LoiS-sez
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Posts posted by LoiS-sez
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Love this resource! Thanks. Wish there were more English lyrics, but they're easily found.
"some easy tunes:
a Dutch 100 page pdf online document with free sheet music tunes Shanties
some famous international tunes
http://hjj.home.xs4a...mansliedjes.pdf
texts of some tunes can be found on the net."
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Sounds like "watchful waiting" is in order until it's just to much to handle. Guess those of us with it need to stay in the loop to learn when these "new and better treatments" are available. My husband just doesn't understand why I'm not eager to meet his surgeon.
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I'm still finding that when I sing and play I can't get too complicated, but playing a 1/3 above or below the melody is a simple way to give a "fairly sparse accompaniment" that supports without dominating the melody voice. For my 30 b it's right next to the note you're playing from low A to high E on the left hand if you omit the accidentals and middle B to high A on the right hand.
It's the same principle as simple vocal harmony. Maybe this is more basic than you want.
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Geoff, I'm interested. A local hospital claims they can do the surgery and my husband's after me to see the surgeon who did his elbow and knee replacement. Saying there's only 2 or 3 doctors in the world able to correct it could be a way of saying I'll live with it.
Dirge, call me chicken, but I'd like somebody to give me a local anesthetic before trying your method. Better yet anesthetize me and then somebody else whack it into position. Didn't know I had any Vikings in my genetic makeup, must have been invaders to the Celtic Isles on my mother's side. Nothing like a delayed genetic present. Why didn't they just make me blonde?
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Doesn't it slow them down a lot? You say they're very good players, but it sounds like the concertina form of Hunt and Peck Typing.
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In prowling the Ergonomics forum I see the pinky or little finger has often been discussed, but not to the extent that might help some people with a very specific condition. My problem was first treated as Trigger Finger, but the therapist noticed it didn't match that condition and wasn't responding to treatment for Trigger Finger. She was familiar with a genetic condition called Dupuytren's Contracture and suggested I see a doctor to be evaluated. Yup, that's what I have. I need to go back over the Locked Little Finger discussion and contact the person who said his little finger tended to lock in a curl. Perhaps he's in the early stages of either Trigger Finger or Dupuytren's Contracture since he said he was able to flick it free. I can't do that.
Dupuytren's Contracture comes on slowly, bending the pinky and sometimes the ring finger so that it can't be straightened. Currently there are 3 different treatments. I tried the least invasive.
- Needle aponeurotomy had my hand numbed and a hypodermic needle tried to divide the diseased tissue. At first it seemed successful. Perhaps I didn't exercise enough afterwards, but I'm inclined to believe the splint I was supposed to wear while asleep was the problem. It was too large and my finger would slip out of it.
- Another is collagen injections into the damaged tissue and then manually straighten it. Seems to me like the same problem might occur.
- Surgery can remove the tissue in the palm affected by the disease. This gives a more complete joint release than the other two methods, but may require therapy and takes longer to recover.
Don't know if this information will help anyone, but I know of a fellow storyteller/puppeteer with this condition. Both of us are inclined just to adapt if at all possible.
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WOW! Thanks for the suggestion, Jim! (None of the "Smileys" do justice to my excitement.)
This really gives me hope.
I confess the concertina is not my main instrument and while I was away from it for the duration of my other health battle I just wasn't up to it. My little finger on my left hand can manage the keyboard on my computer, but just is too puny on the concertina, added to a constant feeling of uncertainty with it. That is a condition very unlikely to change. I just went to my instrument to see about the hand bars. I'm sure it can be done. Added to that I'm noticing that if I want to work my ring finger extra, that also might be a way to adapt. I did a check to see if this genetic hand condition has ever been discussed here. It hasn't. Theoretically it can be treated, but the one treatment I tried failed and I'm not eager to try the other more invasive methods.
Let's face it, there's a reason 30 b. concertinas exist and, now that pushing the bellows is again doable, I'd love to be able to have that full range. The F# and everything from B down is where I have problems. Six buttons out of 30.
I'd take this discussion over to the Ergonomics forum, but have continued to find some really helpful suggestions on this since the Glued Ends discussion started. Thank you to all who have had suggestions
and who knows where this will lead? -
Thanks, Jim, I should have thought of that. Also it's so hard to give up any accidentals. <SIGH!>
Ted, you make a good point about the G/D vs. C/G.
