Boney

Very nice! Builds up well.

Somewhat belatedly, I have to disagree with this statement. A counter-melody is only a different tune from the one you're singing. There's no reason why you can't do this on an anglo. The only limitations are those which apply to playing any tune on the anglo. True, it does depend on your singing key being anglo-friendly, but the same applies to simple chord arrangements. It does require a bit of mental effort to play one tune and sing another, but that applies to any instrument. I think Ceemonster was referring to playing a melody and countermelody simultaneously on the Anglo, not a countermelody to a line that one is singing. I think that's what Jody was talking about above too.

I'd love to hear it too -- but I'd love to play it even more! I found it with a google search, it's apparently Jim Bayliss playing that large Wicki/Hayden duet.

Flickr works if you use the .jpg address, not the address of the page. I right-clicked on the 640-sized image, and pasted it here: Then, for even more convenience, I clicked on the "insert link" icon (looks like a chain, just to the right of the happy yellow face) while the text for the image was still highlighted, and pasted in the URL that you originally posted for the image (its flickr page). That means if anyone clicks on the image above, they can see the picture on flickr in different sizes or whatnot.

If you have the URL for an image, you don't even have to use an attachment. Just press the little tree icon above the box you're typing in when you post (two icons to the right of the yellow happy face). Paste in the URL of your image. Click "Insert Image." The image will show up in your post, as I've done below. This method does not use any of your storage space on concertina.net, so can be used for as many pictures as you want, of any size. Using the "Preview Post" button before you click "Add Reply" can help you make sure everything's formatted correctly.

For what it's worth (which may not be much), whenever I've seen a part labelled as "descant", it was always above the melody. Yes, this Wikipedia article says "Hymn tune descants are counter-melodies, generally at a higher pitch than the main melody." But also, "by the Renaissance, descant referred generally to counterpoint. Nowadays the counterpoint meaning is the most common."

More than one lifeboat?

Hi, Rüdiger, As to "life," I entirely agree with your footnote! I'm not too happy about "his squeezebox," though. A terminal "s" followed by an initial "s" are damned difficult to sing cleanly without sounding stilted. I agree with the idea of using "life," but it seems a bit odd...like, of course there's life there. I also much prefer squeezebox, I don't even call my concertina a "tina" -- but I agree the repeated esses could be a problem. I'd probably prefer to sing something like: With a squeezebox he sings her a song Of the wonders and fun...

Which is exactly why I used that wording. I suppose it is possible. If you can somehow do that without risk, and without paying shipping back and forth, and don't mind taking the time to do it, then certainly that makes sense. Which is why I didn't contradict you, but specifically contradicted the impression some people might get from what you had written. You may not have meant to imply it, but the feeling I got from your post was that it was rather unknown, but quite possible, that a generic Chinese concertina could be a rebadged Rochelle. But having seen many of the generic Chinese concertinas, and read about many more people who also have, and since not a single one of them was similar to a Rochelle internally, I find this highly unlikely. Somebody started a new thread, if you want to follow up on this: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=13452

Here's an earlier thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6289 I owned a cheap Chinese concertina for a while, and while the ends were very similar to a Rochelle, the internals were not. I've seen many others in shops that are the same way. Everyone in the thread quoted above who has actually tried a no-name Chinese concertina noted the same thing. As Wim wrote:

This style of ends on Chinese concertinas has existed for quite a while before the Rochelle. I've seen many of them, and played a few, and none of them played nearly as well as a Rochelle. The appearance of the ends gives no evidence that the action or other internal details is the same as a Rochelle. To imply that they "might" be the same as a Rochelle because the ends look similar is very misleading, I think. I can almost guarantee that is not. I've never heard of a generic Chinese concertina like this with the Rochelle's button spacing and riveted action. I agree the Rochelle's a somewhat clunky instrument, but PLEASE don't imply that it's the same as all the cheap Chinese concertinas...because that's how some folks will read your post. In other words, YES, I would assume it will be inferior to the Rochelle.

Thanks. That's -- large. I did notice that "T:It's a Long Way to Tipperary" had no "X:" before it, which confuses the file a bit.

