Boney
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Posts posted by Boney
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One of the things I enjoy about busking in Helsingør is that not only do most parents let their kids stop to listen (those who wish to), but it seems to be a custom to give the kids coins to put in my "hat".
That's pretty much the way it was when I played with The Tanglers at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. People would even leave their kids to listen to us when they went shopping. We encouraged them to play percussion with us. When the core of the band moved away, whenever I went to the market (just shopping), people would stop me and ask when we were going to play again, and tell me it was one of the highlights of the market for them. Several people.
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Don't know that I could ever learn to squeeze one side and pull on the other.
It seems wild if you think of learning independence all at once, but that's not the way we learn anyway. Imagine playing a tune as a normal anglo player would, but ver occasionally changing direction with just the right hand for a single note, while holding a chord on the left side. Easy as pie. Once that starts feeling comfortable, changing direction for an "oom-pah" bass, while the right hand plays in a continuous direction, would probably also feel simple. A bit of that, and you'd mix the two without hardly a thought. And so on. Before long, it seems as if you're playing the sides fairly independently, but you're really just stringing together simple patterns. Kind of like how you learn any instrument.
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Great stuff, really enjoyable. It was just starting to put me into "the zone" when it finished... could you record it again, but longer this time?
Thanks -- not without edits, I think! Maybe I'll post it again (with some others) in a few months, for comparison. Which is one of the main reasons I record myself anyway. Another is to practice the tune "seriously" instead of just futzing around.
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I got a Wicki/Hayden concertina in September 2006, and I like the layout and possibilities a lot. I haven't been playing it as much as I hoped, largely because the Stagi takes so much effort to play -- compared to my Wakker anglo, it's a real bear. The straps dig channels into the backs of my hands, and my shoulders ache. But I've learned a few simple tunes, so I thought I'd post something. This is an old-time tune called "Little Rabbit," with a simple oom-pah bass. No edits (warts and all). That Stagi is sure accordion-sounding, and clicky too.
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Were you to take say, Eric Clapton as humbly set up with an acoustic guitar in the same location during rush hour a similar result would in my opinion be achieved.
Quite likely so. As long as nobody recognized him, which underscores my point about celebrity -- do you agree with that part?
I wasn't singling out classical music as the only type that would create this type of response. More pointing out that classical music does take more attention, effort and preparation to appreciate than pop music (pretty much by definition). Also, classical music is just about the only kind that is heavily promoted in schools, so it's quite common to hear technically proficient players that sound like "generic classical music" (as one of the passerbys interviewed in the articles said), and Mr. Bell's performance seems very similar to an uneducated ear, if you aren't paying attention.
I'd be interested to hear your theories, Mark.
Here's a question -- what kind of solo performer would get more attention and appreciation? Assuming no celebrity effect, of course. Artis the Spoonman would be a likely candidate, I think.
Here's another question: How would Mr. Bell have done at a relaxed upscale farmer's market?
What also bothered me is the apparent assumption that buskers are mainly doing it for the money, and that to not give money to them would be taken as some sort of snub. Maybe that's true of some, but many just do it for fun and to share the music, and are perfectly satisfied with people who listen and enjoy themselves. The money is a little bonus, if anything.
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The Washington Post Magazine has a story today about a top violinist who tried busking outside a Washington Metro station. Interesting and discouraging for potential buskers.
Thanks for that link. Very interesting. I think classical music has a funny place in our society. People hear it, and tend to immediately pigeonhole it as "highbrow arty" stuff, and turn off to it. The general shape of it is so familiar, and there are so many people who have the skill to technically (but mechanically) play the notes, that it's easy to ignore, even if it's "impressive." But the nature of it is that the details hold the life of it. And it takes effort, a more active listening, and a more informed, prepared listener, to appreciate those details.
I think the "experiment" says a lot more about celebrity than it does about music. Celebrities make it easy for us to decide where to spend our adulation, without risk or fear.
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I don't see anywhere in the first post where they're asking for concertina players. It looks like they're asking for orchestral players:
She plays the part of a music teacher, and the big finale of the film is to have her school orchestra playing an amazing concert comprising arrangements of songs from the 70s.Am I missing something?
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I've seen several of these with the leather under the grill (you can usually see it through the fretwork). I'm guessing someone took it out (to increase volume, probably), and used it to protect the instrument around the buttons, or alter the feel. It looks like a homemade job to me.
