BertramLevy

Hi David, would love to come to chicago and do a workshop and concert I have had some inteest from some musicians in Minnesota. Are there enough concertinists in the chicago area to make it worthwhile? Bertram I guess it all depends on if you do a concert when you are in town and if you are looking for an organization to sponsor the event. I think the best way to do it would be through the Old Town School of Folk Music, because they have a very far reach and interest all sorts of folk musicians. I am an Irish musician, so my experience is biased towards that, and I would say that there are not as many concertina teachers or professionals in the area as one would expect. Nevertheless, I think there is a strong but spread out contingent of hobbyists. That would mean that there is a lot of room for someone of your expertise! The Old Town School, for example, does not even list any concertina classes, even though I know there is a demand for teachers. I am not sure how much I could help, but if you are interested please send me a PM or email through the site and we could discuss it some more. I also might have ideas of some other midwestern cities where a smaller event might be more possible, if that is more your style. Absolutely I would do a concert - I once played at the Old Town when I recorded for Flying Fish records (early 80s) I am very interested in discussing this with you in more detail - can you send me your email and phone to info@bertramlevy.com and I will call you. thanks for your helo David Bertram

Would it make any sense attending the workshop (Massachusetts) playing a Hayden Duet? Hi David I am not sure -the workshop is a hands on session and will attempt to make sense out of the 30 button C/G system. I will also be giving a perspective on the various sections of my new book that will help people better approach the material As I result it wpuld be more of a listening day for you which is never as much fun. Having said that there will be a considerable discussion of principles of learning on the instrument, practice and study techniques, tehnical aspects of bellows use and accenting, fingering attacks for legato and staccato, phrasing, stylistic details of American fiddle bowing styles to the concertina and coujnterpoint with voice leading basslines Wish I knew more about the crane system but unfortunately my plate is full just trying to keep the claves of the C/G Anglo and the bandoneon seperate. Bertram

Sorry you cant make it - Appreciate if you could spread the word. thanks Bertram The word is spread--and I may be able to make the one at the Button Box after all. Here's hoping. thanks for spreading the word - I hope you can - it would be nice to meet you Bertram

Sorry I am not dialed into how to access your layout in the signature but I think you can manage the C/G for the first class - The technique is based on translating phrases into hand positions - it is derived form a bandoneon method - I have taught a tune to someone using this method without a concertina. I am not sure about the afternoon classes but the principles are applicable to all instruments as I said in the above communication. who knows you might even get turned on to the C/G system - it's very well thought out and you can play comfortably in most keys (with study).

Hi Dave I think the workshops will be valuable for any player as the principles are applicable to all anglos. I would recommend at least trying the morning class as I will start by teaching a method for learning tunes that is extremely useful. Also we will be exploring many related topics such as bellows movement and articulation. You can then decide about the other two classes - the first one in the afternoon will focus on the American fiddle style ornementation - in parrticular double stops. Double stops on the fiddle define the rhythm and harmony. Accomplishing this on the anglo has its own set of challenges that need to be discussed. We will start with a simple tune and learn the guidelines to applying this to more complex melodies. Most of the double stops taught will use standard buttons that most instruments should have. When you go back to your own instrument the principles should work the same though your keys will be different The last session will deal with accompaniment through counterpoint instead of simple chords on the left and melody on the right. We will explore voice leading baselines. I have an extra 30 button CG that I would be happy to let you use for the workshop if you let me know in advance. The evening concert will be at the Island Music Center on Bainbridge - I will be sure to end it with enough time to take a ferry back home to Seattle. I will be having a bassist and guitarist with me and will be doing a wide variety of music from North America fiddle tradition, Latin America, Europe and even Africa. Some of the music is out there in the tangoshpere. I will be playing the bandoneon as well as the concertina. Bertram

Hi David, would love to come to chicago and do a workshop and concert I have had some inteest from some musicians in Minnesota. Are there enough concertinists in the chicago area to make it worthwhile? Bertram

