hjcjones

I missed getting to see you when you were in England last summer, so I'm looking forward to seeing you play at Bradfield

I particularly like the bit about the concertina being an instrument for the "idle and depraved"

That's where the anglo starts to get really interesting! Not only do you have to balance the bellows directions to avoid running out of air, but you have to get 2, 3 or more notes of the chord AND the melody note all working in the same direction! It sounds impossible at first, but if you have built up a good sense of where the alternative buttons are for each note then it's actually not too bad, and most experienced players can do it "on the fly". When I'm working out a new piece I find that I need to sort out the chords first, and then find a fingering sequence for the melody which will match the bellows direction the chords dictate. I would also support Chris's suggestion about using the air button at the same time as playing the note. This enables you to gain or dump sufficient air without having to "stop for breath"; the alternative is to make loud gasping sounds as you try to gain or lose air in gaps in the tune (which never seem to come at the right places). You may find you need to increase the pressure as you do so to maintain volume. Again, it is something which becomes instinctive with practice, to the point where I seldom consciously think about it.

You're right, of course, Geoff, the C/G is quite capable of playing in the keys you're likely to need in most sessions, and to have more than one concertina is undoubtedly an indulgence. That being said, playing in G or D on a G/D concertina is quite different from playing in those keys on a C/G. The difference is not only in pitch and tone, but also style (especially if one is playing "English" harmonic style). The choice of chord shapes and bass runs is quite different depending on whether you're playing on the middle row or the inner one. That's not to say that a G/D is necessarily "better" than a C/G for playing in those keys. I find there are some tunes in G which I just prefer to playon the C/G, whilst there are others that are definitely better played on the G/D. I find the choices get really interesting when you move into the minor keys - Em on the C/G is very to different to play from Em on the G/D. That's why I carry two concertinas around, and so I have a double case to put them in:

I have a double case which Barry Wallace made for me some years ago. It holds two concertinas, a Castagnari Mignon melodeon and has a small compartment for bits and pieces. It has a shoulder strap, which is a big advantage as I'm usually also trying to carry a melodeon in one hand and pint in the other There is the risk of losing two instruments instead of one. But I think if someone were to steal your instruments they wouldn't be put off by having to run away with two small boxes rather than one big one. The convenience of a single case swings the argument for me. And as others have pointed out, you can sit on it if there are no spare chairs.

I'm sure we all join in wishing Will a speedy recovery.

Thanks to everyone for their replies. The message seems to be that there isn't a recognised standard system for concertina in the way that there is for other instruments. The CADB system used for melodeon, which I think is the one m3838 is referring to, is easily adapted, although as I play a 40-key I'll have to think of a way of numbering the buttons which fall outside the standard 3 rows and 30 keys. Jody's graphic system is also appealing. My gut feeling is that CADB would be useful for recording exactly how a piece is played and for passing that information on to another player. as it contain full information not only of the fingering but the bellows direction for each note. Jody's system seems more useful as an aide-memoire for one's own playing, as it is less detailed, but has the huge advantage of being more intuitive. Of course any tablature system for anglo is handicapped by the variations in button layouts between individual instruments! For more information on the CADB system see here: http://perso.orange.fr/diato/exptab2.htm

I don't find tablature, for any instrument, very helpful as a means of learning or recording tunes, and even less helpful to play from (although I can't play from standard notation either). Where it is useful is as an aide-memoire for noting down particular fingerings so you don't forget how to play a particular piece. This is particularly useful on instruments like the anglo, or guitar, where there may be several possibilities. If I don't keep practising a piece, when I come back to it after a period I often find I have forgotten how I play some bits; it usually comes back to me after a while but it's helpful to have it written down. It's also useful to have a shared language to explain to other players, particularly when teaching, which buttons to press. It's no good just telling someone to "play a G" when there are several buttons to choose from.

I've been trying to find a tablature system for anglo concertina. Google brings up several references but I can't find anything which explains it. I'm familiar with the CADB system for melodeon and it would be simple to adapt that, but if there's already a standard for anglo I'd prefer to use it.

In my experience, all airlines mean by this is that there is a maximum permitted size for carry-on luggage. If it's bigger, they can insist on you checking it in. There's no guarantee that this size will fit into the lockers on all their aircraft, and unless you're near the front of the queue to board you may find anyway that the lockers are already full.

It's a pity that the press coverage doesn't appear to have mentioned that it was done for such a good cause. No doubt many will have assumed (as I did myself) that the calendar was in aid of the Hunt, and no doubt some would find this controversial. The Mail article actually states that it was to raise cash for the Pennine Foxhounds.

I must have followed the wrong link on the Mail's site, I could only find a facsimile of the print edition. I'm wondering what the Department of Constitutional Affairs will consider most likely to bring the judiciary into disrepute, his appearing nude or his playing the concertina?

My wife has now pointed out a full-clour photo and article in yesterday's Daily Mail. Unfortunately the on-line edition requires a subscription. Gentle ribbing aside, well done Mark, I hope the calendar was a success. It must have taken some bottle, I wouldn't have done it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,...2546115,00.html It's the second feature in the article.

