bushlass

Bush Traditions an Aussie group dedicated to the collection and disemination of Aussie traditions and music have recently uploaded a number of concertina players and tunes. These tunes are mostly collected or written in a traditional manner. There are many more tunes on this site suitable to a concertina. Carol Helman Peter Ellis Dave Johnson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYh4BLetgEU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzl3ifZqh0A Stuart Leslie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijlCT4t9qO0 Players include Malcolm Clapp http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSelMln3hAY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN9haQGF8o4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wij-obBs5Ag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tok3D4cTXxU

A short clip of some concertina swinging by Peter Ellis. He was playing a tune known locally as the Spanish Waltz which is being played here for the waltz figure of the Alberts at the Franes Folk Gathering.

Here is one of the Ray's lass playing concertina with her brothers at Fleurieu recently. All the kids are multi instrumentalists which throughly confused the artist who was there scetching them!

The very talented Simpson Three with their parents. The kids did well to restrain the old boy who comes from a line of very famous Aussie concertina and medlodeon players.

There is more of the Rubber Band on You Tube...not all concertina clips. Just search!

It was great to meet you Rod and many of the other concertinists at the fesitival. The Worrall worshop times were hard but I made them, I could understand why many couldn't. There were many tina players there plus others wishing to learn. Next year we need workshops for absolute beginners! Also you may like to check out the Concertina Caterpillar I posted on U tube and in our videos here... we could have done with a few more players for a world record!

Well, please don't shoot the piano player ....I only volunteer here! If you oversleep, I will be repeating the talk in Melbourne on Friday May 6, where Mark McDonnell is setting up an evening at the Clifton Hill Hotel. Among many other things, Mark runs an Irish concertina session in that city. Just saw this note; I've been away doing other things. Looking forward to Oz. Dan wasn't going crook at you...just the NFF programmers. Not the first time they have got something wrong. Many people interested would also be interested in the Settler sessions.... and 10 am....bit of a hard ask to dedicated players who have been in the session bar until 2-3am. Unless you have attended a Nats and know our session bar this may be difficult to understand. Players, singers, dancers congregate after the evening dance and concerts and play sing, dance and drink often until daylight. It will be very hard to surface by 10 am and many people will have sore heads! I don't do Melbourne. The 400k round trip just for a session and lunatic drivers are too much for me now! I tried to put on a link to a session at the NFF , I was there that night this was one of many groupings and it was nearly 2am....

what terrible programming...on the Saturday the concertina session clashes with the Traditional music session or settler session and on the Sunday it is the first session in the morning and clashes with the Irish learners session... Not easy to make a 10 am slot if you are in the session bar until 3 am or later... however the dedicated players will desert the Trad and Irish tunes session to learn more. That 10 am is a bit early though. I imagine we will all be suffering!

Well here we are more worried about the heat melting the wax on the reedblocks and them coming adrift...happened to me before camping! It hink that was in Qld at Woodford one year.

Jacko Kevans and friends perfoming circa 1990Springtime brings on the Shearing about 3.15 into the clip Maureen starts playing her concertina behind her back and Peter joins in a bit of fun. Also of note is Prop playing a button accordion...upside down and left handed...he is at the right of your screen

I use a multifunction camcorder. The one I got of eBay for $35 AU records sound and videos and doubles as a camera. I like the fact that I just eject the SD card and can play the tune or clip on my puter. The quality if the video and sound probably leaves a bit to be desired but I get the essence of the tune. I have learnt not to have the camcorder too near the music source and that if I want to get picture to be in a well lit source. here is an example

[ Maybe the under 50 females are working and not spending as much time on the net as we over 50 males are. mike Why would under 50 females bother with over 50 concertina playing males.... I play the concertina and it would very much deoend on the concertina they played...have to be top end and well played!

If you can make it down to Canberra at Easter for the Nationals I am sure heaps of players would help you. You could try a few concertinas and there will always be some for sale. Often slow sessions too for starters!

There is a bloke from Nariel Creek in NE Victoria Australia who regularly has the last waltz with his Mrs who also plays in the band whilst playing his concertina and keeping strict dance tempo! I have a pic of this somewhere but I suspect it is on my old computer. There may be people on this board who have a pic of it. Maybe waltzing with the Mrs while playing is an Oz thing? Yet I thought a lot of the older players did it. Nariel creek have a great Festival over Xmas/New Year with bush camping, lots of dances and sessions that go until sunrise. A very friendly small festival for dancers and musicans. A great time to visit Oz too....leave the family and blews behind and come and have fun with us! http://www.narielcreekfestival.org.au/index.html

I have been playing a D40 for over 3 years now and have found it a good starter instrument. Not long after I started on it Peirre Hoof had a good look and play of my D 40 and decalred it good for starting on, articularly for the price. I am hoping to upgrade in the next 12 months but will keep the D40.

My curly retriever LOVED the bagpipes. He would get very excited if he saw the piper or heard bagpipes. He would rush outside to locate the piper and patiently sit beside the piper and sing....for the entire practise sesssion. He sounded like an extra tenor drone. Occassionally the old flat coat retriever would join in and sound like a bass drone but only for a few minutes. This curly had even given himself concussion rushing into a closed door when he thought he heard pipes! Now my labxcurly has taste, she likes the tina!

It is a Hohner HA112 The key it is in should be impressed into the bass strap at the bottom.

Goodonya Helen for perservering with the ear.I find with a tina and diatonic accordion the ear is great. When I go back to the PA it is dots or memory. It is also much easier to change key...as long as it is C or G!

"I think it's probably best not to include pets as "family" for the purposes of this poll, though that could be another category of interest." But...my dog is the only one that sings when I play? That shows a discerning pup. The other 2 only sing to bagpipes. One thinks it is a tenor drone and the other a bass drone.

Kids go through stages. Mine generally come to sessions with me!Sometimes it seems as if I turn up with my own band. I am only new on a tina but they do compliment me on progress. The teen is not as keen at the moment but he will come back. Not too many pipers also play accordions! Recently I attended my first music festival WITHOUT children. The adults attended a different one interstate, their first without Mum! They still expected me to pop up. What interests my kids more is who will get what instrument should I die. I may have to put it in my will, that will be a real catfight. No worries about any of my instruments going on the open market.

When I first tried to play pianno accordion as an adult I made no progress until a friend pointed out I didn't have to push the bellows in and out as much! I mucked around on buttons as a kid and didn't realize I had taken the action with me. Now I have a harder time trying to play a tina or button but I will get there. Much easier to transpose.