Sorry you cant make it - Appreciate if you could spread the word. thanks Bertram

Daylong workshop with Bertram Levy Saturday February 18 2012 Dusty Strings www.dustystrings.com 3406 Fremont Avenue North Seattle Washington 206 634 1662 Saturday March 3 2012 Button Box www.buttonbox.com 42 Amherst Rd Sunderland MA 01375 413 665 7793 A daylong intensive workshop based on methods as described in the new tutor: American Fiddle Styles for the Anglo Concertina. The workshop will aim to cover techniques for learning tunes efficiently and developing a better understanding of fingering options. In addition the participants will learn the elements of style in playing American fiddle tunes. There will be 3 sessions: 1. Learning tunes efficiently. Starting with simple tunes, we will explore the technique for visualizing phrases in the form of hand shapes. Tunes: Shoes and Stocking, Old Molly Hare, Lady of the Lake. For all levels 2. Stylistic Techniques of double stops, triplets and counterpoint as ornamentation for American Fiddle tunes: Shady Grove , Granny, Sally Ann Johnson, 28th of January. Intermediate level 3. Principles of harmonic arrangements of fiddle tunes through counterpoint and chords. Rock the Cradle Joe, Rose Division Intermediate level A concert will follow in the evening of each event For registration and information please contact either www.dustystrings.com or www.buttonbox.com

Hi Dave I would suggest that the reason you are having problems is that you need to study differently. Most people learn a piece note by note, following the melody as it unfolds. For a beginner that means hunting and pecking for each note and trying to remember each steps, lots of opportunities to make mistakes. In the concertina, it is even more difficult because you not see the buttons as you plays. An alternative method of study is to organize the melody into a series of phrases and to learn to visualize the phrases before they are played. Each phrase has a mental shape which has a corresponding hand shape. The phrase is learned by placing the fingers over the each of the notes (buttons) of the entire phrase and playing the notes in the particular sequence of the phrase. Once each phrase is learned, practice consists not in playing the melody but in learning to prepare the hand to move from one phrase to the next, It requires mental engagement separate from the process of playing the melody. For example in the case of Shepherd’s Hey in the first part there are four phrases. Each corresponds to a measure except the last phrase which includes the last 2 notes of the third measure plus the fourth measure. The first three measures are primarily in the closing direction and centered primarily on the bottom or G row. In the first measure B,C,D B C, C place the middle and index finger of the left hand on the last two notes of the bottom row (B,D) and the index finger of the right hand on the first button on the upper row © - play B left, C right D left all on the in or close and then with the middle finger on the left B note, open the instrument and the C which is the opposite note of the B button will come out. That is the first phrase and should be practiced until it is solid. The reason you play the two different Cs is to keep the intention of the phrase clear and to manage the air (bellow length). The second phrase is similar to the first B,C D,B but ends A A. Place the ring, middle and index fingers of the left hand on the bottom row and the index finger on the top row of the right hand. Play on the close B left, C right, D left ,B left and then the A on the opening with the left ring finger. This is practiced till solid. The third measure is the same as the first B,C,D, B C except it goes on with the figure B,C at the end. These last two notes are part of the concluding phrase of the next measure which includes the high D, low D and then the G (which is the root of the melody). Here one practices the third measure as a phrase and then prepares for the last phrase: B,C, high D, low D and G. The last phrase will be played opening to balance the bellow movement and is centered primarily on the top row. Place the index and middle finger of the right hand on the top row first two buttons (B,D on opening). With the left hand place the middle finger on the bottom row fourth button ©, the ring finger on the third button of the top row (D) and the index finger on the last button of the top row (G). As you open the instrument play right B, left C, right D left D (ring finger) then close the instrument to play the G with the index finger. Once these are all smooth, put them together by playing a phrase, stopping, preparing your thoughts for the next phrase, prepare the hand and play the next and so on. At first it will feel awkward to stop and prepare rather than playing note by note but very rapidly the thing will fall together and you will not make mistakes. This technique is extensively covered in my new book “American Fiddle Styles for the Anglo Concertina” but it requires a 30 button instrument. One final thought: all the notes of Shepherd’s Hey are duplicated in both directions (even on the 20 button). As such you could play the piece entirely different with the first three measure on the opening and centered on the top C row and the last phrase closing on the bottom G row. If you learn both directions you will be well on the road to mastering the keyboard. Hope this helps. Bertram

