Jim Albea

It looks like the "View New Content" now only goes back 24 hours. I liked the previous behavior better, which went back an undertermined (or nice long way) back in the past. Now if I happen to miss a few days I can't easily catch up. That button was really nice because you didn't have to delve into each subcategory to see the history of postings.

I notice that the Dipper has side fretwork. Does that have any significant effect on the sound?

On another thread I made a suggestion of having a new sub-forum devoted to Frequently Asked questions. In that subforum the individual topics would be the faq questions. Within a particular topic there would be links to other threads elsewhere on the forum that address the topic. Here's that posting: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=11446&view=findpost&p=114122 Here's the text of that posting: "I've often wondered about this very aspect of forums in general. FAQs are sometimes helpful, if the FAQ maintainer is dedicated, energetic, and persistent. But alas, FAQs seem to always eventually go stale. So a fall back from that is to admonish the questioner to use the Search function. And then, in order for the regulars to cling to some form of sanity, the next step down is to start exclaiming "Horse!" at the questioner. The main problem is that all of the common questions have been more than adequately addressed within forum, and often in exhaustive nuanced detail. But it can be nearly impossible to find those threads. And then, from the point of view of the questioner, how do you know you've found the conclusive threads on the topic? And further, things change, lots of questions should be re-asked and often. So here's a proposal: Create a FAQ Subforum. Set up permissions so that total newbies can't post to it. Or to put that another way, only experienced members can post to it. Then when a thread comes along that is a "classic" in some way add a thread to the FAQ subforum. Within that thread there would be just a link to the active discussion. If and when another thread explores the topic again, then add another link to the FAQ thread. Using the Forum mechanism itself would help alleviate the stale problem and maintaining it would entail the exact same processes as posting and editing (and the work would be spread among many). From the point of view of a person just trying to find some basic info I can feel confident that I'm looking at the pertinent and recent information. From the point of view of a regular I can participate in identifying informative threads." --- I already have several lists of links to "classic" threads that explore various frequent topics. If limiting posting to non-newbies is difficult then it would still be worth giving the idea a try, and just wait to see if that becomes a problem. Regards, Jim Albea

I've often wondered about this very aspect of forums in general. FAQs are sometimes helpful, if the FAQ maintainer is dedicated, energetic, and persistent. But alas, FAQs seem to always eventually go stale. So a fall back from that is to admonish the questioner to use the Search function. And then, in order for the regulars to cling to some form of sanity, the next step down is to start exclaiming "Horse!" at the questioner. The main problem is that all of the common questions have been more than adequately addressed within forum, and often in exhaustive nuanced detail. But it can be nearly impossible to find those threads. And then, from the point of view of the questioner, how do you know you've found the conclusive threads on the topic? And further, things change, lots of questions should be re-asked and often. So here's a proposal: Create a FAQ Subforum. Set up permissions so that total newbies can't post to it. Or to put that another way, only experienced members can post to it. Then when a thread comes along that is a "classic" in some way add a thread to the FAQ subforum. Within that thread there would be just a link to the active discussion. If and when another thread explores the topic again, then add another link to the FAQ thread. Using the Forum mechanism itself would help alleviate the stale problem and maintaining it would entail the exact same processes as posting and editing (and the work would be spread among many). From the point of view of a person just trying to find some basic info I can feel confident that I'm looking at the pertinent and recent information. From the point of view of a regular I can participate in identifying informative threads. Now as for the answer to this particular question... two words: Hayden Duet.

Here's a previous discussion on thumb straps, with detailed photos. http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10804&view=findpost&p=108278

Hark! A Vagrant. "set to accordion music"... argg. http://www.harkavagr...ndex.php?id=149

Are there genres of music that sort of fall under the fingers with one configuration as opposed to the other? For instance would Blues tunes be easier to play with D#'s? Or would maybe the Big Band sound be best constructed with Eb's?

Those B,Bb notes on the LHS are actually not added. They are substituted for the high Bb,C on the original Tedrow layout.

So if you had to choose between positioning the Eb/D# note in the Hayden layout as an Eb, or positioning it as a D#, which would you choose? Here's a diagram that shows one of the Tedrow 52 modifications with the D#s crossed out and replaced as Ebs. (Also it shows two extra buttons on the right hand side: a Bb and B. Those two are just suggested possibilities if the air button can be moved somewhere creative.)