I agree with Randall. ABC is mostly a quick way of distributing editable staff notation. Select the text in the post, open a new browser window, click on your bookmark for the ABC Convert-A-Matic, paste the text in, click submit, see written music. It takes about ten seconds. Or if you have ABC editing software, paste it in there. You can also use programs or web tools to listen to MIDI, transpose, put in chord symbols and hear chords, change a note or two, or whatever. If I want to make a more complex arrangement, I can paste the ABC into an editing program, output MIDI, and import the MIDI into my full-fledged music score editing software. Saves a lot of time. But I admit I have used ABC notation on a tune list to remind myself of the first half-dozen notes of a tune, it's more compact and easier to write or type than a staff.

Looks like 26937 to me. And lo, the Wheatstone ledgers list that number as "Duet Nickel Black 58 keys." I guess they count the air button. http://www.horniman.info/DKNSARC/SD01/PAGES/D1P0780L.HTM

This is a nice album of Irish songs, simple and sweet but not saccharine: http://www.amazon.com/When-Was-Young-Childrens-Ireland/dp/B000QZXX1W/ or http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/Len-Graham-Garry-Ó-Briain-Pádraigín-Ní-Uallachá-When-I-Was-Young-Children-s-Songs-From-Ireland-MP3-Download/11421832.html Spider John Koerner is an American singer and guitarist who often performs traditional American songs, many of which are sometimes sung as children's songs, but his versions are honest and not watered down for kids. I've listed probably the most kid-friendly songs below: http://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Knows-Trouble-Ive-Been/dp/B000S5AMHS/ Froggie Went A-courtin' What's A Matter With The Mill? The Leather-winged Bat Sail Away Ladies Acres of Clams http://www.amazon.com/Raised-By-Humans/dp/B000S5BR9K The Fox The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn Boll Weevil The Farmer's Curst Wife http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5DWNE/ Casey Jones The Days Of Forty-nine Stewball

I'm also a fan of the tune. I have recordings by Alistair Anderson, Kathryn Tickell, and Pauline Cato, and they all play the 3rd part something like this (as opposed to the last two lines of the ABC posted above): |:"D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"G"Bed "A"cBA| "D"Aaa "G"Bbb|Ggg "A"Aaa|"D"Ddd efg|"A"Bec "D"d2A:|| Alistair lists the title as "Random Notes" on his 1975 album, whereas the much more recent albums by Tickell and Cato list it as just "Random."

Of course not, if I understand you correctly. I use more grace notes on Baby Elephant Walk than I do on Little Black Mustache. I don't think I play any in the A part of the tune (which isn't part of the video). But as the first word of the post, and the video say, this was about practicing such things. I've repeated phrases over and over, and left in some not-very-good parts which of course ruins the tune. Which is a big part of the point, once again. It's easy to do many takes, and post a version without many mistakes, and be done with it. That's what I've done in the past. This "project" is more like sitting next to someone showing you little unfinished snippets of things he's working on, warts and all, to stimulate discussion and experimenting. I see so many people talking about techniques they're working on, but without hearing (and preferably seeing) them, I really don't know if they're just spouting theory or are making valid points. Maybe I should try showing techniques in complete isolation, as well as in a tune. I have an idea: Is there anything anyone here would specifically like to see me record and discuss? I have a new (to me) ornament I've tried in an Irish tune, but I have a feeling I'd be ripped to shreds for that one. Maybe something comparing ideas I use to try to balance chords and melody? That's something else I often hear talked about, but I don't think I've ever heard an audio example of different approaches.

Really? Outside the pipe ornaments adopted by Irish players I hadn't noticed it. Really? I hear it a lot. I think it's more of a "traditional music" thing in general, not just Irish players. Accordion players do it a lot too. For two quick examples, Alan Day recently posted about his "note bending cheat," very similar to what I'm doing. And I hear Rachel Hall of Simple Gifts do grace notes often on the English, check for example "Bumblebee Sirba" on this page: http://www.simplegiftsmusic.com/listen.html You do realize I'm practicing the same few measures several times through, yes? It's not an example of how often I would use those techniques. It's an example of trying it several times in a row, with varying results. What do you think of the last "slide" example, the one on the video I said I liked? What about my "Baby Elephant Walk" video, where I use similar techniques many times? No apology necessary, I appreciate and respect your comments. Certainly things to think about. Maybe I'll give that a try on a different tune sometime. But, doing anything with my left hand does affect greatly the speed and fluidity of my right hand, I find. I'm just not all that good a player.

