bellowbelle

Here's my 'footage' -- baritone Morse Geordie and foot bass Wendy Stanford YouTube- March Of The Concertinas

Music in family... Kind of "yes and no." I never met my father's relatives who were performers, but some 2nd cousins or something were singers and did shows at Ceaser's Palace with Sammy Davis Junior. Some other (departed) distant relative was a piano player for Frank Sinatra. So that info kind of impressed me and made me feel hopeful that I had a teeny bit of talent. But I did know my mother's aunt, my great aunt Tati (Finnish), and she played the organ for a Lutheran church. When I found out she could play Cat Stevens ('Morning Has Broken' is a hymn, it turns out!), she was big-time COOL! My parents were not extremely musical but they made music a big deal via the (Baptist, not Lutheran, for me) church. I learned a lot through church, simply by being surrounded by music.

Whoops, sorry -- this whole time, I didn't realize that there exists an Albion baritone! I was thinking there was only the treble. Anyway, glad you made a choice you are happy with, Jim.

There's no air button on the Morse Albion Treble concertina. The Geordie baritone DOES have one. That doesn't make a difference to everyone, and the Albion is of course a little lighter in weight which can be nice. So, with the Albion, to close the bellows again if you end a tune with them open, you'd have to play a sound/make noise. I really like them both, though I favor the Geordie since I seem to have a little damage to my Albion -- needs a repair. But -- in addition to these two Morse concertinas -- I also like to play a Bastari because I like those hollow buttons! The hollow buttons are easier on sore fingers -- the impact from the solid buttons on the others is greater. Most people wouldn't care but I have problems. Still, though, I see why the solid buttons are better in other ways.

But while learning the tunes, that's exactly what helps me -- I'm better off playing a set in an unchanging order. Then after fumbling along for a while (a week? a month?) I find one day I "suddenly" have the whole lot in my memory. And then as long as I can call one to mind, the rest will follow. (Edit added) I mean I guess if you LIKE an iPad or electronic page turner or something, then i sound crazy. I admit, I usually am irritated by them for one reason or another.

But my ageing eyes... I get why people like various electronics, and I wouldn't whip out a long paper scroll at a session, ha ha... (don't go out much, either!). But in my kitchen, given the distance where I sit to play my EC, nothing stands out as crisply and clearly as the large black print on white paper. And I don't want to stop playing to click any buttons (except on the concertina).

Hi, haven't been here in a while but just sharing my discovery of the scroll...anyone else do this? Can lengthen/shorten the page with the clips.

This is hilarious. What's this from? Was he trying to contact space aliens or something?

Self-semi-quarantined, but enjoying the Viral Tune Swap.

Hello, me again after a long time of not visiting. Like everyone else for the most part i am forced to deal with a shut-down world.... will watch DVDs of The Twilight Zone and all that, but some concertina playing is good, too. I'd started posting some audio on my website again recently. So I sent my 'join group' request at Jim's Facebook site. Good idea.

Good idea (bottle tube). What I have is the A18 - 18 buttons, so not exactly "mini" compared to true minis. The inset in the pic below shows the Stagi compared to a regular sized EC, the Morse Albion.

Richard, nice work! I think it's a great "art form" making these bags/ containers because it's something you need but you can also do whatever you want. Dave, the bellows just rest slightly open, as I've let them do, but it seems to work alright at least for this mini Stagi. I guess I wouldn't do that with my regular sized concertinas, a Morse Geordie baritone and Morse Albion treble, and a Bastari.

If you go to my Twitter link, the previous tweet is a short video of the tote. This tote was impromptu and kind of tossed together... but I like it. Had a case for the mini Stagi at one time but it always seemed small and then it got wrecked, anyway. So anyway, just thought I'd share this, for fun... Not trying to sell any, really, but I guess that's a possibility sometime.

If I missed you there.... Sorry. I was having a big problem with my left ear being blocked (finally got better) and conversations were a challenge. Then, my friend and I left early because, all totalled, we had way too many challenges. Hope the attendees had a great time. I did get in a little bit of playing on Friday night. I don't expect to bother attending any more NESIs, though we enjoyed our long drive anyway and made some other stops here and there. One big challenge was that, though I chose the 'lodge' accommodation over 'cabin,' the only real difference I think may be that the lodge has electricity. But this difference meant little to us because the lodge rooms have two sets of bunk beds and unless you are extremely short (I'm short, but not enough) it's not possible to really sit on the bed upright. There's no chair in the room, there was a lounge with chairs upstairs (didn't see one downstairs) but my friend can't climb stairs like that. I sat upstairs for a while but the whole building kind of put me off so I slept sitting up in my van in the parking lot (about 1/4 mile or less up the road...too far for my friend to walk.....was not able to park where we stayed all the time). I didn't dare to stay on Saturday after only a little sleep, had to do the drive on what steam I had left. So I'll keep playing but I guess I ain't a NESI girl.

Hi, Alex, didn't mean to be so slow to reply. Yes, the Bastari has rounded buttons (white buttons in the pic). The Geordie buttons are not extremely smaller but they seem solid and more.... pithy is the word that comes to mind.