Yes it could be training wheels, or it could be clamping your foot to the bike pedal so that you have power on both the down and up strokes. But it really is not worth debating, if you're the tinkering sort you can try it out for yourself for the price of a few minutes and a thin scrap of leather. My experience with it is that I have both more control and more mobility. It comes from having the thumb as a full team member. Of course, your mileage may vary. The details in a neat row: -Thin leather (for flexibility). -Inch or so wide. -Positioned flush with the front of the handle. -Top screw snug (not tight). -Strap snug around thumb. -Inside contour trimmed away. "New" type handles are ready to go. "Traditional" handles, with thumb rest, present some complications. The Stagi comes with a traditional style handle so I chose to put on a different handle rather than start punching holes in those places.

This was actually the third attempt. The first idea was to try to get a lever arm going in another direction besides the plane of the handle. "Extension" was what I thought I was after. So I rigged up an L-shaped piece of metal and attached it to the front of the handle. To the end of that metal arm I attached a thumb loop. The thing was a disaster as well as being ugly. Mobility was impaired and that long lever arm pulled down so hard on the thumb that it almost immediately caused some sort of ligament damage. Back to the drawing board. I realized that the base of the thumb is the place to outfit a thumbstrap for anglos/duets. I got rid of the attractive metal L-shape and firmly attached the thumbstrap to the end of the handle. I did a stout job of it, piercing the leather with two screws in a row and then a third time on the loop back. Turns out my thumb is attached to my hand instead of being attached to some point in space straight back from the handle. This second attempt also inhibited movement but was merely painful instead of being injurious, so I counted it as good progress. To alleviate the pain and improve movement I started making the loop bigger and bigger. It finally got big enough to allow the thumb to move around freely (rendering the assembly pointless) but I noticed that the thumb really needed to be at an angle in just about every direction. Luckily leather is flexible unless you make a special effort otherwise. For the final attempt I tried piercing the leather loop just once on each end. On the top end I tightened the screw down snug instead of tight. This allows the assembly to rotate to an ergonomic position. Also I reduced the loop size so that it fit snugly around the thumb, and trimmed the leather so that it fit the inside contour of where thumb meets hand. This worked wonderfully. Since the thumbstraps now handle a lot of bellows control and instrument support, I have been able to loosen up the hand straps which allows greater mobility in general.

This weekend I experimented with adding a thumb strap to my duet box (Stagi Hayden). It worked out pretty well, and I'm definitely keeping it. It adds so much more control that I can now even play the thing up in the air. And that's no small feat with a heavy Stagi Hayden! My motivation for trying this was that it seems that the thumb, a fairly strong and versatile appendage, was just hanging around not doing much other than hanging on for dear life to the side of the hand rest. This link has several photos of the project: thumb strap photo essay

Ross, we have a photo of a prototype adjustab;le handle that one of the members built up. It adjusts in both X and Y, and also can be rotated (so dial WIck or Hayden slant, or whatever). I'll post the photo when I get more time. Bob Tedrow has seen it in the "flesh". --Mike K. Since I did the design and prototype of this adjustable handle I'll take the liberty of posting the link to the photos: adjustable handle

I found the handle on the Elise to be too low. I added about 1/4" inch to the height. It is much better now. Here's a photo:

Stunning. And the parallel (no-slant) button rows is definitely the way to go.

I had the exact same struggle, and I found the solution: Flash cards. This is an example of a site that has downloadable pdfs that you can print out and cut up. music notation pdfs I made a card for each note on my concertina. Then I shuffled them and picked out five at random. As I picked up each one of the five I went through the typical rigmarole to figure out where the heck it was. Then I shuffled that same five and went through them again. Then again. Then again. Then again. ... I kept it up until I could nail those five notes on sight. Somehow my brain just didn't want to make the connection between a little tadpole on the page and a button on the tina. Then I mixed that five back in the stack and picked out another five at random, hoping that at least one of the original five would be in the group. I pounded away at those five until I could nail those. I kept repeating the process and eventually moved up to picking out ten. After about two continuous weeks of this I could make it through the whole stack (46 notes). Then I repeated that over, and over. So, finally, now when I see a note on a page I can just play it.

This extensive article is pertinent to this discussion: Baffles for Maccann Duet Concertinas

Putting aside the debate between the high Bb-C versus the low Bb-B on the left hand side, ... if you could have one more small reed on each side (making a total of 54) which one would it be? Would it be the high Eb even though that one is already present as the D# ?

Here is a proposed design (with diagram and mock-up) of an adjustable handrest that I did: Photos of adjustable handle mock-up

I've ordered a Tedrow Hayden with parallel (no-slant) buttons and I know for sure of at least one other person who is doing the same. I see two key advantages to parallel rows: 1. Access by the little finger. 2. Reversed end playing. Searching these forums, and interviews, I've tried to find a rationale for the slant and the best I can come up with is possibly easier access to some cording combos. That advantage seems to be completely overwhelmed by the negative aspect of buttons receding away from the little finger, always it seems, as the bellows pull goes out. I remember when I first got my Stagi I sort of chuckled and thought "some silly person has taken this thing apart and put it back together backwards, because obviously if there is to be a slant it should go the other way". I was amazed when I discovered that it couldn't be turned around, and that it was, in fact, the standard! My next reaction was "hey, it's the standard, and the Hayden world has blessed it, so get busy squeezing." As time went by I started experimenting with trying to simulate a parallel handrest and have become convinced that the instrument would be significantly easier for me to play with the buttons parallel to the handrest.

If you haven't already, you should check out this topic: The new “Elise”, a 34 key Hayden Duet model I have the Elise, the Stagi Hayden, and a Tedrow 52 Hayden on order. Yes, that's too many concertinas. When the Tedrow arrives, at least one of the other two has got to go. It is going to be tough choice. I think you'll be quite happy with the Elise. It has a good crisp sound. Also, the much criticized Stagi should be seriously considered. It is built like a tank and is outfitted with the full 46-button hayden standard.

What podcasts would you suggest that might be "of interest" to concertina players?

As a person whose position in the Tedrow Hayden queue is rapidly approaching, this is a very interesting topic to me. It looks like there is a consensus to keep the RH just as it is. And there seems to be a consensus that it would be better to pick up two low notes rather than the overlapped Bb1 and C2. So is it correct to say that the choice is between the F-G-A-B and the A-B-C#-D# options on the left hand? And the F-G-A-B option is more capability where the A-B-C#-D# option is more flexibility?

I recently tried this experiment: flip the instrument around and play the melody in the low notes, using the right hand, and the backup in the high notes, using the left hand. (This is a cool feature of the Hayden. The button layout is the same, even reversed. Although "the slant" of the official standard points toward the handle rather than away from the handle --when playing reversed. Which I think makes the buttons much more accessible especially on long bellows pulls, but that's another story.) According to the theory I referred to in my original post, the strong low melody line should have overpowered the wispy little high notes trying to play backup. Just the opposite was the case! High notes when playing backup on the left hand TOTALLY OVERPOWER the low notes played on the right hand!!! So this calls into question the whole idea that the low notes, by virtue of being more diffuse, are physically going to always overpower higher notes. So maybe at these frequencies and this type of directionality these physical diffraction laws don't apply? If this is the case then "backup" itself has a tendency to overpower, unless deftly adjusted by the player. And if extra fretwork is cut into the right side then when reversed (and I understand there are players who wish to do a lot of that) the left(high) notes would overpower even more.

The lower pitched reeds are slower to speak, but once up and going take a lot more air than higher pitched reeds. This article by Wim Wakker is informative on this subject: http://www.concertinaconnection.com/concertina%20reeds.htm "...In general, larger reeds need more time to get up to maximum amplitude than smaller reeds. ..." At the end of that article is a section that is very pertinent to this discussion: "The last part of the journey of the sound waves in the instrument is the action space. Basically there are two objectives possible. The first one is to try to produce as much of the harmonics that are left. Because sound reflection diminishes the higher frequencies, there should be as little reflection as possible. In this case the fretwork will be very open. If the goal is to amplify the higher harmonics, which produces a very bright sound, metal ends are used. These ends reflect the sound waves better than other materials because of the hard and smooth surface. The openness of the fretwork determines how much the waves will reflect before leaving the instrument. In most metal ended concertinas the fretwork is adjusted to the specific frequency of the tone. The lower notes need more reflection, which produces a somewhat warmer sound, than the high notes. If you look at the top models with metal ends, you’ll see that they adjusted the fretwork to the specific frequencies. The other objective can be to produce a round warm tone, filtering more high frequencies. This is done by increasing the sound reflection with wooden ends with little fretwork. Wood is perfect for absorbing the higher frequencies and amplifying lower ones. The openness of the fretwork decides again how long the waves will be kept in the action space. In the 19th century it was custom to install baffles, to filter the high frequencies. This was done in two different ways. In early instruments they used spruce wooden baffles to amplify the lower and middle frequencies rather than cutting the high ones. These instruments usually had German silver or brass reeds, which produce very little high frequencies. Later, when steel reeds became standard, which produce more higher frequencies, they used leather baffles which do not amplify any frequencies, but only cut the higher ones. The type of wood used for the ends plays only a small role it the sound quality of a concertina. The sound produced by the vibration of the ends is nihil compared to the sound reflection they cause. There is a difference between instruments with hard and soft wooden ends, but again, it is the absorbing effect that causes the difference, not the vibrating of the ends."