I appreciate Andy's comments. I met him by skype recently and was amazed that he had armed the entire book to memory in 2 months - He has only been playing a year but he will be a great player in the world of concertinists Please allow me to clarify the confusion over rows. I have always called the top row of accidentals Row I, the middle C row Row II and the bottom G row Row III. It seems others name it in the opposite direction. I guess there is no hard and fast rule - it is what I am used to and what I have seen on some of the cheaper instruments that used to have the button numbers stamped on the instrument What Andy is referring to is in Rock the Cradle Joe in the key of D. The first phrase in the second part starts on the dominant A7th chord The figure is A B C# B A B C# D while the counterpoint melody is C# A C# A. The counterpart notes are quarter notes while the melodic line is eighth notes. The melody note A must be played on the top Row I to line up with the C# in the bass and the melody note C# similairly must be played with the closing A in the bass. These notes are all on the top Row I. If one played the B's on the middle (C or Row II) in the opening position, the phrase would be interrupted, the counterpoint bass notes would be converted into eighth notes and the melody would be altered from the original intention of the phrase. The fingerings used to accomplish this easily are part of the methodology outlined in the text. incidentally the arrangement comes in the last section of the book on counterpoint. Hope this is clear. By the way if those with the tutor would like a skype session (gratis) to clarify something, I would be happy to accomodate them with prior arrangement. Bertram

Playing for Contra-Dances Hi Bill, The basic principle in playing for contra-dances is keeping a solid rhythm and using variety. Here are some of my thoughts. Every time the tune finishes its 16 measures and starts a new ride, one should infuse new energy as the dancers repeat their cycle. As such the first beat is the most important and should always be solid and big. This is accomplished by always playing the tonic note on the left side, no matter what else you are playing thereafter. This can further be enhanced by playing a brief silence at the end of the first beat. New energy is generated by the use of a fresh color with each new cycle. This can be accomplished in several ways: playing the melody – playing chords - playing with volume. Generally I only play the full melody once every 3 or 4 cycle (depending on the other lead musicians) and I think of this as my moment to be out front. At this cycle I will play hard. The other times I try to play a supportive role. If you follow this road map, the other musicians and dancers will appreciate when you play out and appreciate when you help make the other lead instruments shine. The chords in contra-dance tunes generally fit well on the instrument. If the chords are mostly in one direction, you can always replenish the air in the bellows with the air button. Following the piano rhythm is always safe or you can play the chords only on beats 2 and 4 to create bounce. You can also play the chords staccato one time through. Playing softly always works for a cycle or even staying out – depending on the size of your ensemble. Since you are the instrument that can play quarter notes and harmony – you shouldn’t be afraid to use that voice. A good technique for achieving variety is to play the tune in two ways. One way is to play the skeleton of the tune along the row in an in and out fashion – preferably on the right side. The second way is across the rows in a more lyrical fashion. These techniques are explored in my new tutor – for example Lady of the Lake or Ebenezer vs Old Molley Hare or Sally Ann Johnson. My vinyl album First Generation recorded in the 80’s included many contra-dance tunes as I was quite involved with local dances at that time. Unfortunately except for 2 boxes in my attic- the album no longer exists. However you can hear some of the techniques described above in my web site in the 3 audio samples with Kurt Sutphin banjo and Eddie Bond fiddle. Bertram

First thanks David for your kind remarks – the geometry of the keyboard is fascinating to me, I see the phrases as constellations of stars in the sky. I have given a great deal of thought to the best way to communicate this vision of the instruments and am happy to help clear up any confusion people might have. I have been communicating with some players through my web site as well and have been adding my comments to my blog at bertramlevy.com. The process of learning based on visualizing the shape of the phrase first is perhaps quite unique for most players and I realize that this approach to the instrument is not for everyone. It’s possible to play absolutely great music on 8 buttons in the center of the instrument. However for those that want to expand their repertoire to all music, those players that want to combine harmony or chords while keeping the intention of the melody going, those players that keep getting stuck on a thorny phrase that simply will not cooperate or those that just want to master the entire instrument, this approach is very valuable. The aim of the method is not to teach American fiddle tunes, though that is a happy consequence, but to utilize the repertoire to explore the great potential of the instrument. For this reason I would hope that the many Irish players out there would also find this book interesting. To address Michael Sam’s questions, the direction of the bellows changes everywhere irrespective of the bars. Changes in bellows direction can be done either smoothly or rhythmically. In the earliest exercises such as Shooting Creek you begin to see smooth mid measure changes while rhythmic changes are exploited to the max in the arrangements such as Old Molley Hare (and further enhanced by playing the right side against the left). In lesson 9 the bellow changes smoothly inside a triplet; it works surprisingly well because it adheres to the pairing principle as discussed in the text. As to other keys, I would say that this approach is essential. The book explores in detail playing in the keys of C, G, D, B minor, A with three sharps and F with one flat. I will soon be releasing a video of myself playing solo the beautiful Mamallilacula Waltz in C sharp minor with chords and played on a C/G instrument. The piece is built on the C# and G# of the top row. Over the years I have played Klezmer music in C minor and G minor and ragtime tunes in E flat. All on 30 button C/G anglo. By the twentieth lesson, this should no longer be a mystery. The trick with all these keys is air management, which requires careful phrasing arrangements. I can’t really say how that would work on a 26 button Jeffries with out seeing the layout. hope this answers your question Bertram

