Tina

Hi Steve and all (quarantined or not), after I came across an early Noel Hill youtube video, I'm on a 'corona project'. That is, to learn 'Master Crowley's' in F minor... yes, on my regular C-G Jeffrey's. Imagine the confusion when all your push-pull patterns seem to be turned upside down. But after all, we're in times of social distance Tina (stuck home)

C/G - specially when you have the extra C button on push/pull (matching the air button on the right hand side) - which can be nicely included into chords (well if your thumb cooperates with you) Have fun !

Another option would be to allow private messaging only after a certain number of posts. And yes ! - thank you for keeping this place so peaceful, and free of spam. I think in all those years, I spotted spam only 3 times (admitting I haven't been around a lot lately). The good news is that it made some of us raise their grey heads.

Thank you for warning us ! I already had deleted the suspicious pm without further care as to whom it came from. At least this is a good chance to wave hello ... :waving:

So i made a list of chords for the C-G Anglo ... it is by no means perfect (but I love the make-do anyway). Keyboard is same as here: Wheatstone 30 button C/G, with additional push/pull C button for the left thumb. Reason was we attempted to play finnish tangos (and I was at a slight loss to say the least ). I'm sure there are all kinds of charts out there, but I wanted an instant one to fit my needs ... and all to fit on 1 piece of paper, yet large enough for easy make out. I added the right hand side only for some 7-chords (when it makes sense), but there's always a spare button (if you know what i mean). I did not include some 6-chords, this will be an extra paper. Also I ignored the bass notes on purpose - as I only wanted 2 or 3 buttons for each chord in order to have a better overview, and make it as simple as possible. So the chords are not complete - nor is the list (I gave up after A-flat). Please don't take it as ultimate, and please let me know if you find a major (or minor) (or 7th) flaw. Anything I forgot ? If you fully enlarge it (click 2 times) it won't come across as blurred. Have fun ! edited : found major bug > reloaded

Great choice ! yes we are never too old or too settled to not be able to invite major change into our life ... specially when the biggest of all (major changes) is still ahead of us. Simple life is wonderful ... and whoever ever lived without light switches for a while - but just with candles at night - you know you're being rewarded many times the amount (of giving up comfort) as you're simply living closer to nature. As for the concertina selling, for me too it would be one of the last things I'd sell (different story if I was a bass player) ... if I was to live on a tiny island with only three things to take along, one would be the concertina (the other item would be the low whistle). (Even though the bass would make a much better boat.) May your choices manifest Wishing you well

I used both systems - 2 micros on stands on each side pointed at the sides of the instrument, and 2 swan neck ones (forgot their name) glued right to the instrument with double sided tape - the strips never failed - cable are no problem (unless you get caught ... but you just don't do it!) The only thing I don't like about micros taped to the instrument - i can't steal out of the performance in case I forgot the tune ... but everything else is so much better. Volume is stable, too - not with the stands.

My personal 'Noel Hill' method ... Some time in my early years of playing, I run into Noel Hill in some pub in western Ireland. Never forgot what he said to me - 'Don't confine your fingering!' - that's all I ever heard about his style - but this was all I needed to hear, and I took his word for it. I remember being asked in a workshop (think it was Micheal O’Raghallaigh) why I used the top row A-G-button (my answer : because I payed for it !) ... well I didn't tell him I'd been instructed by Noel Hill already.

Not Without My Concertina ! I found I'm treated a bit less as a security problem when I travel with my concertina. More friendly smiles ...

