Paul_Hardy

Well, I wouldn't, but if playing on a concertina tuned in a meantone temperament (as many earlier concertinas were), then the feel of a tune in C or D (or 6 flats) could be appreciably different, because the intervals between pairs of notes would not be mathematically equal (as in equal temperament). This is why Bach or Dvorak composed tunes specifically in Dm or Em to get a particular 'feel' - a distinction lost in today's equal tempered world. See other thread at present re Pythagorean Comma.

I'm fairly sure he means to compress the felt bushings that line the holes that the buttons pass through in the ends of the concertina. If the felt is tight round the buttons, it slows things down. You can do some of it by waggling each button circularly, but much better to take the concertina apart, and the end separate from the action. Then a knitting needle of appropriate size to just fit through the button holes makes a good tool for waggling in and out and round and round. Then when you put the end back on over the buttons, each button should move smoothly without catching.

Nobody answered, but I then found in passing a very similar instrument for sale from Hobgoblin - see https://hobgoblin.com/english-concertina-ebony-ends-metal-buttons, so mine is not unique. When did Lachenal start doing the Excelsior ebony-ended instruments with inlaid corners? Is there a model number or name for this ebony model without the inlay?

I took the risk and bought this one for £160. See https://pghardy.net/concertina/lachenal_51487/lachenal_51487.html for description and photos. It is a Lachenal - number 51487, so from 1910. The 'original' Wheatstone box that looked as if it had been flooded was not original and was a red-herring. The inside of that box showed no sign of water or heat damage, so the dire state of the outside is not explained. Inside the concertina is in good condition (for an un-refurbished 114 year old instrument), that has clearly been heavily played. It has steel reeds with no rust, and having mended a couple of split internal bellows hinges, the instrument is now quite playable, fast and reasonably in tune (to 10 cents or so). I will need to refine the tuning, and to replace pads, valves and thumbstraps, but after 100 years not a surprise. I think it will then be a nice box, other than the damaged fretwork at one end, which I am evaluating possibilities to restore - ideas welcomed. Interesting, the concertina has 'ebony' finish - presumably ebonised pearwood veneer, rather than the expected rosewood or mahogany. One might think that it was a Model 10 Excelsior, other than it lacks the usual nickel-silver corner inlays. Do other non-inlaid Excelsiors exist?

I thought Excelsior's had nickel decorative corner inlays, like https://pghardy.net/concertina/lachenal_58748/lachenal.html ? Or was that just later ones?

Thanks. Yes, the condition of the case was a red herring. Photos and description of the tina are at https://pghardy.net/concertina/lachenal_51487/lachenal_51487.html. What Lachenal model number would this be, with ebonised wood ends but moulded edges, steel reeds and nickel silver keys?

Can you give me a date for Lachenal English 51487 please? I guess somewhere around 1910? It's the one at https://bid.horners.co.uk/past-auctions/srho10189/lot-details/f9429369-b836-4998-814a-b1cd00d499e8. It's externally damaged (corner and fretwork), but internally fine and untouched. Steel reeds.

I store and transport most of my concertinas in those nylon padded bags sold as cooler bags to keep a six-pack of beer cool - concertinas are about six-pack sized so fit nicely. They are waterproof and insulated. You want a good quality one, with tough outer nylon, and thick insulation padding designed to keep beer cool through hot days! Not the cheap flimsy ones - too thin. My best two concertinas are in ones by California Innovations which are 20 years old now and still functional. Thermos and Polar Gear do similar bags. They have a shoulder strap, and I have cycled with one over my shoulder. There are also similar padded nylon camera equipment bags which might be worth a look. Similar but often not as padded are ones sold as nylon lunch bags. I stress that these padded nylon bags will protect a concertina against the sort of vibration and knocks that a human body can withstand, and are not proof against being dropped from a height or run over by a car - the previously mentioned pelican cases are better for that.

Does anyone else hear this as 'Dance to thy Daddy' (when the boat comes in) in jig time?

Yes, his web site has been closed for months now. He did respond to emails last year, but this year, having started an email conversation to buy new bellows it all went quiet at his end. It would be really good if he could sell his stock spares and the company goodwill to someone younger who could provide a responsive spares service.

No - I definitely started with loose thumbstraps and have migrated to having them tighter over a 30 year period. With loose ones, I found it all too easy for my whole hand to move forwards or back so my fingers land on the wrong row of buttons on one side, so be a fifth out of tune. With tight ones, so just in to first knuckle centred in the thumb strap, I get a precise location, but I can still reach right down to the lowest notes, or up to the highest ones. I do let my pinky move along the finger rest to let the hand swivel a bit, but keep the thumb stationary.

I like tight straps - see my post at

First question - do you have leaky bellows? - if you hold the concertina by one end without pressing any buttons, how long does it take for the other end to descend to full bellows stretch? There is always some air leakage, but it should take a good 20 seconds. If its a lot less, then look/feel for pinhole leaks in the bellows. Secondly, consider what you feel is a 'phrase' - some good English players like Rob Harbron seem to work in short phrases without ever (or rarely) fully extending the bellows. Finally, I think Michael's comments above thought you were playing Anglo, but what he says about how to change direction with minimal break in sound is totally valid for English and duet. Note that the question is not unique to concertinas - I played cello as a child, and running out of bow is very similar to running out of bellows, so techniques that apply to violin bow direction phrasing would also be relevant. I definitely use the bellows as I would a bow to articulate phrases.

Unfortunately all my four loan instruments are currently out. I have a couple more that are in the man-shed awaiting time to fettle, but that won't be soon. I suggest the Norfolk-based SqueezEast group (not far from you) who have beginner instruments to hire - drop an email to contact@squeezeast.org.uk.

Trial and error, with some basic guidance. Two notes harmonise well if their frequencies are close to simple integer ratios - starting from a root note (e.g. G), then octaves (G to G') are 2:1, fifths (G to D) are 3:2, fourths (G to C) are 4:3, major thirds (G to B ) are 5:4, minor thirds (E to G) are 5:3. All these sound vaguely pleasant if you play those two notes together. Notes that are any closer together than a third will clash - so you don't want to play an A at 9:8, or even worse an F# at 15:8 with a G (try them and hear!). So, if you are just adding a single harmony note to a G, then try one of G, B, D, C, E. To fit your example F#, they would be F#, Bb, C#, B, D#) Additionally, the combination of the root, the third and the fifth (G, B, D) all fit nicely together as a harmonious triad, and that is the set we know as the major chord (minor chords flatten the third). So if you are playing a melody G and you want to put a chord against it, then try chords that have an G in them - as their root, major or minor third, or fifth. That is G major (G B D), E minor (E G B), C major (C E G), or conceivably Eb major (Eb G Bb). For your example melody F# (a semitone lower than the G used above) that would be chords of F# major (F# A# C#), D major (D F# A), D# minor (D# F#, A#) or B major (B D# F#). Note that it is common in accompaniments to often just put an 'open' chord - just the root and fifth, missing out the third so as not to be too heavy. Also there is a whole system of common chord progressions - which chords follow one another well in a sequence, but that is beyond scope for a single post which has got longer than I intended!