Use of Air button John, I am glad you got your air button fixed. I went back and reviewed the reverse fingering exercise of Shoes and Stockings and I can see how the air issue could be a problem for you. Specifically the out movement in the ending measure 4 and out movement of the beginning of measure 1 (and measure 8 and 5) could create a feeling of instability in the centering of your instrument Here are some suggestions. Try to practice the exercise in two ways: with and without the air button. First try to practice the piece without using the air button by planning out bellow excursion as previously discussed. This method requires that you carefully prepare the hand before executing the phrase as also discussed. This is the most important point of the exercise. If it is still a problem for you, simply play the last G of measure 4 and 8 (the last beat) in the closing position. You can use either the row II G (L10) or row III G (L13). The second method is to use the air button to reestablish the center of your instrument. I would use the air button on the last beat of the second measure (the C) and on the last beat of the 6th measure (the D). You could either use the air button simultaneously while playing the note or shortening the note with a small rest. This is easier with the second measure since the C is a quarter note while the D in the sixth measure is an eighth note. Of course the reverse direction version is only an exercise to learn to play the same notes fluidly in both directions. As I pointed out in the conclusion on page 38, once you have internalized both directions carefully, you will be mixing the two versions, which will ameliorate any bellow length issues. Bertram

Bellows excursion “hmm .. I don't have the issue on the forward version at all, I had assumed that the situation was caused by the fact that, on the reverse version, the ending phrase for each part requires that bellows shift from closing to opening, so that the net effect was that I'm playing more opening notes than closing (they're roughly evenly divided on the forward version).” You raise an important topic which is bellows excursion. In general you should not be using the entire bellows for a phrase. Just as in a violin, the excursion of the bow (and the bellows) should be planned out in the initial arming process. How much bellows to use is worth some discussion. One should not be timid with the bellows. The bellows are the articulation of the music – not the buttons, this is the great attribute of bellows instrument such as the concertina and bandoneon. They both possess fluid bellows that can shape the phrase like the human voice (unlike for example a piano which strikes the string with a hammer). The buttons are mechanical – on or off. The fingers should be relaxed when executing the note. Whether you play loud or soft, the same touch is used on the buttons. How long your finger stays on the button determines the length of the note but does not create articulation. Articulation which comes from the word ARTE creates the expression, the accents, the phrasing and the volume; they all come entirely from the movement of the bellows. In general, accents come from wrist motion while volume comes from arm movement. Slapping the buttons really is transferring energy to bellows, which is better accomplished with the wrist. Slapping the buttons, if I understand you correctly, means loss of flexibility which ultimately slows you down. The fingers are always the same, supple and relaxed, and move from the knuckle joints. “So do you recommend preparing the hand and then actually resting the fingers on the relevant buttons throughout the phrase? I have a tendency to sort of slap the keys, especially as I speed up ..: You do not need to rest the fingers on the buttons to be used throughout the entire phrase however when visualizing a phrase the fingers should be placed initially in the shape of the phrase and centered over the buttons. In the bandoneon it is referred to as making a dibujo (drawing) or diagram of the buttons sort of like a constellation of stars in the heavens. If the fingers are sitting over the relative position of the buttons, they merely have to press the button – bang -out it comes perfect and there can be no mistakes because you are right there. Once the note is played the position can be relaxed a bit but in the small concertina, the shape is not difficult to maintain. This is especially important if the phrase returns to a note such as in measure 4 of Shoes and Stockings which ends A, F, G , F, G. What you don’t want to do is play the first note and start looking for the next note. In the first lessons it is probably best to put the fingers directly on the buttons. As you become comfortable with this process the shape can be more generalize. Nevertheless you should always know exactly where the fingers are going to be and this is best accomplished by preparing the hand for the entire phrase first. . Hope this is helpful for you. Incidentally you do know that the audio of the first 8 lessons is on my web site bertramlevy.com. Bertram

