maccannic

Here in UK most sessions play major-key tunes in G or D. We have a chap at our session who plays a 20b C/G, and plays it very nicely, but he has to put it down when the session goes into D.

Exactly. So 7 ridges would mean that someone has had to construct 8 folds to make 8 valleys, leaving 7 ridges between them. That's why I always thought that meant 8 folds, not 7. But I bow to the general usage, however misconceived.

Yes, well done for that. I too was aware of that bit of film, as Ian Anderson put it up on Mudcat a few years ago, but I wouldn't have been able to come up with a link to it.

"The number of ridges is the number of folds." I've always found that a bit puzzling. For example, to my way of thinking, 7 'ridges' would mean 8 'valleys', which means 8 folds. But I suppose if the concertina fraternity calls that 7 folds, it's too late to change now.

Four more years have gone past. My hair is now white, my beard is salt-and -pepper grey, my fingers increasingly arthritic. But still no Duet International. Will it ever happen?

Yes, I was the seller last year (and it's me playing in the two sound files, generously hosted by Jim as I'm too technically clueless to set that up by myself). I can confirm that this is a lovely and interesting instrument. It was eyeballed some years ago by Colin Dipper, who was highly impressed and valued it at £2000 retail. I have since moved on to something rather larger and more in keeping with what I'm trying to do, but I spent 10 or so very happy years with this concertina. I might add that it was a pleasure dealing with 'Sprunghub' (and Mrs. S.), and I wish them success.

As a joke (I hope!) for my birthday I was given a book called 'Concertina: the Life and Loves of a Dominatrix', by Susan Winemaker. Basically as far as I can see it's just a smutty sex novel with a female lead who calls herself Concertina, and I don't suppose I'll even read it (oh all right then, maybe I will), but it sort of got me thinking to what extent playing the concertina can take over your life and colour your waking thoughts. Anybody know what I mean? Or am I in a bad way?

Play jazz. There's no wrong notes in jazz.

It depends on what sort of music you want to play, of course, but you might start with getting some simple folk dance tunes (jigs, reels, waltzes etc.) with the chords given. Then if you can figure out the common chords (G, C, D, A minor, E minor) and learn to play them and move from one to another, you should be able to play many of the common tunes, especially if you don't try and go too fast.

I'm salivating over that photo. Serial numbers would be useful.

I know this instrument well, and it's a stunner. Unfortunately the sort of price I could offer would probably be regarded as an insult.

As someone who has often tried to make sense of tunes in abc without actually sitting down and learning it, I think this looks useful. However, unless I'm missing something, it doesn't say much about rhythm, i.e. note lengths (minim, crochet, quaver etc.) or rests. Can anybody add to this?

Sounds interesting. But I can't open the eBay link. What's the range (i.e the lowest and highest notes on the LH end and again on the RH end)?

I play a Maccann duet (surprise, surprise! The clue is in the name). The original question is probably impossible to answer, but to sort of half answer it I might say that when I play duet it sounds nothing like an English but a bit like an Anglo. If anything it sounds most like a piano accordion (which I also play) but with concertina reeds. This is because on the right-hand end I play the tune together with as many extra chord notes as conveniently fall into place, while the left is basically going 'oom-pah oom-pah', although I try to get away from that as much as possible by putting in block chords, bits of bass run, etc. I don't conciously try to imitate English or Anglo, but if playing dance tunes I'm concious of the rhythmic effect achieved by a good Anglo player and try to be at least as good.

Dont' worry about bad habits ... as long as they work for you! Personally I always play the tune on the right, together with as many extra notes as I feel like dropping in, while the left plays the chords, bass runs etc. Of course, with the right hand end only going down to middle-C it's occasionally necessary to drop in a note on the left, but I don't like doing it as it tends to get in the way of what the left hand is doing. In the case of song accompaniment, I will often play an octave higher to avoid this. Others may disagree ... there used to be a contributor on here called Dirge who reckoned to play any note on either end, whichever was most convenient.