This is another video and conversation topic for my concertina learning website, Concertina Corner. Perhaps this video will be a little less controversial, and more obviously an example of a "work in progress." Because the concertina has very little "attack" and "decay" time (the notes are pretty much on or off), and you can't slide or bend notes, it's common to use ornaments to add flavor and variety to the sound. The biggest difficulty for me is getting them quick and smooth enough so that they're not obtrusive...I feel like you want to hear the tune, not the ornaments. To this end, I try to play any "cuts" or "grace notes" with a brief brush of a button...so quick and light that if I make a mistake, the note will be nonexistent, instead of too long. No grace note is better than an obnoxious one! Here's I'm practicing a slippery stringband ragtime tune I got from a recording from the 1920s. The fiddler slides between notes at certain times, which I'm trying to approximate by adding in quick grace notes that fit between the melody notes. This clip gives some examples of where I think it works well, and where I think it doesn't. Turn on the annotations to see what I'm trying to do and when. I feel like when simulating a slide up into a note, adding a bit of space before the grace note tricks my ear into hearing it more like a true slide. A little punch of volume from the bellows also sometimes helps. I usually prefer sliding from a half-step below, but a whole step works too, and may sound better or be easier to finger in some instances. I also strive to not allow the grace note to overlap the notes before and after it, which makes a somewhat harsh sound. Even though I'm playing a duet, I think the techniques used and issues raised are almost exactly the same for an English concertina, and similar for an Anglo. Any comments or responding videos encouraged!

On an Anglo, I presume? I remember sometimes needing to get air for a brief push (or two) between long pulls, and coordinating the air button with several rapid bellows reversals isn't easy. Presumably a one-way air valve would make that easier -- just hold it down a bit before and after the reversal or through a few quick ones, with no precise timing needed, and maximum air in the direction you want is achieved. I imagine it would become intuitive fairly quickly.

I like Concertina Daddy better. Or: Jody Kruskal's Squeezebox Serenade The Old In-and-Out Singin' & Squeezin' A Fistful of Notes In Harmony's Way My 38-key Girl Jody Kruskal: Pleases Girls Completely

Playing too fast for one's ability is a very common fault, a phase it seems most players must pass through (and some never do). I clearly play too fast for my ability on this clip. It pushes buttons. Those who are struggling to overcome the temptation too play too quickly themselves are especially sensitive to it, and if they see someone else committing that sin (often, even more galling, without knowing they are!), it can be quite annoying. On the other side of the coin, you HAVE to do something badly before you can do it well. You have to push your speed to slowly improve. You have to play ornaments badly (over and over) before you can play them well. The trick is to play comfortably within yourself in public, and do those exercises away from sensitive ears. But my video was by design an exercise, not a performance, so that's what it sounds like.

Yes, a Wakker 46-button. As you can see on his web site, the overlap is from middle C to the B above it: http://www.wakker-concertinas.com/H-1.htm

Well, it essentially IS a reel, or a "breakdown." As I posted earlier, this is from the playing of an elder statesman of American old-time music, and tunes that are called "hornpipe" in American old-time are usually played fast and with no "swing" or "dotted" rhythm. It is NOT an Irish hornpipe. I suppose it would have been less confusing for many if I would have picked a different tune. You can hear a bit of Dwight's version here, which is of course played for listening by a better player than me, so it has much more lift and grace than my "experimental" video, but you can hear what I mean about it not being a hornpipe in the sense an Irish player would use the term. http://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Coated-Fiddle-Accordion-Plains/dp/B00000JMCF/

I haven't, but Jim Bayliss posted about it a while back: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=9125