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So sorry, Liza Jane is temporarily out of stock at cdBaby. Try back again in a few days. Our ice storm this weekend must have messed up the postal service in ways I can’t even imagine.
Well, I've got mine, and I'm glad I do. Some very nice playing. The vocals I'm not as fond of -- partly the way they're recorded.
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IMO Friday Harbor isn't even the most beautiful spot among the islands.
So what spot do you think is? I haven't explored the islands yet.
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As Samantha said above, "There is no numerical correlation between the number in the tempo marking and those in the time signature." The tempo can be anything you want. Even if you're playing a triplet at a tempo of 100, the software will divide it up correctly. And people's internal rhythms, of course, have nothing to do with numbers anyway, but with feel. As a silly analogy, you can print your sheet music at any size too, it doesn't have to be divisible by a certain number of inches, no matter what the time signature is!
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One other thing - much emphasis is often placed on the "faults" of the various systems, as though a musical instrument having limitations is a bad thing. I don't think it is; in fact I think having limitations to work around can be a great source of creativity.
I think this is a great point. It's where so much musical style comes from. Any many other styles have come from trying to emulate the styles of other instruments on your own instrument.
I've thought about what it is about that anglo that seems to either support or attract a more vigorous, bouncy rhythm and dynamics. I think it's because you often on the anglo have to change bellows direction very quicky, sometimes just for one note and then back again. So you have to learn how to use the bellows very physically, using more of your body, almost like the way a drummer slaps a hand drum. You can learn to do this very smoothly and efficiently, but there's still a lot of energy that goes into it, and it comes out in the music. You never have to learn this playing an english or duet, and it's difficult to take the effort to learn when you don't have to -- especially because it's not easy, and there's very little payback until you get pretty good at it. So it comes right back to the limitations of an instrument helping to create a style.
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Fantastic! A real inspiration, there.
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So Boney, are you also a Hayden Duet player?
Also exactly my opinion.So you may get back to working on that Hayden designIf so, what are you currently playing? A Stagi like mine?
I just started learning the Hayden/Wicki duet about five months ago. It has a lot of promise, but I've mostly been just picking out melodies so far. Changing bellows direction is actually a bit tricky for me, coming from anglo -- it's strange to change because you want to, instead of because you have to! But it's starting to come more naturally -- sort of like learning to ride the air button on an anglo, eventually I'm sure it'll become mostly automatic. I do have a Stagi now, but I'd really like something nicer. When I go from the Stagi to my Wakker anglo, it's like going from driving a rattling delivery van with bald tires, to a sports car. A few more buttons would be nice too.
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I was not offended when I saw the source and knew it must be some technical error. I don't need a personal email or apology and I would think I am not alone.
Exactly my opinion.
So you may get back to working on that Hayden designAlso exactly my opinion.
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I don't know what parts I'd call "overloaded." I thought it was very enjoyable, especially from someone fairly new to the instrument. I like the low notes especially! But I'll confess I don't like the way way you've phrased Hatikvah, the amount of swing you use (which implies to me bounce and fun) seems at odds with the plaintive melody.
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with a relatively flat bridge and slack bow it should be possible to bow all the notes simultaneously. But I'm no music scholar, just a part-time musician, and I don't know whether baroque violinists actually did that.
Baroque violins did use flatter bridges and slacker bows. I just found a few references:
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I think I'll have to add holes to the straps, because they're still a bit loose on the tightest setting.
Congrats, it's a fun instrument, I agree with what was said earlier, play a lot and experiment and have fun -- that helps me a lot more than dry drills, in any case.
I did want to mention, the straps are supposed to be a bit loose to give your hands some mobility. When I started out, I had them almost snug, but experimented with different tightnesses, and ended up with them much looser. Different things work for different people, but for me, they're loose enough that I can easily put two fingers between the back of my hand and the strap, even three. I'm sure you'll figure out soon enough what works for you, but I found that having them too tight can cause strain, so be careful.
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Nice stuff! I liked the harmonization in Hatikvah. I does have a bit of a lumbering sound to it, that and the low pitch make me think of a bassoon.
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I've started looking for a good Hayden concertina, one with at least 60 buttons or so. I've played anglo for about three and a half years, and I've been becoming a bit dissatisfied with its shortcomings, especially since I've been trying to learn fuller, more complex arrangements in various keys. The non-intuitive layout also seems to be holding me back from picking tunes up quickly and remembering them -- I'm still prone to "train wrecks" when something goes wrong, like the bellows direction getting out of synch. I was considering getting an anglo with 36 or 40 keys, but I also thought I'd like to try the Hayden layout. I do like the bounciness of the anglo, but I think my experience with it will help me transfer those techniques to a duet. I was also considering trying something like a chromatic button acordion, but I really like the sound of concertina reeds, the portability of the concertina, and the fully-independent left-hand side.