It all keeps coming back to the point of trying out a 20 B to see if this is worth the switch. Back when I 1st started this I knew 1 condition -- my little finger on the left -- was a continuing problem. The other problem -- my strength after a health problem -- is showing all signs of returning to normal
so I really need to see if transposing might help. There are limitations on my instrument for that, but if it's doable, it would be worthwhile. -
Graham,
Are you talking about the Marcus Traveller? Unless the pound drops radically opposite the dollar, it's definitely beyond my budget. Not that I might not save towards it if it's the right 1 for me. I'd need to try it to be sure and doubt there's 1 in the U.S. Can't understand how it manages that many keys, but it certainly makes me drool! Don't understand the faint pictures in the corner. Looks like 3 rows of 15 on 1 side and 2 with 10 on the other yet says 21 keys (maybe the 21st is the air button which I didn't count in the rows).
G/D might be a bit low for singing with it. I prefer to have an instrument that makes that possible, too, as I sometimes do use it that way.
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Hi Ted,
Thanks for the photo. I hated to ask my husband for another as he's currently quite busy. Now I see why we didn't make sense to each other. Mine has the buttons and hand grip at the narrow ends with the pointed parts of the hexagon at the sides. In other words each of us would say the other one's concertina is made sideways!
I think my little 10 button is a mini. It's in terrible shape and not worth repair since that gluing was apparently the only way to attach the bellows to some low quality wood. That's a shame as the bellows are both attractive and in better working order than the buttons. It's cheaply made, but it wasn't useless as it shows me what's possible. My 30 button isn't a good match for my hand problem. If I continue with it, either I need to transpose pieces to avoid my damaged pinky or continue paying close attention any time it's used so I can reach sufficiently. In the meantime I want to plan to move to either a 20 or 10 b. I need to consider which will be sufficient for whatever pieces I might play. If the 10 is an Anglo that's 20 tones. If it's fully chromatic that's an octave + 7 which should be adequate. Chords are optional as I really could be satisfied with just the melody. I found chords or even just simple harmony took a lot of concentration. I would have thought a mini too puny looking at photos showing extended bellows dipping like a hose, but even in terrible shape my little beat up 10 b shows this isn't necessarily true.
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They are lovely. I didn't think this was a mini, but might just be. Thank you, Ted.
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Hi Ted,
Saw your email after the Ebay auction ended. It did give me an idea though about Ebay. Rather than just rely on Ebay reputations which may not be about concertinas, if the seller has a C-net reputation that's good they probably are reputable. I'm a rarity as my 1st concertina was bought online being a cheap Chinese concertina. It was enough to show I enjoy the instrument and needed to get a good one. My Stagi would probably be good enough, but that little finger problem has me thinking less may be more in my case. I'm getting my strength back, but I don't expect the little finger to improve and even before this noticed it caused hesitation reaching F sharp, B flat, and all those notes below C. Maybe I just need to be more selective in my material or transpose it.
Transposing is something I do a lot for my mountain dulcimer to keep my singing in vocal range which is easy in C.
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Thank you, Wolf!
Foolishly figured Search covered all the site. About the time you were posting, I was prowling Castiglione online. C-net didn't post your reply until 2 hours later. Found two incidents in my own search. I'd say the write-up here and those two both say they are both a business and an individual which is the best resource we may have locally, but proceed with caution and be sure you're satisfied with what you want to buy before you buy it.
Yes, the promised set-up of Canadian list-member, Troy, also gives me concern about their repair department. It's worrisome that Troy needed to resort to the Better Business Bureau for even a partial refund to pay for set-up to be done by someone else.
It's rather like buying via Ebay. It doesn't leave me feeling as secure as I might wish. I suppose any business with a large enough clientele and years of operation can expect a few people dissatisfied. I know Elderly Instruments, which I highly regard, sends business their way, but probably because Elderly doesn't have people highly knowledgeable when it comes to concertinas and accordions. Accordions are Castiglione's strength. Concertinas are an after-thought they carry simply because it's a relative of the accordion. When it comes to button boxes/melodeons, they don't even want to be bothered. This lack of priority is important, also the fact that their return policy is only for credit toward another instrument. Their website homepage mentions "We have an exchange policy - Inquire for details." I don't recall if that was what was offered to Troy, but it definitely came up in the other one star reviews at http://www.yelp.com/biz/castiglione-warren and http://www.yellowpages.com/warren-mi/mip/castiglione-accordions-11771037?lid=11771037 . Those reviews and Troy's experience documented here are the only reviews online. In all fairness, I know people tend to write only either complaints or glowing reviews, while locally they've a good reputation.
