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Everything posted by maccannic
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Do you play other instruments?
maccannic replied to Greg Mirken's topic in General Concertina Discussion
I find it hard to imagine anyone playing concertina for any length of time and reaching a reasonable standard without also playing, or having played, one or more other instruments. But maybe that's because that's not the way I did it. Born in 1948, piano lessons from about 1955. First guitar in 1963 - I was going to be the next Beatles, but I soon changed to the next Bob Dylan. 1974 borrowed a piano accordion, inspired by the playing of Garth Hudson, and bought my own one in 1977 (I still play it). Never liked concertinas much, but then I didn't know about duets until I saw Tim Laycock in concert in mid-1990's. Bought a 64-key Lachenal Maccann for Christmas 1997, replaced it with a 67-key Aeola in 2009 which is what I play now. I no longer have a piano (except a little electric one), and arthritic fingers mean I no longer play guitar much. But I still play accordion for song accompaniment (can't do barn dance gigs any more), and tune sessions on the concertina are what I like best. -
What is the range (left-hand and right-hand) of the two 72-button Maccanns please?
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How many concertinas have you owned/tried?
maccannic replied to LR71's topic in General Concertina Discussion
I have owned: Lachenal New Model 64-button Maccann duet, serial no. 1865, from 1997 to about 2014 (sold via this website, donation made). I own: Wheatstone Aeola 67-button Maccann duet made in November 1914, from 2009 to date. I have tried numerous other Maccanns, basically every time I encounter a Barleycorn stand. (Also one horrible German 20-button anglo, which I couldn't get on with at all.) And that's it. -
A player of the Maccann duet, no less! And quite encouraging to this beginner about 25 years ago.
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Yes, 'diatonic' doesn't mean that, and as a duet player who has never played English or Anglo I would say there are more than two main types of concertina.
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If I Could Only Play A Concertina
maccannic replied to Bruce McCaskey's topic in Concertina Videos & Music
Thanks for posting that, Daniel. Now I can just about make out the words of the verse. (On the record they only sing the refrain.) -
I must admit I tend to avoid the flat keys. Prof. Maccann found sensible places for 11 of the 12 notes, but D#/Eb obviously was the sacrifice.
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No Maccann group that I know of - we plough a lonely furrow. And please spell it Maccann, it makes searches more reliable. The late David Cornell used to run a website for Maccann players, but I don't know if it's still going. And I play with 4 fingers. 4 note chords sometimes. Also, shocking habit, I tend to jump between two buttons in the same column, as quickly and smoothly as I can. Good luck with it. The world needs every Maccann player it can get.
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That's an interesting icon on your profile
maccannic replied to SIMON GABRIELOW's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Mine is a photo of an angel playing a concertina (actually a stone carving in Bath Abbey, UK). -
How did you, discover this Concertina.net?
maccannic replied to SIMON GABRIELOW's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Can't remember, but it was probably mentioned on Mudcat. -
DC Ambiance At Washington Folk Festival - Photos
maccannic replied to Randy Stein's topic in Concertina Videos & Music
That's made my day. -
Please, no more 'Hot cross buns'!..
maccannic replied to SIMON GABRIELOW's topic in Teaching and Learning
When my wife acquired her first (English) concertina, after showing her where the C major scale went, I started her on 'Parsons Farewell' in A minor. After about an hour she was sight reading it, slowly but error free. -
The other evening (actually World Concertina Day) a pad came off the end of its lever inside my Wheatstone. I stuck it back on with Loctite super glue and it seems to be OK now. But I'm wondering if such a 'modern' material is the correct thing to use. What are your thoughts? And why would this happen after 109 years?
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World Concertina Day 2023!
maccannic replied to Daniel Hersh's topic in General Concertina Discussion
I'm afraid I don't do recordings or videos, but to mark World Concertina Day I went along to our local tune session as usual, but after a while my box had a 'mechanical' so I had to abort early. At home the next morning I took it apart to find that a pad had dropped off the end of its lever. So I've glued it back on and it seems to be OK now. -
Yes, both systems are perfectly playable, but both need a bit of work to get the hang of them, the Maccann possibly more so than the Crane. Small hands might find the Maccann with its six columns of buttons a problem - for example the chord of F-sharp minor stretches across all six columns. But then, I should imagine the Crane with only five columns makes you reach up and down the rows more, which despite my fairly large hands I would find awkward. Also, on the Maccann, and despite nearly 25 years of playing (I wouldn't go so far as to call it practice), I can't get my head round the illogical position of the D-sharp/E-flat button. So I mostly stick to the sharp keys, and forget about anything 'flatter' than F major.
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Does a chromatic Duet concertina exist? Just to put another spanner in, my Maccann duet is fully chromatic over 4-and-a-half octaves. You just have to try and find one.
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Oh well. Ralph Jordan was also part of Patterson Jordan Dipper, and much or all of their 'Flat Earth' CD can be heard on Youtube even if you can't get a physical copy. Ralph mostly plays Maccann throughout.
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Ralph Jordan played Maccann. Look for his 'Eloise' CD.
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Agreed, Alan. And by the way, I enjoy hearing anglos (and melodeons) playing in a smooth legato way, e.g. on slow airs, just not for dance music.
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Better move your hat out of the way, Alan. I play duet, also piano accordian, and I have no trouble keeping my notes separate. I don't slur from one to the next unless I want to. I used to play accordian for morris, and sounded just as 'dancey' as any melodeon or anglo (and rather more interesting harmonically, but that's another issue).
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That left-hand Maccann looks highly unusual. More details please , especially of its left- and right-hand ranges.
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I always reckon that if I can't hear myself I must be playing the right notes.
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Concertinas and Beer: A cautionary tale
maccannic replied to Mike Jones's topic in Concertina History
Not quite the same, but I once left my accordion on the floor and someone tipped a pint of orange squash into it. Took a bit of cleaning I can tell you, but it was OK eventually. -
Keep all your bits and pieces!
maccannic replied to SIMON GABRIELOW's topic in General Concertina Discussion
Reminds me of the old song: 'I got it one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime . . .'