hjcjones

Here is my F/C 30 button baritone anglo, serial no 156054, Can you please advise the date? l

I've always wished the EFDSS well, but in 55 years of active involvement in folk music, as a solo performer in folk clubs, morris dancer, ceilidh band musician and event organiser, I've never found it to have the slightest relevance to me. When I first got involved in folk it was very much focussed on social dance for mostly middle-aged people, with little interest in song or the other things which were attracting young people to folk. There was a time when it seemed to be moving in a broader direction, but recently it has turned itself into a "folk arts" organisation and seems to be interested mainly in professional artist development, youth education and working with other communities to create new work. Nothing wrong with any of that of course, but it shows little interest in preserving or maintaining what is left of our folk tradition or providing support to the grass roots. Under Derek Schofield's editorship EFS magazine was a good read, but since he left it has gone downhill. Some of this may be due to having its funding slashed, but it was heading in that direction before. It seems embarrassed even to use the word "English" given its recent proposal to change its name (which seems to have gone quiet but hasn't been ruled out). I'm obviously not the only one who thinks this, since only a tine fraction of those involved in folk are individual members - the most recent accounts show only 2043 individual members, and 560 affiliated groups (many of which will have joined for the insurance cover). The Library and Journal are obviously important resources but it is as if they are a separate organisation. They seem to be entirely separate from the EFDSS's day to day activities.

It's perhaps worth pointing out that, contrary to popular opinion, this is not an Irish drinking song. Although the rousing chorus in the version which is known to almost everyone may suggest a roistering good time, if you pay attention to the words it's actually a temperance song. Its origins probably go back to a seventeenth century broadside, and it is found in many versions throughout the English-speaking world. However it was collected only a few times in Ireland. It's association with Ireland probably comes from the versions by the Dubliners and Clancy Brothers.

I've taken my instruments camping with me to festivals for many years, with no ill-effects. At night they stay locked in the car. During the day, I have them with me. However if this is a general holiday, rather than a musical one, I'd be more worried about security if I won't want to take the instrument everywhere with me Tents are obviously not secure and cars can get very hot (even more of a problem for instruments with waxed-in reeds). However there have been times when I've had to leave instruments in the car, and I wrap them in a blanket to provide some insulation. Sound carries a long way outdoors and tents have no sound insulation. Will your neighbours on the campsite want to be regaled by someone who is still a novice player? Or even an expert one, for that matter? I don't see any reason not to take a concertina camping if you take care, but I would consider carefully whether it's really a good idea.

Barleycorn are currently offering an Aeola for £4000. Don't know enough to compare them, but compared with that this looks like a good deal even if it isn't as high a quality instrument. From your description, this is a good instrument. Good vintage instruments aren't easy to come by. Each one is individual, because it has its own history. If you come across one that calls out to you then offer what you think is a fair price. By all means negotiate, but don't miss out for the sake of a few bucks. If it's the intrument for you then in the long run you may regret missing out more than you'd regret paying a little more.

Miranda has a beautiful album out of her tunes based on bird song. It's called "Bird Tunes" and it's available from her website. It's rather lovely and well worth a listen. Miranda Rutter - Bird Tunes Rob is accompanying her, so it is on-topic for this forum

Before you go down the rabbit hole, try a few more workshops and sessions. You may find that with more experience you become better at picking out the sound of your own instrument. A less techy, but simpler and possibly cheaper, solution is to wear a wide-brimmed hat. Some find it helps to focus the sound.

I use In ear monitoring, but that's when playing in a band through a proper PA. Using one in a session presents different problems. Ideally you want a compact system that isn't too fiddly, does't get in the way of other players and if possible is battery powered rather than relying on the mains. There are systems to allow electric guitar players to listen through headphones, but these usually plug into the guitar itself and won't take external mics. You will need a pair of mics, one for each end, with some way of attaching them to the instrument. Many mics need phantom power from a mixing desk, so you will need ones which have batteries or don't require power. You'll then need some sort of amp to connect the mics to your earphones. It's important to understand that the signal from mics is at a different level from electric guitars ("line level") so gear designed for guitars may not work. If you're considering this, go to a good music store and explain exactly what you're trying to do. Something like this might work for you, but take expert advice. https://www.amazon.co.uk/JUST-MIXER-Audio-DJ-Mixer/dp/B01LPT8JY8 This doesn't provide phantom power so you'll need mics which don't require it.

You say this was your first workshop. Workshops are often difficult, especially if they are in a confined space as you describe. You have a lot of instruments all of the same type, all occupying the same sound frequencies and with similar tonal characteristics, and all playing (or trying to play) the same notes. That can make it very difficult to pick out your own instrument. This doesn't just apply to concertinas, but the high pitch and shrillness can be particularly difficult, and the way the instrument is normally held means the sound from your own instrument is projected away from you but you are on the receiving end of your neighbours' instruments. I have found that it becomes possible to recognise and focus on the tone of your own instrument, but it takes practice and concentration. Sometimes I deliberately play a wrong note just to help me tune in to my own sound. Obviously you can't do that too often. However if you are having similar problems in sessions with more of a mix of instruments then it is possible you have a hearing problem. The higher frequncies are usually the ones to go first, whether through age or damage, so this might affect how you hear the concertina. Have you thought about seeing an audiologist?

Everyone's hands are different, so what works for one player may not work for you. It's no good copying another player, even one whose playing you admire, if their technique isn't suitable for you. I am an anglo player and a great admirer of John Kirkpatrick's playing. We both play near-identical 40 button Crabbs. He often uses his pinky to support the instrument, but I cannot do so comfortably, and if I try it greatly restricts my playing, so that is something I don't try to copy.

I am not sure what you mean by this, but taking your words at face value I wonder whether you are trying to get the full length of your finger under the rest. The shape certainly suggests this might be correct, but to do so would certainly force your hand into an uncomfortable position. A photo or video to illustrate what you are doing would help. I don't play EC myself, but I observe that most players seem to have just their fingertips on the rest. This Youtube of Rob Harbron has a number of close-ups of his playing, eg at around 34:40 which show very clearly how he holds it.

Whoops! I really do know better. Now edited, thanks for pointing it out.

That's not as straightforward as it sounds. It depends what keys you prefer to play in. The rows of a melodeon are a fourth apart, whereas anglos are a fifth apart, so they don't quite match up. Melodeons are commonly found in D/G, F/C and G/C, and less commonly in A/D and Bb/Eb. Other combinations are sometimes found (I'm not including the semi-tone apart boxes as these are a completely different style of playing). Club and steierische boxes have gleichtons, which play the same note in both directions which opens up some possibilities. Some, like the one in the clip, have an extra row which usually has accidentals and reversals, and also additional chord buttons. In that clip the tune is in G and she appears to be playing a D/G melodeon. That's also good for E min, A dorian and (less easily) B min. However that isn't so good for playing in C, as the two-row has only one F natural, and no F chord. A G/C covers both the anglo home keys, and is often used to play in A min, but isn't so good for playing in D. Think about what keys you play in most and then decide which melodeon configuration covers those the best. As well as the melody notes, you also need to thing about what chords are available. Note layouts for most of the common variants can be found on melodeon.net https://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/page,keyboard.html

At least the Jeffries Duet has the same physical arrangement of the buttons as the anglo, which makes conversion possible. The other duet systems each have visibly different button layouts, which would rule out converting from one to another, and of course the EC bears no relation to any of them. That's without the difficulties of different sized reed slots and chambers. The OP hasn't said what his budget is. My impression is that duets are generally cheaper than the equivalent EC or anglo. Of course it may be easier to find cheap entry-level instruments in those systems. In my opinion it is always worth setting your budget higher than you can really afford, and find some way to pay for it. You'll seldom regret buying a better instrument, and if you find you don't get on with it you can probably sell it again without making a significant loss, and possibly even a profit.

The more tunes you learn, the easier it becomes to learn more tunes. Most tunes in the Irish tradition (and indeed the other traditions of the British Isles) follow a fairly standard pattern in which many of the phrases are repeated, although perhaps with minor variations. Once you get to understand this structure you realise that instead of having to learn every note of the tune you only have to learn a few phrases, and a few variations, and then string them together. The other aspect is that the same, or similar, motifs tend to pop up in different tunes, and when you get to them you realise you already know how to play them. As for the actual process of learning tunes, everyone is different. I learn by ear, so before I even start the tune will have attracted me, and perhaps become an earworm. For me, learning the tune is a separate process from learning how to play it - I need to be able to sing the tune to myself, and this comes from repeated listening. When the tune is in my head I can think about transferring to to my fingers.

Sorry Simon, but I don't follow what you're saying. The Coover system shows a line above the notes to be played on the draw. Line or V, what does it matter? Or do you mean you put the V markings directly above the note head, rather than above the stave? I should have thought that risks causing confusion by cluttering up the stave, but whatever works for you. All systems for writing down music, including standard notation, are to some extent a compromise. Writing for yourself you can use any system you choose to emphasise what is most important to you. If someone is going to use tablature to learn tunes from published sources they have to go along with the system the author has chosen. The problem with anglo is that over the years each tutor seems to have made up their own system, so there are lots of different systems with no consistency of approach or even how the buttons are numbered. If the anglo world is now beginning to converge on one or two systems that is surely a good thing.

Any tablature system takes getting used to. I don't think this system is any worse than any other. A line above the note, or notes, indicates a pull, no line indicates push. I don't think that's vague or unclear, once you understand it and get used to using it. You may prefer a different approach, of which there are several. However this one is beginning to become the standard, if only because Gary keeps publishing new books which use it. However the OP's questions concern epeat marks and triplets in standard musical notation.

A couple more thoughts. Playing from music is a useful skill, but many notes can be found in at least two different places on the keyboard and the notation alone won't tell you which button to choose. However with experience you will get better at choosing the most efficient fingering. Even experienced players spend a lot of time when working on a new tune trying out different fingering combinations until they arrive at something which works best for them. When you are learning it's probably best to follow the tutor's fingering recommendations. They have already gone through the process I've just described. But they are just suggestions, and as your playing develops don't be afraid to try out other ways of playing the tune. Finally, don't be afraid to ditch the music and play by ear. Just playing around on the instrument will do a lot to familiarise you with the keyboard. The layout appears more confusing on paper than it actually is to play.

The anglo keyboard, or at least the two main rows, has a logic, but it is not the logic of a piano keyboard. If you play along the row, starting with C (left hand C3) and going up to right hand C4 you have a scale of C spanning two octaves . The same sequence on the G row, starting on LH G3 will give you the scale of G. As you play some piano you may already understand that the keys of C and G contain mostly the same notes, the only difference being F and F#. Apart from those, all the notes in the key of C can be found on the G row, and those in the key of G also appear in the C row, often in the other bellows direction. Unlike the piano, where each note refers only to one key, a note can be found on more than one button and often in either direction. This gives you a number of different choices, including the option of playing a phrase of music in either direction. Which choice is the most efficient depends on the tune, and what notes come before and after that particular note. This may appear confusing, but it is actually quite intuitive to play once you become familiar with it. The G1 on the right hand is the same note as C3. I suspect the reason your book suggests G1 for playing in G is because that button also has the F#, which is part of the key of G. You could also use C3 but that might not be as efficient, as you would have to change finger as well as bellows direction to go from F# to G. The notes on the accidental row which aren't sharps or flats offer alternative options for some important notes. For example, that same G which is on both G1 and C3 on the push is also on the accidental row as a pulled note (Ac3 on the layout shown). On the left hand the push G found on both LH C1 and LH G3 is also a pulled note on LH Ac2. This can be useful when you want to change bellows direction. After a run of notes mainly on the push it might be better to play the next phrase on the pull rather than run out of air. However you should be aware that the accidental rows can vary considerably from one instrument to another. Your book appears to show the Jeffries layout (which is often preferred for Irish music) but you may find your own instrument is different. The bass clef isn't much used for anglo concertina music. This is partly because most tunes lie in the treble clef and the lower notes tend to be part of the accompaniment rather than the melody. Often only the melody itself is transcribed, and other notes are shown only as tablature, if at all. It is unusual for a chorded accompaniment to be fully scored. Finally, many anglo players have little or no musical training and struggle to read even the treble clef, so asking them to decipher the bass clef would just cause confusion. You should look at the excellent "anglo piano" website, compiled by Luke Hillman who is a regular contributor. This shows the notes in relation to a piano keyboard and may make more sense to you. It also covers different keyboard layouts, as the accidental rows are not always the same, and some instruments have more than 30 buttons. Anglo Piano

I don't like flimsy straps, but on the other hand they should not be too stiff. When I had new straps recently I had them made from 3mm leather, but it has some give in it. If they are hurting your tendons they may be too tight. That may also be preventing you from reaching the air button properly resulting in it cutting into your hand.

But limited more by what range of notes their instrument has. An instrument like this can play only a diatonic scale in one key, so any tune with accidentals may contain notes which the instrument simply doesn't have. Players can sometimes find workarounds to avoid the occasional accidental note, but more chromatic tunes, or tunes which modulate into different keys, are a problem and may be impossible. I have only listened to a brief section of Comptine d'Un Autre Été. From what I've heard the melody doesn't appear to have accidentals and may be possible on the flutina (although you might have to transpose it into the key of the instrument). However you won't be able to play the underlying chord sequence, as the instrument itself can't play these chords That isn't necessarily a problem, it should still sound musical, but what you play won't sound quite like the piano versions.

David has beaten me to it. This is a flutina, an early precursor to the melodeon (diatonic button accordion). It is not a concertina, although it belongs to the same family of instruments and there are some similarities. A better place to ask for advice would be melodeon.net. However I don't think they are much played these days, as the melodeon took over. https://forum.melodeon.net/

I think many would agree that the designs for holding concertinas of all systems are less than perfect. However no one seems to have come up with anything g better which is universal, as opposed to customised solutions for individuals. With modern techniques such as 3D printing it might be possible to make more sophisticated handles customised to the individual player, and it might be possible to retrofit them to existing instruments. However most people are left to play existing instruments with the traditional handles. It is possible that someone may have tried adding thumb loops to an anglo, although I can't recall ever seeing this. The buttons on an anglo are quite spread out, especially on those with more than 30 buttons, and it is often necessary to be able to move the hands inside the straps, not only to reach the more distant (or very close) buttons but also to shape chords. I have never felt that this would be made easier if the thumb were anchored down. I have just experimented with improvised thumb loops (using velcro cable ties), but I did not feel they added anything. They had to be quite tight for me to feel they gave me a proper grip which would have any effect on bellows movements, and this wasn't comfortable and I didn't feel it gave me any greater control over the bellows. If thumb loops were to be adopted I think they might have to be adjustable. They didn't restrict my hands as much as I thought they might, but I did find it harder to reach some positions. As I feared, it did restrict access to the air button, and on the left side to the drone button which is also operated by the thumb. Whilst I recognise that these improvisations are not the same as proper fitted thumb loops, it doesn't make me think this is an idea I want to pursue. Applying tension to the straps is just another skill which is part of playing the instrument.

As a player in the harmonic style I would say that good control of the air button is absolutely crucial, and it is arguably the most important button on the instrument. I make almost constant use of it, little and often and usually while playing notes rather than trying to grab or dump air between phrases. However I cannot see any advantage to having one on both sides, one is entirely sufficient and to try to use two together would probably make it difficult to maintain fine control. I don't find the traditional air button awkward, but I know that some do. A lever may be better ergonomically, but my experience on melodeon suggests that it would need to be quite long to allow fine control. Geoff Crabb has designed one which will work both as a button and a lever, but that's quite complicated and no doubt more costly. The position and height of the hand rests is very personal and it is not uncommon for players to move them around to suit their hands. Likewise strap tension - you have to find a balance between having them sufficiently tight to maintain control of the instrument and sufficiently loose to reach all the buttons (novices commonly have them too tight). Personally, I like to be free to move my hands around within the straps, and I overcome the stability problem by supporting it on my knee. With looser straps tension can be increased when needed by adjusting the hand position, and for me this includes using the thumb, so I think a thumb strap might also restrict this, quite apart from interfering with the air button. Anchoring the thumb might also make it more difficult to reach all the buttons.

I'm not suggesting that EC players can, or should, use the bellows the same way as an anglo player would. However I am questioning the premise of the thread, which is that EC players don't use bellows changes for expression, when you only have to watch a few expert players to see that they do. The difference is that using the bellows this way is a more advanced skill for EC players whereas for anglo players it is built in from the start. No one has mentioned the air button. This plays a huge part in anglo playing, not just for air supply to but to help with expression. ECs don't have an air button (is this what bowing levers were intended for?) and duet players don't often seem to use the air button the same way. This, perhaps even more than the way the instrument is held, accounts for the differences in the way anglo and EC players use the bellows.