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Over on the Construction and Repair forum I'm asking about Glued Ends, complete with photos. Might anybody have heard of 10 button concertinas? 18 or 20 buttons seem to be as small as I can find. There are no markings on this little concertina I found in an antique store. It's not in the greatest shape (fortunately the price wasn't high) and I'm wondering if repairing it is worthwhile, but love it's light weight and easy action.
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Just looked up the Stagi mini. Yes, the 4,3,2 arrangement is there, but it looks like it comes in either Anglo or English. I was sometimes still having trouble remembering push vs. pull, so I guess, if I was to change, now would be the time. Have had to stop playing for the last 6 months, so that may also help if I go to a different style.
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Thanks, Mike. Several points there worth my considering. My hands are fairly small to begin with and then the bad finger, so I'd hope I'm less likely to cramp than someone with larger hands. Fully chromatic is preferable. Hadn't thought about Anglo vs. English, but I better since it affects the # of notes available.
Was your Stagi mini with the 4, 3, 2 button arrangement?
Searched Castiglione here and nothing comes up. He was definitely darned opinionated, but what's more important to me is his selection of instruments, his repair department, and if he does business in a reputable way. Can you recall the incident?
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Hi and thank you all,
Strength and weight are indeed part of the problem, but even before that, my 30 button Stagi was a bit of a problem for me as my left little finger's reach now is roughly 1/2 the normal reach and unlikely to improve. As a result the layout for this instrument of 5 on a side is perfect.
Flats? I'm missing a term here when telling size. Let's see if I can draw what I'm saying:
_
/ \
\--/
That's not perfect, but the widest part of that hexagon is 6 1/". (That's from / to \, not diagonally.) The narrow top & bottom are 5 1/2" The 5 buttons are slightly curved on one end of each side, but a total of 2 3/4". It weighs slightly over 14 1/2 ounces, but will weigh a bit more when I replace the missing hand straps. That's not metric for anybody outside the U.S., but should give an idea.
Just showed the "goo" to my husband and he agrees this looks like silicone sealant, but more likely he thinks it's Hot Glue. Got him to try peeling it and Hot Glue seems to be the answer! He said Hot Glue would become uncontrollable with heat. DRAT! He took it off 2 sides, but hesitated doing more as it was apt to hurt it (or him?) since it's taking off a bit of the finish--such as it is.
I'm not averse to a 20 button concertina, but would need to have the chance to test one. I'll be going to Castiglione's with it next week. They were the source of my Stagi. They're more into accordions, but know Button Boxes (I called them a Melodeon since I'd been reading English material on that and was told firmly by Mr. C. "It's a Button Box!"), and Concertinas. They have a good sized repair department, but may discourage putting any more $ into this one. I've no idea if they carry Lachenals.
Just checked their website at http://www.castiglioneaccordions.com/concertinas.html & see 20 button German concertinas, an 18 button English miniature (with a 4, 3, 2 button arrangement) & another 20 button "folk design."
Does anybody know much about that 18 button English miniature? It would let me dedicate one button to my bad little finger. If that question needs to be asked in another forum, let me know which one, please.
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If it were leather it has drips and bubbles. Can't pry it off and also wonder if it might be wax.
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Took another look at the pictures already taken and the first one is able to be enlarged and I doubt we could get a better shot of it.
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I didn't have the best pictures taken of the bellows, but I'm having second thoughts on it being all paper. Looking at parts suppliers I read about buying papers to put over leather. I just figured that black edging and between each fold was some kind of tape. Maybe not. The action is so light and when you press a pair of folds seems about as substantial as card stock.
My husband's gone to sleep, but I'll have him try for a better shot of the bellows tomorrow.
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There are two screws for each end. I've left them up slightly. The glue residue is very visible, slightly transparent, but probably was white. There is no name, but that may have been on the handle straps -- an unusual location if it was -- as those are gone and easily replaced.
