's shop! The two duck whistle sound effects were there, stuck into quarter inch holes in one chamber. I pushed at the buttons on the removed end plate and they all seemed to be working fine. I hadn't done anything to the button mechanisms, so I figured this to be a stroke of luck. I held the end onto the bellows and found that all of the reeds were sounding simultaneously on both push and pull. I settled in for a close examination of the exposed reeds, pads, and the strips of leather sealing up the chambers. The leather strips looked hard and dry. I licked my fingertip and touched one strip, and it softened and swelled slightly. Since I had nothing to lose, as the instrument was still unplayable, I tried moistening all of the leather strips. Holdng the end on again, everything seemed to be working now so I replaced the screws. To my astonishment, my leaky old Lachenal sounded fantastic! The bellows were suddenly tight, and the gravity test showed me that they were hardly leaking at all! The difference in the action and the tone is just amazing! If it weren't for the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing, I'd take off the right side and moisten that leather too. I had been told that this was a particularly nice old Lachenal, and that the fancier ones have better reeds and a more complex pattern in the wood on the ends. Now that it's holding air, I'd have to say that the tone is good enough to make me reconsider the expense of buying a new instrument. However, there remains the issue of the stuck reeds. As I'm working through the new Bertram Levy tutor now, I'm likely to need all of the notes soon. May I get some comments on this experience? I don't understand why the stuck button came back to life, or why all of the reeds sounded together at one point. Thanks, Ken Shaw

The new Bertram Levy method book arrived today. The 'thirty studies in phrasing' are actually the American fiddle tunes themselves. As I look at the list, I recognize all of them as tunes that are played regularly in the Los Angeles area. This will give me a chance to cross over to the "old-timey" community with my concertina! The studies appear to be a bit challenging, as the later ones employ harmony notes and chords. I'm going to have to spend some time with Bertram's last book as well, because I'm not familiar with his button numbering system of R1-R15 and L1-L15. It is probably very simple so hopefully I'll get on with the tunes later this evening. The introductory materials are very well written. Love the part about mistakes: "Every time one plays a mistake, one learns it better." I see that the list of acknowledgements starts right off with Bruce McCaskey!

I'm not seeing details on this workshop at the site given. Can you help us out by telling us which day the workshop would be? I could make it on Sunday.

Peter, It still seems clumsy. I read music so finding the notes is not the point of tablature for me. Maybe a double line would be better, with button number and letter above each other and under the staff - ? That's three simultaneous rows of information. If you were to add dynamic or articulations to the musical score it would become very dense! Maybe the use of a second color, for the i's and o's - ?

Interesting - Can you remind me how the Levy system goes? It would take me all evening to find my copy of that book. The quest for a useable tablature is worthwhile.

>In any case, I would love to see someone play a Cello fiddle style Actually, I can play all my Irish tunes on the cello. But being a gentleman, I don't. I just play them on the fiddle.

>Jim Bayless and Pete Nalda - Dusty Bob's Jig Can anyone identify that big concertina? I've never seen anything like that before.

Michael, Indeed I do. What an odd coincidence! I'll email you. Ken

John, Your new Lachenal sounds great! I just returned from a week with Noel Hill, and we had a number of Lachenals there to compare. One was like yours, with the best reeds and metal ends. The tone was comparable to any of the Wheatstones, Crabbs, and Suttners there. In my humble opinion, of course. Ken Shaw

Bruce's report is 'spot on' as the blokes on this board are wont to say. Greetings to Bruce and John - I hope we can all play together again one day. Ken Shaw

Dean, You can help by making 30 button anglos!

Mr. Onyon was not offering the Anglo system as of last November. I would welcome correction or update on this matter!

That isn't so if you check through www.ebay.co.uk, but then I always get the same problem with US sellers. Ah, so. Thank you, Stephen.