bellowbelle

Nice to meet you! Yes, it's a nice place to lurk, or post, around here! I also play the EC, and I do also play a wooden flute, but, I usually just kinda freestyle on the flute, for my parakeets to sing with.

Well, most concertina players probably don't multi-task when practicing, since it's wiser to devote one's undivided attention to the concertina at that time. BUT...if you do, at times, work-in the practicing with some other task or practice...what is it? i.e., I wait for something to finish cooking and I play my concertina. Or, more lately, I play while also holding certain postures/exercises, one that I particularly need to do (or, have pain) but tend to put off doing. I often need to do what I call 'The TV Pose,' which actually does have some other name, in Yoga, that I can't recall (though, the TV is my own addition)...anyway, I used to do it while watching TV upside down or sideways: -- Feet and legs go up against a wall or the back of the couch, head is down, and to pass the time, I'd watch the tube. This a good relaxation pose and good for the blood circulation, sore ankles, etc.. Now, I play the concertina while doing the TV Pose and watching TV. I have the back of a wooden chair in front of the chair I sit in, so I can put my feet way up on it. TV goes on. Concertina is in hands. Of course, I play over most of the TV show, but, I do pick up on some of it! Oops, I did not mean to make my name the topic title. Maybe I can change that... sorry.

The link brings you to a page with a black background, and lists of titles...don't know if you scrolled down to the song title ('Black Is The Color') and clicked on that? Worked for me! Hmm, I just looked again and noticed that it's a free geocities page. Sometimes they limit the data transfer, but then it'll work on a second try.

Re Peter Pan bus... I don't know how frequent that is, from Boston to Worcester. We've usually just relied on the trains (MassachusettsBayTransitAuthority, MBTA). Tend to use taxis more than subways, though -- probably subway makes more sense(?). Note that South Acton is on the same line as Leominster (I said Fitchburg, but, Leominster is closer). I can get to either one, BUT -- be sure the train stops at your choice, for that time -- I don't know that it stops at these places on every run. (We've usually had no problem, though -- seems regular enough.) I know that a reserved limo from Boston to our front door can be done for around $50. (Plus tip, if you tip, etc..) That's not bad, really, for the convenience! BUT, just grabbing an unreserved taxi to make the same trip is probably a lot more. I have never driven into Logan, and now the old route has changed, too, since the Big Dig. My husband always did the drive, but, he doesn't like to do it, anymore. I can manage in cities that I've had the chance to get used to -- i.e., all the little streets of Worcester (even just about with my eyes closed, now!), etc. --- but, Boston is to scary for me, still. Anyone arranging to go with me...I would ask that you call me from North Station and tell me what train you're taking, so I can pick you up at your stop without you having to wait. There is also South Station -- a train to Worcester leaves from there. BUT -- it's much less frequent than the one that goes to S. Acton/ etc., from NORTH Station. My car....what I'd drive to the Squeeze-In (no charge, just be a nice passenger ) -- something reliable, most likely a Plymouth Breeze...1999(?) or maybe my Saturn (1996). I'm told the Saturn needs a new Camshaft thing, but, the cost of it lead me to decide to just drive it till it dies, at this point. (It may have just needed some gas treatment, which has helped.) Hmm....I think I said what i meant to....for now. Trip both ways, fine....and of course I'd like to stretch both ends, to get the most outta the Squeeze-In! Extra note: Should we be on the way and have a car problem, my husband is at home with the dogs and I can call him to rescue us. In other words, WE WILL GET TO THE SQUEEZE-IN!!!!!

Here are a few sites that I've used at times: http://www.web-helper.net/PDMusic/default.asp and http://www.pdinfo.com/default.htm and also there's some copyright info at: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cc/index.html I found the above, 'Copyright Commons' when I was finding out about the (USA) laws re 'parody.' It was interesting! And, by the time I was through reading, I was...even more confused. Of course, that's exactly what keeps people going to court....if no one was confused, there would be no more court cases. Also, I was researching the Sonny Bono law...that was a bit interesting, too. (But, just a bit.) Eventually, though this mainly regarding crochet patterns, I just decided that if one is being honestly original, not copying, then, s/he's safe. But, hmmm...it can seem spooky, IF someone particularly decides to go after a person. There's a lot of stuff that is considered 'okay' until someone raises a question. I'd posted a humorous/sarcastic poem online somewhere...at a site that has since closed down, as I recall -- where I used a line something like, 'If happy little pigeons fly, above the (blank)-Mart, why, oh why can't I?' So, of course, someone pointed out that I was 'stealing' from 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow.' Duh. Yeah, I know....that's called parody. They do it all the time on Mad TV, etc.. BUT -- since there was a question, I did remove the poem. And, I looked up some info about parody. I was quite surprised to find out that it's a real snag, for some people -- for instance, the case with ... what was that, a book? --- 'The Wind Done Gone,' parody of 'Gone With The Wind.' (Actually, I think they did end up winning their parody rights, in court.) Anyway.....getting wordy, here... So, whatever, I try to be careful, but, no point in being strangely paranoid about it. Now, I'm off like a happy little PIGEON... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I came back and edited...I remembered, it wasn't BLUEBIRD that I'd used, I used PIGEON.

Hmm...not sure. (Right now, I need sink with plumber...our house sprang at least 3 leaks, over this past winter.) Also...checked on schedules for fall 2004, and I should have no problem car-pooling. College classes start before that, etc.. Oh, to anyone coming first to Boston...I'm about an hour west of there, and there's MBTA train service to a station that's pretty easy for me to get to, either the one in Fitchburg or the one in Acton. So, I'd be willing to find you. (Sorry, I will NOT drive to Logan Airport..heheh...anytime anyone goes there from here, they take a taxi!)

This will be the first Squeeze-In I attend. I'd meant to go, last time, but my daughter was starting college and there were some other issues, so, I changed my plans. THings are more settled now, though. There is a strong possibility that I can give someone a ride to and from, as long as he/she/they can get to my house OR to a nearby point, like Worcester, Mass. (there is no regular bus service from Worcester to my town, Lancaster, Mass.). Also, one of my eccentricities includes my refusal to establish a new, speedy rut on the Mass Pike. I go Route 9, which I'm very used to, now....and, it really doesn't take that much longer (Lancaster to, and through, Worcester is the slow part). The only thing that might possibly make car-pooling impossible is if I'm helping my daugher move back to school, then, but I believe she'll be there much earlier, so that will be all done. I'll find out ASAP, re that. So...let's see, I could take a total of...comfortably 3 people, maybe 4 if we're not bringing the kitchen sink.

Wow, how strange....I just noticed that, even after sending in my registration with the understanding that it takes place on the following weekend....I didn't even read the 'mistake' correctly, assuming that's what it is! Well, regardless, whenever it is, I guess I'll be there.

Someone else may have a better reply, but... I use Noteworthy Composer software. The trial version is (was?) free, though to install it isn't all that bad...I think it was about $30. (USA) when I registered, a year or more ago. They have a feature called something like 'Midi Importer' that's easy to use -- once you have saved the midi to your computer, so you can upload it (assuming that's okay with the midi author, etc.). I don't know if the importer is included in the free trial....I doubt it. Sometimes, the notation that imports from a midi is on more staffs then you'd care to actually see, but, it's still very accurate and workable. I think it's http://www.noteworthysoftware.com I know there are other composing software programs that people in this forum use, too.

Just happened to find this thread, now. Fun! I'll practice playing that on my concertina -- have printed it out -- and then I'll try playing along with your recording!

Thanks, I e-mailed this post to my daughter, since she is studying linguistics and related things. I don't know if she's heard of this one! (She is a percussionist, not a concertinist....can also play the saxaphone but says she doesn't like to.)

Hm....well, being left-handed, and writing 'western,' I usually smudge over all the ink...I have at times given a thought to learning a right-to-left language! But, I am no geek, really...in fact, listening to my college-freshman daughter and her friend recently, while driving them home for spring break, their conversation involved talk about tonal languages (Chinese) and what nitrogen does in soil. I thought, "I'm stupid, now. Can't even talk to them anymore!" Oh, well. I'll check out that book. I looked it up online, there are a few copies on Amazon.com, I see. Scales...re easy/difficult ones: Well, theyARE all 'easy,' but, it seems that as I practice, I eventually get to a point where my mind has a clear 'photo' of the pattern I'm trying to learn. It takes several repeats before the picture is really filed away in my head.

Just another thought to tack on, here... Playing the scales on the concertina (English, at least) is different from practicing them on a piano keyboard, since you're not simply moving up a straight line in sequences. The 'square' or 'cube' of the EC is more of a challenge, I think, at least if you're more used to thinking in 'line.' So...less redundancy, I think, to work out the scales on the concertina. It does eventually start to make sense, geometrically. Then, there's more freedom to move around, etc., as Allan points out. (I've had some fun 'cubing' aspects of music theory, so far, anyway...i.e., my 'music snake,' um...which goes on/off my websites, but, it's lurking somewhere so maybe I'll find and post him.)

This is not really bothering me, but, just thought I'd mention it in case it is possible to fix it. When I go to my 'personal tunebook' at the Tune-O-Tron, and click to make it public rather than private, I get the link for it....okay, so I click the link, BUT, instead of seeing my tunebook, I see the following: Warning: <?php_track_vars?> is no longer supported - please use the track_vars INI directive instead in /usr/www/users/aep/concertina/mytunebook/index.html on line 1 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/www/users/aep/concertina/mytunebook/index.html:1) in /usr/www/users/aep/concertina/mytunebook/index.html on line 5 Anyway....I'm not even sure I want to make the tunebook public, since this makes my e-mail address more public, etc.. And, I can still my tunebook, either way. -- Just pointing this out.

I thought of saying something about the day, but the snowstorm here got me so BLUE that I find it hard to celebrate the GREEN! (Wrote a song about it and added it to the Tune-O-Tron, as a matter of fact.) Anyway, happy whatever!

Yeah, I am trying to update my profile. I did manage to adjust my signature the other day, but, now, I get the following: Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information. The error returned was: Authorization mismatch - please go back and try again. If you have been trying to access a function incorrectly, please use the proper method. Something's not quite working, I guess.

Maybe....he lived near a concertina player...and...didn't want to listen to it anymore? No, that couldn't be. I don't actually know a whole lot about him, though, I know that his sunflowers were actually something more like chrysanthemums. Anyway.... hmm.

Not off-topic at all...I appreciate the mental test, to see if I can recall something. (Need that, to learn scales, for sure.) Um...it was morning. I was there before I picked up my daughter from her school at about 1:30, so...must have been about noontime. I don't know if I have enough energy for a contra dance. If I ever 'recover' from life, maybe I'll go to one!

My amazing husband, Tom, discovered a photo several years ago, and now he has made international news. This is NOT concertina-related, but, it's so exciting anyway, that I thought I'd share the news. Here's one of the recent stories: News story about my husband's discovery

Just got a really nice songbook yesterday at the Button Box -- over 300 favorists in it. Mel Bay's Irish Session Tune Book (or, something like that...sorry, the book is not with me). I've copied several off the internet, but, once again, I marvel at the wonder of the modern, organized/alphabetized BOOK! Save me lots of printing and sorting, and losing papers, and sorting again, etc..

You mean, the rest of 'em have been getting paid? Wow....

'Me too, same,' basically...on this one! And I know there are arguments pro and con re the value of bothering to play scales (at least for other instruments, i.e., piano). In fact, I've got a scrapbook of early publications from Etude magazine, etc., on that and other subjects. The point being made by Allan Atlas in the section of the book I was looking at was about 'scales that untie knots.' While most of the scales (on the English, anyway...don't know about the others) sort of flow along and there's no real need to deliberate over them, there are the 4 or so that can get 'knotted' or whatever. They require decisions about what fingers to use, and so on. (In other words, the point wasn't to memorize scales, simply.) Anyway...I just eventually discovered that I 'count' while I'm playing scales and maybe I play...spatially? You know, more like I know the SPACE where the next note falls on the EC keyboard. I am trying to get to know the keyboard(s) on the EC better...not really strictly playing scales. I'm all for tunes over scales....only building a so-so stack of memorized tunes, though, for now...I kinda prefer to write my own songs. Learning to share the air with my hands has been interesting....before, my voice was all in charge of that. Now, I'm singing but must let the bellows and hands have some of the air...it's weird!

I'm wondering if anyone else 'figures' scale-playing the way I do, on the English concertina or anything else. I've been working with Allan Atlas' 'Contemplating The Concertina' book every now and then. I've been trying to make the 'odd' scales become easier to breeze through. So, that's Ab major, B, F# and C#...I think (don't have the book in front of me). Anway.... while I find it interesting to see the comparison of how the Victorians played these certain scales and how Allan Atlas prefers to play them, I find that, in order to 'breeze' through them, when I allow myself to do things 'my way,' I don't do either. I find it easiest to play a scale when I'm COUNTING it. I find the first note, Ab or whatever, then count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, etc., taking note of the 1/2-step between the 3 & 4 and the 7 & 8. Now, exactly how my fingers know more of where to go, I don't know. But, they do. I still am not totally breezing, but...getting there.

I suppose SOME teasing is okay.... After several visits from computer people, Comcast and others, my husband has a new (rebuilt) computer with Windows xp, and finally got reconnected. I no longer have my own computer, but, I didn't want one, and I'm happy...just won't be online quite as often. Anyway, I decided to cut down to just the few forums that I 'talk' in, which is this one, and sometimes a few garden or craft forums. I'll probably add some more photos, to my albums, though, since I have a new camera. As for concertina....I'll be back to say more later...

Hey, I'm back! I see that you're all still nuts, that's good. I can be online sometimes, now. I no longer have a website, though. I have too much else to bother with. I do have some comments to make that are actually concertina related, but...tomorrow, maybe...tired, now! Congratulations to Jim, yes. Some to me, too, since I've finally got my old cat, Elvis, to stop harassing me when I play the concertina. He just gets up and leaves the room now. This is great, since it allows me to play anywhere in the house, not just in the bathroom! Anyway, later...