Answer to question of sufficient air John – these are great questions and I will try to answer them. The situation of running out of air is no different than a student violinist running out of bow length. True there are situations where there is not enough bellows length but every study in the book is worked out carefully to avoid that if one follows the arrangements as written. Generally the reason one runs out of air is because one is searching for the next note while pressing the preceding note and using up air. The solution is not to search for the note. This is in fact the whole point of the lesson. This is so important that I need to say it again. The solution is not to search for the next note. If your fingers are in position for the entire phrase before you start playing the phrase it is only a question of playing them in the correct sequence. In the case of Shoes and Stocking, it means placing the fingers, for example in first measure, on G, B, C, and D. Try playing all four notes at once. Now put the fingers in the same position but don’t press the buttons. Try now to play the buttons separately in the sequence G B CC D. If you are still have air issues, play G- release, B - release, C –release and so on the notes come out short. You can practice the phrase with very short notes (staccato) and then try to play the phrase perfectly smoothly (legato). Then try to play as loud as you can. Then try to play as soft as you can and as fast as you can. The fastest you can play it is almost like playing all the notes simultaneously as described above. Each phrase should be treated as such. More importantly this first lesson demonstrates the concept of visualizing the phrase first in your brain, placing the fingers in the correct position and then playing the sequence in the proper order –preparing the hand. Every phrase should be approached in this manner. It is really hard to do and takes constant practice, as we all tend to want to play the music note to note. This later technique however is a very inefficient learning process, much harder to play rapidly and harder to memorize. You are not the lone ranger, everyone experiences this tendency, myself included. Nevertheless this is the guiding principle in the book and I commend you for spending the time already to really explore this approach. It is important to make this process a habit. You will find that after the first 8 lessons, you will be miles ahead of more experienced player that search note by note. As to the second question of playing the last measure of 1/16th notes where there is change in bellow direction, the same principle of preparing the hand applies. In the reverse fingering page 35 measure 4: the first notes are in the closing position – D, E, D, C, B, and G. All 5 fingers can be placed on this phrase. Push them simultaneously. The second part is in the opening position and the notes A, F#, G are all on the left hand. Play this note simultaneously. Now go back and forth between the 2 positions, playing the phrases as blocks of sound until the movement is seamless. Once you can do this with an automatic sense, you can separate the notes and play them as short notes pressing and releasing each one in the correct sequence. I hope this works for you. I made of video of this first lesson and now having seen your questions; I will definitely put it on my web site when I return to the states. So thanks for bringing this to light. Finally David’s comment is correct, there are times in long romantic pieces where the simultaneous use of note and air are used. While rare, it is useful and similar to the violinist moving his bow rapidly on a short phrase to prepare for the next phrase, which requires a full bow. Bertram

Audio Samples for Bertram Levy’s new Tutor The audio samples for the first 8 lessons are now on my web site bertramlevy.com. More material will follow in the ensuing weeks. Those of you with the book can follow along with the written arrangements. All the information is contained in the written arrangements including direction of bellows, rows, fingerings, and choice of left or right side. The initial eight arrangements, while simple, contain many of the basic skills necessary to progress on to the full development of the style. The first few explore fluid phrasing positions in both directions that are essential to the later application of chords, doubles-stops and counterpoint. The latter 2 studies introduce the alternating-string bowing techniques emblematic of Southern fiddling. A word of note. The most important study is the first one. It is a very simple tune and anyone can play it by ear with a minimum of experience on the instrument. However that is not the point of the exercise. As carefully outlined stepwise in the book, it is presented as a vehicle to learn the technique of visualization and preparation of the hand. I hope that people won’t skip over this first lesson, anxious to get on to more complex tunes and not get that it is the most difficult concept to incorporate yet is the magic door to learning the instrument. After listening to the 8 studies, you might want to listen to the trio audio samples in which you will hear the concertina color the tunes using multiple techniques including accompaniment, middle voice arpeggios, harmony, rhythmic figures and of course melody. This approach utilizes the great potential that the concertina offers to ensemble playing. While I am using my Dipper in the lessons, I purposely chose to use my Stagi in the ensemble to reproduce the 1920s sound in the old 78 recordings.

