fiddlerjoebob

Yee Haw! I'm in already... See you there. Randy

There is lots of room for buttons!

My pleasure! Randy

From my hero, Bill Waterson and Calvin & Hobbs... Calvin: "I like to verb words." Hobbes: "What?" Calvin: "I take nouns and adjectives and use them as verbs. Remember when `access' was a thing? Now it's something you do . It got verbed." Calvin: "Verbing weirds language." Hobbes: "Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding." - Calvin & Hobbes, by Bill Watterson

I made my trip to the Button Box about a year ago. They said "take all the time you want," so I did. I was there for at least two hours; I pretty much played the Albion the whole time. And, well, now I have one of my own. Once you play a very good instrument its hard to think of anything else until its yours. Randy

Thanks for the lesson materials. I have been at the fiddle for 25 years and I never did learn much music theory. I am tempted to learn a bit now that I am starting fresh with a new instrument. But, dang, it looks dangerous. Randy

Chris PS I should make it clear that I am not declaring Mornington Crescent visually . It's not my go yet. Oops

GodSpeed... r

what do you mean by "close spaced chords" ? the three finger variety? r PS, your "Michel Turners Waltz" is lovely... Thanks

I thought the proper place to stand while handing Charlie a sandwich was Scollay Square Station (change for the blue line). To get there you really have to have an in with the time warp folks. Not only do you have to go back 40+ years, but you have to get there at quarter past two, when Charlie's train comes rumblin' through. Why yes David, you are right on all accounts regarding Scollay Square Station, But I figured one more ambiguous twist from this side of the pond would matter little to the eventual outcome of the game, assuming there really is a Mornington Crescent Station. r

Gentlemen, this is all very interesting....And, so, now I must bring the "pond jump"into play...as I belive, the rules reguarding this gambit have changed. I play Park Street Station, where you can "Change for the Green Line" and, perhaps "hand Charlie a sandwich."

or...as shown in a photo comment from an earlier posting somewhere on Cnet... sorry theres no credit to the orginal poster. randy

Trish It's an English Concertina. Randy

I fully agree with you Ron I tell my fiddle students to work toward make their playing beautiful, however they interpret beauty. Speed later. Beauty first. Randy When exactly have i said, that i do not want to play "beautyfull", or that speed is more important to me than a clean technic, or that feelings in play are not important to me? I also never said that all music can be playd fast or faster than it is supposed to be. In my opinion many songs from Niall Vallely are played at an awesome speed ... and i do not think he is a bad musician. What you have done is to adopted as a matter of course, that speed is EVERYTHING i want and that i do not care about the whole rest ... but i have never said it like that (because i know from expirience, that it do not work). And that will take much time to become really fast is beyond all question. But then, i will not want the instrument to thwart me, because i will not be able to bye a new instrument for a long long time). Oh, dang, Sorry. I got you all fired up. I only meant to comment on the dozens of previous emails and share one of my most cherished teaching comments. Of course you may play at any speed you like, as do my students, even after my wise council. God speed, and fly like the wind my friend and fellow musical traveler. Randy

I fully agree with you Ron I tell my fiddle students to work toward make their playing beautiful, however they interpret beauty. Speed later. Beauty first. Randy

The seller says that: "inside the concertina is a wonderful antique 1880s label of a company of the time that restored and repaired English and duet concertinas" Hmm...I'm fresh out of wonderful labels myself. Randy

Give me a quiet hour at e'en My arms around my dearie oh And warly cares and warly men May a gae topsy-turvy oh. The sweetest hours that e're I spent Were spent among the lassies oh.

When I installed my straps I used threaded inserts on both ends with thumb screws. This way if I choose to remove the straps, even for a short while, the remaining hardware is a bit more atractive then a hole where a wood screw had been. Randy

I got my straps from the Button Box along with the "thumb screws" and the threaded inserts. Aprox. $20.00...I forget exactly.... The straps themselves are, as Jim says, asymmetrical so they wrap around your wrists properly and comfortably. They are also very thin, soft leather. I wouldn't use a cut up belt. For me the whole idea is comfort... As a woodworker I have had wrist and hand issues over the years. When I started the concertina last spring, I decided not to wait and see if playing the concertina brought back any discomfort. The straps may not be necessary for me, especially on this, admittedly, light instrument. But, I decide to start right of with them just in case. I have found it takes a long time to recover from repeptive stress injuries. After hand two surgeries, 15 years ago, I have made a pact with myself to "have mercy on myself." So far so good... Randy forgot to spell check

I use them on a Morse Albion and find them very comfortable. Initially I had them too tight, it worked for some notes but made others harder to reach. Now I find as they are less tight that they help in a general way and prevent wrist/thumb fatigue. I like them. Randy

Now, what's a diad? Two notes at once? Randy

Oh Blarney Stone! Oh well, I'll have to check that out, actaully I'm not surprised, however I will still give it a go, albeit minus the cymbal. I have an old freind, just over 90 years old now, who, when he was younger, would sit in front of a piano, play his fiddle, stomp on a self-made contraption that thru a series of foot pedels, levers and rods would plunk cords on the piano key board and all the while he would be calling the dance. One man band indeed. He also told me when he was young he would play at the dances until 2;30 in the morning and get home just in time for milking the cows. Now thats living..... randy

I think if you don't mention the word "swastikas" while showing the concertina to anyone, I think they wouldn't mention "swastikas" either. To me it looks like a woven chair seat...under...over...under...over. Try to look at it differently. Randy

Good Point Jim. Here is what the players at our session gave one of our own members last year. It's a two page story from Vermont Life, a fine local quarterly. It's a touching story. There is plenty of resolution in the photos to read the text if you can get the photo to show large enough on your screen. Its hard to top that kind of thing every year... Cheers Randy

quote name='Animaterra' date='Dec 27 2007, 10:09 AM' post='65101'] Anyone who was at this year's NESI will remember the passage in question, recited at the Saturday concert by our own Fiddlerjoebob. Magnificent! With regards, I subscribe myself, your much obliged and ob't serv't Randy