jggunn

Ken is quite right, I think, but I also think to find a Lachenal in restored condition with steel reeds and buttons would be hard to find for less than 1200. The Morse is a good choice if can you afford it but the Jackie is a good deal on the low end and is tradable to the Concertina Connection if you decide to move up in their stock,

I fully agree that the Watson presentation of chords was very helpful and in fact absolutely indispensable for me in learning chords. As I have indicated several times on this site, the question of exactly how to proceed with accompaniment from the point of gross chords to less bland adaptation is the big mystery. I have recently learned how to use and substitute the minor chords in the diatonic scale, and of course for ease one can use just two notes of the chord. With time it seems quite possible to work out arrangements for individual songs, but I am sure that there must be some general routines for taking any song and playing an accompaniment that changes notes on basically every word but which is not exactly following the melody. But maybe I am just looking at this whole thing from the wrong perspective.

I have been struggling for some time to find some clear advice on this topic. Most people who do it well respond by saying it is a matter of finding what sounds good to you and experimenting. The two times that I have actually sat down with a teacher for a couple of hours what they have actually done is take a song and work out an arrangement for it without really clarifying the principles. I did buy the Miles book but while the arrangements were interesting, it seemed to present the same problem of not really explaining the basic theory behind working out such arrangements. So I have been trying to find these principles myself by working with a music theory book which shows how to build up diatonic substitution and additional chords to supplement the main triads in the familiar keys. I am sure that are many techniques such as using two-note chords and counterpoint harmonies, but I must say that while I could work on an arrangement, it is difficult to add accompaniment on the fly without a clear grasp of the theory involved in doing so -- at least for me.

It would actually cost very little to send it off to Paul Groff in Florida where you could sure of a first-class job which would probably be done promptly.

I will second the idea that the English would be more intuitive since it has the exact same chromatic range as the violin and mandolin and can use the same harmony notes.

If you play mandolin, I would think strongly about an English concertina since mandolin arrangements are very well adapted to that instrument which has exactly the same range as well

Within the next year I definitely intend to purchase a midi concertina, but I have not seen anything on this thread that actually indicates that anyone has purchased the model offered by Concertina Connection and discussed experience with the instrument. I have been very impressed with the discussions emanating from Accordianmagic and the testimony of individuals such as John Nixon and Pauline deSnoo, and it would appear that one criteria of choice between the two instruments would be whether one possesses an instrument to be refurbished. I would, however, find it very useful to hear about any actual experience with the midi produced by the Concertina Connection or about any detailed comparative judgments that someone might offer.

Roy's discussion was very interesting, but I am still not sure about how to compare. In the Concertina Connection description, they talk about several keyboard layouts that are available. Does that mean that an English, for example, could be set up to be played like an Anglo as Roy had done? Could you have an Anglo layout but not have it work in diatonic fashion? Could you in effect make the English into a Duet? I will eventually buy a Midi instrument, but it is a relatively expensive proposition, and I want to be clear before I decide. Maybe Chris could say why he has chose the Connection instrument, and I am curious about which one Pauline actually intends to use. And what about Jim Lucas? What would he do or will do in the case of a midi choice.

Does anyone have any conclusions about how this midi compares with the one being produced by the Concertina Connection? I have tried to make a comparative assessment, but I am not sure of the criteria.

After feeling my way around via things like Oh Susannah I settled on Greenland Fisheries as my first real tune.

I purchased, from Paul Groff, a treatment used for leather book bindings which I have used on a hundred year old bellows, and it seems to have woked well to help preserve the leather even though it does not restore it to the supple character of a new bellows.

What a treat! Thanks very much.

It would be very interesting to know how this design compares with the midi instrument that is about to appear in production at the Concertina Connection and which has been under development for some time.

If there is anyone in the area of Sacramento and Davis, California who plays the English concertina and might be interested in a workshop which would focus on accompanying singing, I would be pleased to hear from you. Another person in Davis and myself are thinking about arranging such a meeting with an instructor named Ricky Racking, and we are inquiring about whether there may be some interest in this in addition to ourselves. I can be contacted at jggunn@sbcglobal.net

I know that the Anglo players will balk at the very idea, but have you thought about an English concertina which gives you exactly the same range as the mandolin with the same chromatic capacity as well as the combinations of sixths, fifths, thirds, etc.