I personally think the point about coming from a guitarist's background is a bit of a red herring. I am self-taught on a number of instruments, starting with guitar and moving on to anglo concertina, melodeon and hammered dulcimer. Being able to play another instrument has several advantages - some understanding of how music works (even if this is intuitive rather than formal); a developed sense of rhythm; and better manual dexterity and co-ordination. But I didn't find that experience of one instrument was much direct help with learning another. But I am very much an intuitive musician - I can't read music too well, and can't play from music (except on the recorder, which is the only instrument I had formal lessons on). To me, a C chord is first and foremost a fingering position, whether on guitar or concertina, rather than the notes of C, E and G. So for others the experience may be different. More important than your musical background is how you get on with each type of concertina. Some people can never get to grips with the push-pull of an anglo, whereas for others it is natural. I would entirely agree with the advice to try both systems before deciding which one feels more natural to you.

? I think plenty of people on here would disagree with you. Chording is very easy on the Anglo, indeed to me it appears to have been designed to play that way. Chording is certainly possible on the English, but only a minority of players seem to be able to play a melody and chord accompaniment together. The Anglo excels at this, with the melody on the right hand and chords on the left, although admittedly the range of keys is more limited. But the OP said he wanted to play Irish-style, so full-chording isn't much of a consideration. There has been plenty of discussion on here on English v Anglo for Irish music, which I won't repeat. However, traditionally the type generally used for Irish music is the Anglo. Unfortunately, concertinas are expensive. This is another point which has been bemoaned at length on here. They are considerably more complicated than a guitar, with a lot more parts, many of which have to be hand-made. The upside is that all but the very cheapest instruments appear to hold their value well. The advice that you should buy the best instrument you can possibly afford is particularly applicable to concertinas.

I agree with Brian totally. If you are accompanying your own singing (on any instrument), then you need to focus most of your attention on the song. The instrumental accompaniment needs to be virtually on autopilot. If you have to concentrate too much of your attention on playing the instrument then your singing will suffer, and this will be far more noticeable to the audience than the occasional mistake in your playing. If necessary, keep the difficult stuff for the breaks between verses. If you're accompanying someone else's singing you can afford play something more complicated. But remember you're there to support the song, not overwhelm it.

Which knee to use for support? Firstly, which ever seems most comfortable for you. I don't think it matters whether one arm is slightly stronger than the other, a concertina is quite light after all and either arm should be able to drive it without too much effort. However you will be using muscles you haven't worked before, and it will take a while to build these up. When I started I used to ache between the shoulder-blades, but this quickly stopped. The style of playing also plays a part. You want to support the hand which will be doing the most complicated fingering. Irish players seem to prefer to support the left hand, as the tune is shared between both hands and this is (for right-handers) the weaker hand - if you're a lefty you might want to reverse this. Chordal players where the melody is mostly on the right hand seem to prefer to support that end - at least that is my observation of fellow English Anglo players. What you must avoid is having the bellows across your knee, as this will wear out the corners. The straps should be just tight enough so that you have control over the instrument, without restricting your fingering or making the fingers go numb. The tendons which work the fingers run across the back of the hand, and if the straps are too tight these can become sore. But if the straps are too loose you won't be able to hold it securely, and this will also affect the accuracy of your fingering. As you improve you may find that you want to slacken the straps so that you can achieve more complicated fingerings. You may then have to use the thumb technique you have already discovered to maintain control over the instrument. However by then your hands should be stronger.

I remember at Sidmouth many years ago there was a Chinese band which included a sheng. It looked like a cross between a teapot and a miniature church organ, and made an amazing sound! We had a great session with them after-hours at the Balfour. I also recall seeing Neil Wayne give a talk on the early history of the concertina, with examples from his collection. One of these was, I believe, one of Wheatone's early experiments and had a mouthpiece instead of bellows, although I think the button arrangement may have been similar to what became the English concertina.

Usually when I click on a topic I can then read all the posts in sequence. For the last couple of days I've just seen the first post, and then underneath is a tree listing the titles of the replies. If I click on the "Options" button and select "standard" I can then see all the posts. Is this happening to anyone else or is it just me?

I get grumbles if I play in C on a C/G Anglo - usually from fiddlers who are mentally locked into G, D and A and forget that they can play in other keys. Playing in C on a D/G melodeon is a good way to annoy the other melodeon players...

Whilst I have had no problems insuring concertinas, along with other musical instruments, under my household policy, they will not insure them if they are being played professionally. They are covered under "all-risks" so I can take them out of the house to play them, just as long as no money changes hands. Neither my insurance broker nor the underwriter were able to explain the logic of this. The instruments and other equipment I use for paying gigs are insured through a specialist musical instrument insurance broker, who understands that the risks for a folk musician are different from a rock band, and is not fazed when asked to insure obscure instruments.

The late and much lamented Dave Brady of Swan Arcade, who'd lost an arm above the elbow, played a duet concertina. He used his stump to hold one end on his knee and played the other.

I hope this outrageous behaviour was properly licenced by the Ministry for the Prevention of Fun. Or is Oughtibridge one of the areas where the local council has sensibly decided to ignore the Licensing Act?

The session I usually play in is mostly chromatic instruments - fiddles, banjos, English concertinas, flutes and whistles etc. Besides myself, there are a couple of other melodeon players, but they also play chromatic instruments, so they have the option of playing in other keys. But we still play nearly everything in G and D, and if I play something in C on the anglo most of the other musicians won't join in. The other night I was playing a set on G/D melodeon and went into a tune in C, just to confuse the other melodeon players