I hope this means you're planning to put solo recordings of each of the 30 studies on your site. Seconding David, that would be very, very helpful. Yes I am definitely putting the solo recordings of the 30 studies. I tried to do it from Buenos Aires but not being a tech person, am having some formatting problems If I can't get it done here, it may have to wait for another 3 weeks when I return to the states. The first exercises are based on visualization in which the recordings are probably not as important as in the later studies. Thanks for your patience Bertram

A few audio samples from Bertram Levy While I am in the process of assembling the tutor audio samples for my web site bertramlevy.com, I thought I would put a few audio samples on the site from a session recorded with two great old time musicians from the Round Peak region of Western North Carolina-Virginia to give people an idea of the arrangements in the tutor and the old timey sound in an ensemble. Note that there is no guitar but plenty of drive. Eddie Bond of Fries, Virginia is on fiddle and Kirk Sutphin from Winston Salem, North Carolina is on banjo and fiddle. I am playing my Stagi, which may make some of the concertinists scratch their head. I actually like my 30-year-old Stagi even though the buttons go every which-a-way and which clatter like a freight train. It blends very nicely with the old timey sound without dominating the trio. It is an instrument that I have taken on many sea voyages, don’t mind giving to a 5 year old to try and left in the car in the middle of the hot desert. I would NEVER treat my beautiful Dipper in such a fashion but I can make the Stagi do everything the Dipper can – even play expressively in the key of C sharp.

All this about the Bandoneon is fascinating. But it is nice to hear you are still playing the Anglo. Are there any recent recordings to illustrate the influence what you have learned about the Bandoneon has had on your concertina playing? Absolutely my bandoneon studies have changed my concertina playing although I had developed a similar approach in phrasing just before I began the bandoneon At that time I was playing a series of choros by the great brazilian Jacob de bandolim I also had adapted a series of french dances musettes and bourres in the accordian style. I was actually thinking of writing a second tutor called "the pearl" based on scales in one direction. But then I got the fever and redirected my energies. From a technical standpoint phrases are played in the air and the instrument comes to the fingers instead of the fingers to the instrument Its complicated and easier to demonstrate than talk about. Also I preload the instrument more to prevent the bite when the reed first starts to vibrate If I knew how to send a sample on this dicussion group I would send one along I recorded a few cuts several years ago on my double reed concertina which a friend of mine in france (Emanuelle Pariselle) designed and built for me (which he calls the Levitina) Bertram Incidentally if you know any advanced player looking for a remarkable dipper, I have a very special 36 button 8 sided ebony rotary instrument that I will never use.

Where to begin. The bandoneon is not like the anglo systems It is a 2 keyboard organ. It does not have a central key nor is any one key easier or harder than another. they are all hard. There are a few chords on the push using 3 consecutive buttons (A and G) but they are of no importance. Having said that, there are fingering problems which are more workable in one direction than another. For example you are completing a phrase and you have used all your fingers - the only way to continue the phrase is to cross your fingers or use the same finger twice.Neither of them is attractive options, When you hit those situations, the other directional fingering usually holds the answer. This is the great virtue of the double system. Once you learn the 2 directions, one sees the great facility of the arrangement and the grace with which you can play progressions of complex chords with moving baselines. Learning 2 systems (4 keyboards ) is very difficult at first and requires a totally different method of learning. Especially because your hands are always changing positions to cover the immense fingerboard. It requires conceptualizing drawings of each phrase in your head. (since you cn not see the clavier). The best way to start is to play 4 voice corals 2 notes on eiher side. One learns to move each voice independently. The music of frescobaldi and shumann are good for this. . Then one can begin to move the voices independently with baselines such as the clementi sonatinas. Bach comes next. With Chopin one learns to play one side sofly while the other side sings boldly. This is possible because the reeds are soft (the sound is carried by the zinc plates) and as a result the sound of the reeds is very moldable, The bandoneon sound is very sensitive to the attack of the fingers To answer you question about why so many orchestral players play on the out. It has to do with weight. If you are supporting the instument with your hands, they become limited in their ability to shift positions. Position work is critical as the hand most always surround all the buttons in the phrase. If they dont you must rotate to another position (even for one note). Anyway when the instrument is in the out position, it has a natural support by falling against the hands with its weight. Since most orchestral work is in short phrases, the player can recover air at the rests. However when playing solos or variations (usually the 1/16 note finales to many tangos) you must play in both directions there is a whole technology on playing on the push which must be mastered. It means changing the angle of the bellows and pushing into the thighs. The bandoneon is unbelievably difficult if you are tryng to self teach. I can attest to this. Having spent 12 years trying to teach myself, I kept making the same mistakes and was not feeling the same comfort level as with my concertina. That is the reason that I moved to argentiina in 2005 to enroll in the conservatory. I was told that the first 6 mnths I would learn how to hold the insrument. The second 6 months were spent learning to produce sound. It requires great patience to begin again. Happily I now, after 3 years, feel that the insrument is mine even though I still have a lifetime of work left. It is an amazing insrument but one has to pay one's dues to recieve its pleasures. In addition to the intimacy with the instrument, I have also had the opportunity to play the great music of theo f classical music world. The bandoneon has changed how I play the concertina and I find a greater elegance in the little 30 butons now. The change involve sound production in the execution of the phrases. Bertram