I remember that a concertina player in the upstate NY area named Stewart Dean put an add in a Salvation Army periodical several years ago asking to buy concertinas, and apparently, in his words, they fell out of the trees. So I imagine that they are many more yet to found in that source. Also on a trip to South Africa several years ago I mentioned to some colleagues there that I played the concertina (English which they call the four-row) and they found a couple of octogenerian former prison guards who had not played in years but put on a concert for me at their house -- they were hardly politically correct but it was quite an amazing performance of not only playing but swinging the instruments at the same time.

I would like to commence a discussion, and receive advice, about accompanying songs on the English concertina. I am assuming that there are about three basic ways: single line melody; adding harmony notes; and full arrangements. I am not really interested in the latter but more in using the instrument as one might a guitar to accompany a song. The specific questions I have in mind include: If playing the melody to match the voice, should it synchronize exactly or should either the concertina or the song precede or slightly follow one another? Should the bellows direction change on each measure or extend as far as reasonable in one direction? Should the concertina sound be constant or follow the beats of the song and even syncopate? In seeking the chords, it seems most reasonable to use the lowest available, although maybe changing that occasionally when it works or is feasible, but they will usually be inverted chords. Is that a problem? Any knowledge about this or thoughts on the matter would be appreciated. Thanks.

I found Richard's explanation of the Button Box absence very interesting, and I can fully understand the rationale for that absence. The policy, of which I was unaware, certainly does seem to inhibit relevant vendors. We have been involved with the festival since its inception, and it was originally a very intimate and informal atmosphere. I suppose increasing size tends to create more structured and impersonal procedures. The Button Box venue was always a busy and popular place and where I, and I am sure many others, first became interested in this wonderful instrument. JGG

Yes, I am working in the performers' sales booth. I imagine Dave Barnert will be around. It looks as if it will be more Anglo than English, and the Button Box people do not seem to set up there anymore, but the Folk opera may include some concertinas. John Gunnell

If you can work your way through that book you are probably more skillful than most players of the English who focus on melody lines and traditional music such as Irish sessijon tunes and similar material. My experience is that one can play anything with the English system, but if you want particular complicated classical arrangements for that instrument, go to the website for the Concertina Connection and the Free Reed Center site. Allan Atlas has much in way of the nineteeth century material. If you are satisfied with something simpler, almost all music arranged for the violin works well but for simple harmonies and double-stops, I have found mandolin arrangements which stress harmonies in 6ths and 5ths very useful. But also the treble clef part of piano books which include relatively simple arrangements of classical music such as the New World Symphony provide some nice material for the English with some three-note chords thrown in. Also try the scores of sophisticated musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Cats. These are really nice arrangements that work well on the English.

Jim, I think the phrase worked for many Americans who interpeted it as at once committed to watching one's pennies but also tending to engage in conspicuous consumption.

In most instances, lack of humidity is a larger problem for most instruments including the concertina, but also unless you were to be there for a long period, it should hardly matter. Also you say Hawaii, but it is not all of one piece. Much of the big island is very dry as far as rain while some parts (such as Hilo) and some islands are quite wet.

The mention is brief but in Jack London's Valley of the Moo, BK2, Ch 11 is a reference to a little boy playing the concertina,

The Button Box was once a consistent vendor at the Old Songs festival in Altamont NY, and I was fascinated by the instruments they displayed. After several years, I decided to rent a Bastari English before committing myself. I had played (badly) banjo, guitar, mandolin, and other instruments. The mandolin, however, served me well as a prelude to English. After deciding to buy and not finding an instrument at the Button Box, I found my way to Paul Groff -- a talented Anglo player and meticulous technician with respect to repair and restoration. I bought a medium range Lachenal which I still own. Subsequently, I bought an unusual 12-sided original Crabb (late 60's) from Paul. Finally, the Button Box came up with a 50 button Amboyna Aeola which I purchased. I try to play them all, but often find myself falling back on the Lachenal. All of this came relatively late in life, and although I will never be a great musician, it is my soul (sole) instrument, and I know a great deal about the music, the instrument, and its history.

I would just add to the point about losing the reed that it is perfectly possible to disable the reed from sounding without removing it which is what Paul Groff did for my Aeola.