Azalin

Michael, just wanted to comment on your initial post... The reason I usually don't get involved in this type of thread is that I think I'm part of a minority of people who believe one should always try to blend in a session, not the other way around. So, there's no general rule in my opinion. If you are sensitive enough, you should be able to feel what the people in the session you are joining are into, and adjust to them. Playing chords, especially when you don't exactly know what you're doing (as Dave was saying) can be very obtrusive. Same as playing loud when people around you play quietly. Same as playing fast when people around you feel to play slowly. Same as speeding up (mega guilty on that one!). Same as playing obscure scottish tunes no one knows when people around you want to play common irish tunes, together. So anyhow, in most sessions I like, you will certainly get glances for over chording your tune, but you might make people leave by over chording your tune with the wrong chords. I am not a chord expert, but chording irish music is certainly not like chording other types of music. There is a certain 'modal' tonality (not too sure what these words mean) good irish musicians are trying to achieve, and they tend to stay close to the tune's key and not get too adventurous... and yes, you might get disliked a lot if you get too adventurous and if your chords distract from the melody too much. Most people coming from a different background don't understand that about irish music, and that's why there's lot of frustration going on in sessions. Speaking of which, if you get a chance to hear Michael Rooney on the concertina, you'll get an idea of what can be done on an anglo! You can call him adventurous. He is disliked a lot by many competition judges in Ireland who think he is 'poisoning' the younger generation with 'adventurous' chording (on the harp) but I think he's creating a new trend and what he does is wonderful. Anyhow, he understands chords like no other. I'll try to find an example clip and post it here.

Hehe Dave, yeah I said "casual" students of Noel Hill, in the sense of amateur/hobbyist... But my example was a bit extreme, on purpose I know you can do it, that's why I'm giving you a good spanking! Anyhow, to a lesser extent, I am guilty of recording online clips way too fast, too.

Yeah I was a bit tough with Dave but I know he can handle it It's a very sensitive subject to me because I was very frustrated after a local session on saturday where people seemed to play way too fast, speeding up 50% and ignoring the melody and rhythm for the sake of speed. There was a fiddle teacher and his student, and the student played so fast, with bad rhythm... I was a bit disappointed that the teacher didn't teach her to put emphasis on rhythm and phrasing instead of speed. Also, it's still puzzling me how so many people have been taught by Noel Hill, and yet put more emphasis on ornaments and technique than what should be the basic. I have yet to hear a casual Noel Hill student sit down and play a tune at intermediate speed, solidly, without feeling the music is 'rushed' somehow. I'm not blaming Noel Hill, I just don't understand why this is happening. My theory is that Noel Hill students are mainly attracted by flashy playing, and this is what they'll put emphasis on (the students). Noel certainly plays for them at a steady, intermediate tempo, and he's got the deepest respect for the melody. But maybe his students are focused on other things. I don't know. Anyhow, I know Dave can do it, but I think when it's hard for you to play slow, you gotta take the time and practice to do it. PS: Dave is a far superior concertina player than I am, but my rhythm is very (relatively) steady on whistle, that's why I dare slap his wrist

OK, I just sent Dave an email and begged him to re-record these tunes at HALF the speed he played them the first time. There's no excuse for "notes skipping" and hectic phrasing! Because I know Dave is one of the best player here, so this is totally unacceptable ;-)

Don't forget Paul Read in Toronto, he's fixed my Dipper a few times and did excellent, top notch work. He's also specialized in english concertinas, I think?

Above 100$, you send a cheque to me... otherwise, have a look at this post where Paul explains how to make a donation: C.NET Donation

Hmmm on most concertinas I played or owned, there was a low A in that position, never saw one with a D...

Wow these guys are ITM heavyweights!

Well, it's not as if buying the different apps will lead you to bankruptcy ;-)

Jody, anyway you could send me a picture of this setup? Would give me a better idea...

Do you know how long these things can humidify before running out of water?

Thanks for the tip Bill... That's a good question. But I was in Vietnam, and believe me, you certainly don't want to bring your most prized musical instrument to Vietnam!

Well, I've been away for three weeks and as I was half expecting, my concertina wasn't playing well when I came back. I live in Canada and there's electric heating in my appartment, so without a humidifier, the air is very dry. I came back and it was at around 30% humidity, the suggested humidity for my concertina is 55%. I do have a humidifier, but can only run it while I'm there. Any suggestion for next time I need to leave during winter? I thought of leaving it in my bathroom next time, maybe it's a bit more humid, but not sure how much. I thought of leaving it at a friend's/family's appartment, but then, not sure it's much more humid there, and might to be very safe against robbery. My appartment is a little bunker. So unless I can find someone I know with a humidifier and a safe appartment/house, I wonder what else is possible? I doubt there are dedicated centers in Montreal where you can rent space in a humidified room So anyhow, some pad moved/wrapped and there was major air leaks. I sent it to Toronto to Paul Read, who did similar fix/repair last year around same time, and it worked like new afterward. I am more concerned in having to ship it, very stressful... Thanks for any advice! PS: Paul sent me an email and he thinks it's probably the wooden top plate that warped, thus pushing some levers down (thus putting less pressure on pads)

It probably is but that hasn't ever stopped anyone. I don't think there have been may, of maybe even any [...] Anyhow, I have no particular favourite that epitomises anything but try this one. spot who left out the middle tune and who went into it regardless. This is awesome Peter!!

Actually, many people would agree that some instruments are incapable of producing a sound that fits ITM, although we've been surprised from time to time to hear such instrument played in a way that proves "us" wrong. So the discussion you see around is if the EC can actually do it. It's an ongoing debate, based one different people's personal tastes and understanding of ITM. It is "known" that a fiddle (obviously!) and a banjo can play "good" ITM. I wouldn't say the same about a recorder, saxophone or a trumpet, for example.

Thanks for the info guys, I guess I will ask him questions directly when the baby is about to be delivered, in at least two years anyway. I need to start saving now :-)

Well, I am impressed! It proves a point to me, that you can actually sound close to the real thing playing an english! The anglo still produces a more 'swingy' phrasing I'd say, but maybe it's a deliberate choice. Anyhow, you're the first english concertina player I hear I'd actually want to sit down with and play along, and I'm gosh darn picky

Amazingly these words turn out to have the same meaning in french Hehe, well, I said "quebecois" because of the accent, but yes, same words I guess :-) My version of Golden Eagle is a bit special, with a Eb somewhere in the second part.

I just saw the beautiful pictures of the smaller sized concertina on Carroll's website. This thing is a beauty. I was wondering, what is the main difference between normal size and smaller size, beside the obvious, the size? Being the owner of a Country Clare Dipper concertina, I am already used to smaller sized concertinas. Also, does anyone know if Carroll does goldplating? Haven't seen any in the pictures.

Thanks guys for I assure you this kid is one of a kind. I think if you're good enough to pass him the melody, he can work with the tune and bring up nice stuff by himself. He's musically very smart. I mainly taught him in the past years to play cross row and use different buttons for the same note depending on the context... and told him to avoid "jumping" or "chopping". So his fingers, especially on the right side, seem to be doing much less work and it seems to have freed up more room for him to be creative and play in a more relaxed manner. Also, he's usually playing too fast, so my jaw dropped when he started playing the hornpipe at that speed, I didn't even ask him to. Anyhow, the kind of kid you'd teach for free until he starts teaching you :-)

Well, I couldn't help myself and I had to post my student's playing of this tune. I am quite amazed because he plays the tune better than I do, and I taught him the tune He is 12-13 years old and also plays quebecois music... he doesn't listen much to irish music, he does but not much, and play different styles on his box and concertina... I am surprised because to me his hornpipe sounds very hornpipish to me, and I don't believe you can assimilate a style in listening a bit for only a year or two. I'm not sure how he does it. Anyhow, here's the clip from a very talented young fellow concertinist, his name is Antoine. The Golden Eagle PS: At the beginning at tell him the equivalent of "go ahead" in quebecois :-) PS2: I'd like to add, I don't feel I'm ready to teach yet, but he's got nobody else teaching anglo concertina in the province!

actually, it is not a different layout at all. there are buttons missing, for sure. but every button that is there is in the right place. i didnt get it first either. it helps if you have an iPhone/iPod touch to hold and look at the video. Ah, yes! I was wrong, it is in fact a very similar layout AND has the required buttons to play in D and other keys. Hmmm now I'd be very curious to try. But I don't own a cellphone and I'm against them, so maybe if I ever get a iPod... but I don't like Apple much hehe...

Eskin what would be interesting in version two is to be able to use different layouts. Right now the concertina is too mind blowing for me to even consider trying a different, adapter layout... but... If you could have a layout with two rows, first row is the first four buttons of the LH C row, and second row is the first four buttons of the RH C row... it would actually be possible to play a few G/C tunes using the exact same fingering as you'd do on a C/G 20/30 buttons. Well, withouth the F# or the first 2 important buttons of the RH G row, but still very doable to get instant gratification on a couple of tunes :-) You could also switch the layout and have the G rows instead of the C rows... Just food for thought anyway, good work. You should have Carroll sponsoring you and call the App "Carroll Concertina" :-)

Well done, I've listened to Kate's CD I don't know how many times, I can't get enough :-)

Hehehe... oops! I meant Kevin Crawford! Although, wouldn't surprise me if Kevin Burkes plays flute too :-D