The hexagonal end shape is 6 1/2" at the widest points.
The closest to a 10 button I've heard about was German, but I would expect a maker's name. Lack of a manufacturer makes me suspect it's probably a toy or was of very cheap manufacture. If that's the case I guess my best bet would be to learn how to get at the reeds and don't worry about the bellows (it's paper, in reasonable shape). I would need to know where to find bellows that size as it's so much smaller than a normal concertina. Frankly the ease of the paper bellows, unlike leather bellows, and having only 10 buttons is perfect at this point when my arm strength isn't the strongest and I also have a permanent problem reducing my left little finger's reach to roughly 1/2 the normal reach.
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I have a perfectly good 30 button concertina, but this past year has included some health challenges for me, so when I saw a 10 button concertina in an antique store I fell in love with its lighter weight. The problem is the reeds need checking and probably some repair. I've a good idea what might be needed BUT the bellows are glued on! From the look of it, there never was another way to attach the bellows.
Was this a standard way to attach bellows on antique concertinas? Is there a way to dissolve such glue? I'm going on the hope this was a typical method of the past. If not, the little concertina will probably be useless.
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Woops! just realized this wasn't a "2d look", but me accidentally rediscovering some Forum info when I sifted through old email in an overstuffed Inbox. That said, I still think this topic is worth having available in the knowledge base. It covers some info that fit style & technique as well as instrument info & possible modification.
LoiS(econd look for me at least...hope it's not cluttering the Forum that I reopened the topic)
Hi John,
Thank you for taking a 2d look at this. It's funny but I play a wooden-ended Stagi Anglo. I admit that it's possible to play it "lightly" as is hinted in an earlier comment, but it is a style of playing or practicing that I may just need to develop. I'm still very much a newbie & the music is an addition to my storytelling. As a result it is always more difficult than the basic part of my work which is storytelling. My opportunities to get screwed up, whether it be with 'tina, guitar, or other instrument is always greater. If I'm working also to keep the sound down so I can sing over it, that just adds another layer of concentration.
Usually it will be just me & my playing, with or w/o singing. I'm also in a folk society & it's conceivable I may yet feel comfortable enough to play a piece with a few others, but for now it's just (a) how not to have it drown out my singing -- I've a strong voice, but want the words to be understood throughout if I'm using it in a program or (
wondered about times I might be playing in a motel room or other location where the sound might be too much. The instrument seems perfect for Irish & Scottish songs, especially. Saw the info on baffles & am not sure I want to do anything that might affect my instrument's value if the day comes I want to sell it & move up to a more valuable/useful concertina.
I want to use my concertina sometimes with my storytelling programs. I've been working on a song "Take me out to the circus" to the tune of "Take me out to the ballgame." The only problem is that some of the song is overpowered by the volume of my concertina.
This is an unusual problem. Loudness is something that is aimed for in all musical instruments. Their purpose is to make music audible to as many listeners as possible, so "good" instruments are usually louder (or more capable of being loud) than "bad" ones.
I don't know what brand of concertina you have, but would it be an idea to have a "cheap" one for story-telling purposes - one that you'd reject for solo work because it's not powerful enough?
I've been playing a Stagi Anglo happily for years in my group. Quite a few of our pieces feature a single-line melody on concertina with fiddle, guitars and double bass. When I got my Lachenal Crane, I worked up a couple of these melody lines on it, and took it to a practice evening. The lads in the group told me to forget it, and keep playing my old Stagi - it blended better with the ensemble!
I describe the difference in sound between the metal-ended Stagi hybrid and the wood-ended Lachenal with trad. steel reeds as the greater "presence" of the trad.-reeded Lachenal. What you need is less "concertina presence" than "voice presence."
So perhaps a wood-ended hybrid (Stagi or Hohner or, if 20 buttons are enough, a Klingenthal Scholer or the like) would be more suitable for your purposes, although generally regarded as "inferior" concertinas.
Cheers,
John
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Hi John,
Thank you for taking a 2d look at this. It's funny but I play a wooden-ended Stagi Anglo. I admit that it's possible to play it "lightly" as is hinted in an earlier comment, but it is a style of playing or practicing that I may just need to develop. I'm still very much a newbie & the music is an addition to my storytelling. As a result it is always more difficult than the basic part of my work which is storytelling. My opportunities to get screwed up, whether it be with 'tina, guitar, or other instrument is always greater. If I'm working also to keep the sound down so I can sing over it, that just adds another layer of concentration.
Usually it will be just me & my playing, with or w/o singing. I'm also in a folk society & it's conceivable I may yet feel comfortable enough to play a piece with a few others, but for now it's just (a) how not to have it drown out my singing -- I've a strong voice, but want the words to be understood throughout if I'm using it in a program or (
wondered about times I might be playing in a motel room or other location where the sound might be too much. The instrument seems perfect for Irish & Scottish songs, especially. Saw the info on baffles & am not sure I want to do anything that might affect my instrument's value if the day comes I want to sell it & move up to a more valuable/useful concertina.
I want to use my concertina sometimes with my storytelling programs. I've been working on a song "Take me out to the circus" to the tune of "Take me out to the ballgame." The only problem is that some of the song is overpowered by the volume of my concertina.
This is an unusual problem. Loudness is something that is aimed for in all musical instruments. Their purpose is to make music audible to as many listeners as possible, so "good" instruments are usually louder (or more capable of being loud) than "bad" ones.
I don't know what brand of concertina you have, but would it be an idea to have a "cheap" one for story-telling purposes - one that you'd reject for solo work because it's not powerful enough?
I've been playing a Stagi Anglo happily for years in my group. Quite a few of our pieces feature a single-line melody on concertina with fiddle, guitars and double bass. When I got my Lachenal Crane, I worked up a couple of these melody lines on it, and took it to a practice evening. The lads in the group told me to forget it, and keep playing my old Stagi - it blended better with the ensemble!
I describe the difference in sound between the metal-ended Stagi hybrid and the wood-ended Lachenal with trad. steel reeds as the greater "presence" of the trad.-reeded Lachenal. What you need is less "concertina presence" than "voice presence."
So perhaps a wood-ended hybrid (Stagi or Hohner or, if 20 buttons are enough, a Klingenthal Scholer or the like) would be more suitable for your purposes, although generally regarded as "inferior" concertinas.
Cheers,
John
Why Do I Keep Making Mistakes?
in Teaching and Learning
Posted
Many words of wisdom here and might even help me! I especially agree with Tradewinds Ted's "amateurs tend to practice a tune until they get it right, while professionals practice a tune until they can't get it wrong." He's also right about how we forgive ourselves in practice. In storytelling it's easy to do the check your memory idea given here for memorizing music. Music memorization was always a problem for me and even if I learn something, it's not something that stays with me after a gap in time, unlike "running my mouth." However once learned, re-learning is always easier. My reason for bringing my own field of storytelling into the picture is because I remember another storyteller was criticized for insufficient practice by someone who was a classical guitar player. She gave some kind of ratio, don't remember exactly but maybe 4 hrs. for a piece? Learning a story to tell, as opposed to memorizing word for word, is far less and I suspect we musical amateurs are comparable when practicing until we get it right.
I've also found a few other musical problems not fitting just the practice end. My mother was trained to teach music. Wisely she didn't try to teach me, BUT she still would call out from the next room "That's not right!" I could hear my own mistakes. Didn't need to think she was, too. When playing for others somehow my "they just want to enjoy this and have fun" storytelling attitude disappears and I know ""That's not right!" shows . . . especially if anybody in the audience is a musician. When playing at our local folk society there's a bunch of them.
It also doesn't help that, like you, David, my internal metronome is entirely too forgiving.
My storytelling concentration plays to my audience. The talk here about focus and concentration shows I dare not do that with music.
On another forum for a different instrument I asked essentially this same question a month ago. Someone said he tells his students "to avoid two things when they make mistakes in front of an audience: don't stop (break rhythm), and don't change your facial expression. These are dead giveaways, and if you can avoid them your audience won't even notice many small errors. Of course, some things are too big to hide, but this will cover many of the small ones. And if you play the wrong note or chord, but it doesn't sound bad, do the same thing the next time through if you are playing multiple verses; for your audience it becomes just part of a unique arrangement!"
Unfortunately both that rhythm problem and a too expressive face tend to work against me on his advice.
Thank you for this discussion. I plan to do a condensed version of it and put it on as a further look at the problem on the other forum.
At least I have an excuse I can always give: Now you know why I'm a storyteller and not a musician!