To me, the whole article comes across pretty arrogant and snobbish. At least it was quite an experience for Mr. Bell who seems so used to ovations. He certainly deserves them, but this might have teached him a little bit more humbleness (even if he was lucky - no cop chased him away). Maybe the writers of the article did not realize that music still touches people - even if they just walk by - even if they stand in line for a lotto ticket - even if they don't turn, or stop - because they just don't feel like it. Does it really matter ? It seems not fair to take people down - just because they do not fall prey to the 'provocation'. When I was busking I watched people walk by, and often noticed changes just for a second in the way they walked - even if they were not aware, and would not even turn. I still made them dance for just a second. Who are we to know how much we change people's lifes ? At this point, I would prefer to stop by, and listen to a real poor, unknown busker (maybe Jim ?) who doesn't have any expectations ... (... hm ... maybe you too expect mass hysteria ? ) ... only half as perfect (... not you, Jim) playing on a cheap instrument for his own survival - not for a snobbish newspaper. Ach maybe I'm just being nasty today ... (and yes, in Munich they have the same custom - little kids throw the money - sometimes twice cuz they do so enjoy it )

I should have added that the large amount of buttons mainly is because of the Lego bricks (for those who don't know Lego) ( - ?) - now 1.000.000 buttons might be slightly exaggerated. Small bricks have two, middle ones have four buttons. As far as I remember there are one-buttoned ones as well. Big ones have eight to ten. So maybe it's only 91.572 (buttonwise) + 30 (31) ?

Took this picture many years ago (more than I dare to count) in Legoland / Denmark. I have no remembrance to what the sound was like. I guess I filtered this one out. But he did move the 'bellow' and jiggled his right toe tip. Everybody have sunshine today

You do sound like a happy man I got my Suttner 11 years ago - she's number 56. I was a happy girl back then (and still am ) Enjoy !

My trick to get a shaky tune flow (two hours before the performance) is to do something different while playing the concertina. So I played and read the newspaper (loud). Geez it sounded strange - both the reading AND the playing. But it worked for the tune. (Usually I cannot talk while playing - sounds like barking - lol. )

My dog used to leave the room when I played the concertina. Whereas the cat used to leave the room when I played the fiddle. Or was it vice versa. My son - after cautiously being asked - politely hinted that my playing started to get a bit on his nerves. Early sunday morning ... Have no more to report !

Mark - good that you've not seen me racing to the band rehearsal on the (transatlantic) backroads - was not practising the concertina though - was spooning hot noodle soup. Boy it tasted good. By the way I remember a wonderful sunset.

Mark, mine is an eldish Lavazza Carmencita. Someone else must have overheated it while I was out in the boonies. I admit it was NOT me, this time. 1 x singed rubber - 1 x The Morning Dew in b (repeated as often as needed) Happy Easter ! (I still can't play it)

Ok here goes 1 x making espresso = 3 x The Diplodocus (played in a nice slow speed) 1 x heating 1 cup of milk = 1 x The Diplidocus Now I wonder if the rubber of the espresso machine should be fixed. After having the coffee usually the speed goes up a little bit.

Helen yes in the band to play. YES you are wanted .... AWW ... we will be a band in heaven (And Molly is my concertina) Bigsqueezer, I would call this a happy accordion slayer

An uillean piper who don't not take themselves real seriously A compassionate bass player A quiet snare drummer A happy accordion player A jack-of-all-trades guitarist A drunken wedding And anything that is able to mess up the ideal (plus weird me, with my Molly)

Molly is my concertina (Btw I am not a psychiatrist)

I talk to my Molly ... now how do you call that ? (maybe I should ask HER)

Protest - we aged ladies are blessed with facial hair, too !

Jim, this reminds me I gotta play the lottery this weekend ... I'd love to learn it (Learning retunes the brain, says Mr. Weinberger) ... a friend borrowed me his old Lachenal (english) once for testing. Geez did I get in my own way here, with all the pulling and pushing that out of a sudden made little to no sense. enjoy the chills

Nice quote David I always thought 'marathon' playing adds to the addictive chills – much like marathon runners who get showered by euphoria – while we run mile after mile just with the fingers. And too I suspect there are hidden parts in the brain – at least of some - that specificly respond to concertina sounds (yeah tiny cells with tiny tiny bellows) … (we're weird anyway) … at least this must have been what got me right into concertina playing. The responsible party was Brian McNeill who played a strange little instrument that I never have seen or heard before in concert, causing instant happiness and the desire to get more. (He played English, by the way - maybe I should take that final step, too.)