I noticed this post on the relationship of the chemitzer and the bandonoen. It is true although the bandoneon was designed as a modification of the chemitzer,they are different as day and night. Heinrich Band inventor of the bandoneon in 1850 was responding to a 50 year long call for a portable organ. He took the chemitzer and modified it with a different keyboard (clavé) He did not think it was significantly different from the Chemitzer and so he never patented it nor placed his name on the instrument. That was done much later. The principle was that the instrument should be designed to play 4 voice corals with each voice able to move independently. It is the heart of church organ music. In addition the music world had emerged into polytonal music and the instrument was designed to play this. The bandonoen also was designed to play the 10th chord. This means the third is on top. A chord on the concertina or chemitzer is usually 1,3,5 or for example C E G. The bandoneon chord is C G E. THis chord has a totally different feel and is much richer. Those kind of stretches are impossible on the piano but can easily be played on either side in any key in any direction with the bandoneon. The keyboard on the bandoneon is designed like a 2 keyboard organ The left side has 3 octaves, the right has 3 octaves. The top octave on the left is the same as the bottom octave on the right however because of the resonant chamber on the left (caja harmonica) the sound is much different (dulce) The entire range of the instrument is 5 octaves. The other difference with the chemitzer is the diatonic nature of the instruments. While they are both push pull, the arrangement of the keyboards really define a diffferent music. In the Chemitzer like the concertina there is a natural bouncing feeling because the tonic and dominant are in different directions. while this is very appealing it is also limiting. In the bandoneon one can play in any key in both directions and as a result the phrasing is much more legato. This doesnt mean that the music is not articulated. As a matter of fact the vitality of the phrases comes from the amazing qualtities of the bellows. The more years one plays the bandoneon, the more one disconnects from the technology of the keyboard and the fingers and centers on the bellows. The bellows are the true art. I like to believe that the same is true of the concertina When I play pieces on the concertina, I first visulize the bellows dance and then the fingers follow automatically. In Port Townsend where I live part of the year, my friends all play country swing. At parties, I play either my concertina or my bandoneon depending on my mood. The music has a very diatonic feel. It is however very difficult to change instruments at the same session because the body movement from one to the other is so different (not to mention the fingerings). The body movement of the tango or classical music does not work. I usually try to think of myself as a cello and play cello lines which fits very well. Then I add the chords on the off beats.

Hi Jim I sent you a long letter about my journey with the bandoneon. I fear I hit the wrong button and it disappeared into cyberspace. DId you recieve it? If not I will write it again to this section of the discussion group as there are many points that I think will be interesting and applicable to the concertinist saludos Bertram

Hi m383 Sorry I am not familiar with the gabla so I can not address that issue but I think preload is important for all free reeds - the concertina included. It minimizes the bite from the reed as it starts to sound. Preloading does not mean that you have to play forte either - it is also effective for pianissimo. As to the bayan is an impressive instrument with the great potential of the bandoneon The bayan can boast an unbroken conservatory tradition. The bandoneon conservatory education was interrupted during the military government in the late 70s in Argentina when the military thought that any expression of he people was to be feared. Fortunately the bandoneon has resurged thanks to the fame of astor Piazzolla and the sexteto mayor 's show Tango Argentina that ran in New Hork. . the popularity of both of these endeavors reflected back on the country and they began to see that their culture was of value. Bertram

[Hi Jody thanks for the welcome. Hearing your name reminded me of my dear aunt beatrice goldberg who worked for your family Kruskal and Kruskal for so many years . My father worked across the street. How long ago that seems the 40s Bertram

I am sorry to hear that Dale Meyers is no longer alive. every day is agift. Bertram