So I bought a Stagi Hayden from the Button Box in September, and have been tinkering around with it enough to realize I want to really make a go at it -- tunes seem to really fall under my fingers easily! But the Stagi, besides sounding mediocre, is a real bear to play compared to my Wakker anglo, even though it's starting to break in a bit. I'm going to continue playing anglo, and won't give up my Wakker, but I do have a weak Stagi anglo and an incredibly sweet old-timey sounding 20-button Lachenal I might part with to fund a new Hayden (as well as selling my Stagi Hayden). Oh, and I'll probably sell a beat-up Wheatstone english I was thinking of trying to restore as a learning exercise, but with the Hayden, I don't think I have the motivation.
So, I'm putting a feeler out to see what's out there. I know both the Button Box and the Concertina Connection are planning to eventually make Hayden boxes, and I might just wait for them. The Stagi I have isn't that bad, it's just not a "joy" to play. But if I run across a good Hayden, I'm ready to buy. So, if you have anything you think I might consider, let me know! I know I can't be too picky with the small number of instruments out there, but I want something that's a very supple and easy squeeze, I prefer a mellow oboe-like tone as opposed to a prominent, brassy tone, and small is nice.
I've sent this note to Chris Algar (of Barleycorn Concertinas) and Paul Groff, but if anyone knows of any other places to look (or even better, a lead on an instrument), please let me know! Thanks.
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Don't learn the tunes from the music. Learn them by listening. If you don't have a recording, make one yourself either on your computer (using music software) or by reading from the music, but then put the music aside and learn it from the recording.
Printed music is a crutch. As long as you have it in front of you it will be very difficult to learn to play without it.
That is just simply wrong. Printed music is a tool and it is NOT difficult to play without it. If you read music you have far more music available than if you don't.
Printed music is just a skeleton of a tune, an idea of the melody. You need recordings to know what it's supposed to sound like, to get the rhythm and the feel of the tune.
I agree with both of you, although I wouldn't say you should never learn tunes from printed music. I'd say it's best to be well-practiced in both.
The real issue is, some people NEVER use their ear much, either while learning or playing. Those are the folks who are stuck in front of a music stand and sound like automatons. You have to listen carefully and deeply to other players and to yourself to get at the subtleties of the music that aren't on the page. Those who naturally learn by ear have a leg up on that process. But learning a tune from sheet music does NOT keep you from listening to others and to yourself when you're playing or refining the tune. Although having sheet music in front of you as you play (even if you don't look at it much) does seem to interfere with listening and interplay.
So, learn it however you can, ditch the sheet music as soon as possible, and listen, listen, listen.
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Just stumbled across this one today:
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Take your Stagi, depress air button and just stretch the bellows, unitll you hear slight creaking. Stop and hold it there for some moments. Close and repeat several times. It doesn't hurt the bellows, it chips off the hardened glue I believe.
Well, thanks! I had fully opened and closed it quite a few times to try to break it in, but didn't pull it open hard at all. So, I gave it a good firm pull and held it for a while, and after a few times, that seems to have helped quite a bit. It's still pretty sluggish, but I'm used to my Wakker anglo. A bit like comparing driving a delivery van with a 2-seater sports car...
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A few months ago I decided to take the plunge and try the Wicki (AKA Hayden) duet layout. I figured I could get a Stagi right away, and see how I like the system, and sell it off to some other beginner for a small loss when I either decide I don't like it or I want to upgrade. I knew what I was getting into. And the Stagi isn't that bad, a bit slow, a bit ugly sounding. The buttons don't get stuck. But there is one big problem: it just takes so much force to open and close the bellows! Even when using the air button, you really have to mash it closed and haul it open. It's impossible to keep my hands loose and supple while playing. So I'm wondering: is there ANY way to make the concertina open and close more easily? Where exactly is all that resistance coming from? The cardboard in the bellows?
By the way, so far I really like the Wicki layout, I'll probably be looking for an upgrade soon. But it may take a while to find one, and if I could just get the Stagi a bit easier to play, it'd make a huge difference.
More On Busking
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
Thanks for the blog link. Good stuff. Here's a musician who posted there who makes the same point I was trying to: