Dave Rogers

Ain't no hard & fast guidelines that I'm aware of. If you can play a dozen or so tunes at the speed they're meant to be played at (that means danceable-to in my book) without making mistakes, you're out of the "beginner" class, in my view. But you're not in the "advanced" category until you can join in at most sessions with the majority of tunes without people giving you "Paddington Bear" hard looks. That must make me "intermediate".

This is my 31 key G/D Ball Beavon c.1903 Crabb Anglo. Why do I like it? It's the first and only *good* (as in quality) musical instrument I've ever owned in over 40 years of playing various cheapo examples!

Apparently only 2% of the population have green eyes and they're more common in women. That should narrow things down a bit if it came to an identity parade.

Try keeping it *outside* the fridge - it'll last a good week unless your office is like the tropics and it'll taste better as well as spreading more easily.

Sounds as though you might have bought the "Standard" instead of the "Spreadable" version - Either that or your fridge is set way too cold...

Rock/Pop bands do occasionally come up with songs that are based on a trad (or trad-sounding) melody or riff and which do or could sound good on concertina. Apart from the Status Quo "Burning Bridges" example, I've heard Border Morris danced to Abba's "Super Trouper" and Jona Lewie's "Stop the Cavalry" has "Stockport Polka" running through it. Doesn't happen very often, though, which is probably best for all concerned. This is "Burning Bridges": http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-HsrqzkywSg I'll see if I can track down a recording of the Irish tune that it reminds me of.... Edit: It's the middle tune of this set: http://www.soundlantern.com/UpdatedSoundPa...heKilfenora.mp3

The riff in "Burning Bridges" by Status Quo is very danceable and playable to and sounds very similar to an Irish Trad tune (which *might* be a Kilfenora slide).

I remember seeing Mike Harding playing a bass concertina to accompany one of his self-penned songs, "The Ghost of the Cafe Gunga Din". If anyone has seen him perform this, the verbal introduction (an allegedly true story about a drunk eating his own handkerchief in mistake for a chapati) is far longer than the song itself (and much funnier).

The original thread about the Wheatstone G/D: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php...467&hl=frog

I played that G/D Wheatstone when I went to see Chris back in May. I went for my Crabb in preference (even though it was considerably more expensive), but the Wheatstone was a very nice sounding instrument. It's been discussed on here before (about last March/April, I think) and somebody then commented on the lack of openings in the fretwork and thought it might sound "like a frog in a well". It actually sounds much better than that, but for whatever reason it's obviously taking a while to shift.

All of a sudden, I've decided to change my avatar...It's quite hard to see what's happening here, but it's a dashing bearded concertinaist snogging a lovely female pianist. Er, I'm the concertinaist (obviously).

As any skoolboy kno, *all* dwarfs have beards, even the female ones (allegedly), so you'd fit in perfectly. What I want to know is, why is Dopey the only one of the seven *not* to have a beard - is he a spy from another mythological race?

And in the words of Homer Simpson, "Every time I learn something new, it pushes out some of the old stuff."

If you can reach all the notes that you need to play all the tunes that you want without straining or dislocating anything, you've got it.

At the very beginning of the first "River of Sound" tv programme, there are a couple of musicians playing for a roomful of dancers doing a polka. The accordian player is stamping his foot for all he's worth, but he has bare feet, so (presumably) nobody can hear him. There's your answer - "All footwear to be left at the door" of every session!

flub threw? What we on this side of the Pond would call "busking it", I'd guess?

I'd just like to state that, although my froggy avatar appears to be wearing a skirt, I am not one of the two voters who claimed to be transgender/hermaphrodite.

I managed to get away without having one the last time I visited (about 5 years ago), but I've been advised that I'd need one if I went now. Security checks have become a lot tougher because of fears about terrorism.

Two things, according to Benjamin Franklin - Death and Taxes.

Take your pick of this lot (plenty of alternative names): http://www.thesession.org/tunes/index/sear...d=&mode_id= Most should have MIDI files to download (not that they're very pleasant to play along to!).

If it's any comfort, LDT, I hadn't got a clue either - I still haven't much, even after reading this Wikipedia article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meantone_temperament Getting into the technicalities of concertinas (or any other musical instrument) is fascinating but not essential to the enjoyment of playing.

Yus.

Why not just "Pin" the Newbies thread permanently at the top of the page? Another forum I visit (on a non-musical subject) does this, and they use the same software as Concertina.net

Really? Over 80 posts in the thread so far, and only 1 or 2 that might remotely be construed as "puffery". Most posters seem to be quite self-deprecating about their abilities. My main musical interest these days is recording myself playing and singing (since my last Morris side folded through lack of numbers) and I find using different instruments adds a bit of variety and interest. Some might prefer to concentrate on a single instrument, others get pleasure from trying several. The "real trick" for you might be to play one instrument well. Others may prefer to be Jacks (or Jills) of All Trades, even though that might mean being master of none.

Hi Larry - You can download a midi file or print off the dots here: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/98 fkohl has already posted a link to the "other" version on this website (The Session), which is a great source for tunes!