RAc

no, it's on the last page of the pdf...

FWIW, I started a topic on a related issue a few months ago which yielded quite some wonderful personal testimonies about different individuals' approaches to music (also touching the ubiqutous subject ear vs. eyes): http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=18699&do=findComment&comment=177080 there are probably a few contributions that are also of interest to the OP.

I'm sure there's bazillions of books and research papers from all kinds of pros out there on this issue, so apologies if either of this should be trivial or nonense (it's probably both): I believe it's important to separate the muscle speed from the brain speed. I'm typing on a keyboard fairly fast, but coordinating this (motoric) movement with what your ear hears and feeds back into the system is a totally new game altogether. If you would like to know how fast you can get in terms of physical movement (without the added complication of the music behind it), you can try practicing scales (I know this will cause rather heated debates, but see below) or arpeggio exercises until you don't have to think about them anymore, then slowly speed them up with the aid of a metronome - best record yourself doing this. Go as fast as you possibly can, then check your progress with that exercise periodically. I think scales are useful for this BECAUSE there is little musical challenge and distraction in them once you have them memorized - of course your goal is still to play every single note as clean as possible, but your brain will be able to focus simply on the motorics. Now trying to make this sound *musical* will dramatically slow you down as you now need to multitask (speaking in computer terms). I believe that the techniques to speed up the playing technique is drastically different from speeding up the musical experience - both will require lots of discipline and drill, but in different areas. Btw you may want to check out the work of Woody Mann if you haven't already done so. He's a fingerstyle guitarist whose strength is playing slow and beautiful at the same time (which is even harder on the guitar as the acoustic guitar has little inherent sustain). Music ALWAYS outweighs speed to a listener's ears, meaning a tune well played slowly will always sound much more pleasing than a mediocre fast rendition of the same piece (of course, the better one is as a musician, the more he or she can do both...)

The latter is true: You can search my posts via my profile and find that all of my posts, including those generated before the day I did the name change, now read "RAc."

well, I believe we should get children interested in music, not necessarily in a particular instrument. My nephew (you know him, you allowed him to perform in Proitz a few years ago) had decided for himself that he wanted to play the piano accordeon at the age of five, and has stuck with it so far (in fact, he's pretty good by now at age 17). Although there was a family predisposition to music, noone had put pressure on him or nudged him to take on music, let alone any particular instrument. It was his own choice, and any attempt to get him interested in another instrument would probably have blocked his love to music instead of strengthening it. If I had children, I'd want them all to be practitioning musicians, but with different instruments and different genres (ideally they would all be multi instrumentalists).

A "fraction?" I just entered the reverse quest into dhl.de (5000 EUR insured, max 10kgs from GER to GB) and got a quote of about 83 EURs (max 60x60x120 cms). Is the other way so much less costly? @Alex: yes, it is.

I faced the reverse problem last year (Germany to UK). It's the same thing; I had the option to go UPS for > 100 EUR or DHL (postal services) for a reasonable amount but with insufficient insurance (sufficient one would have cost even more than UPS). Since postal services were on strike in Germany exactly at that time and thousands of packets were irrecoverably lost in the chaos, I went UPS. Fortunately I could pick up my Crane on the way back as I visited the UK for the Sidmouth Festival. You may want to ask Chris Algar who (unwantingly?) is an expert in insured int'l concertina shipping. I believe I paid around BPS 50 each for each of the two concertinas he sent me so he does have an acceptable arrangement (I believe it was something like an international mover service he went with).

Uhm, may I request, again, that this thread avoids discussing the pros and cons of (let alone put a value tag on) approaches to music and instead lets everybody simply explain his/her key to unlock the treasure cove? I'd also like to thank everybody who contributed so far for your generous and courageous (as this is a rather personal issue) responses. It's wonderful and insightful to see where everybody comes from and how we all manage to get together in sessions, bands, concerts and so on in spite of oiur different "socialisations." Let's keep them testimonies coming! Thanks again!

Does anyone here have a suggestion as to what this calculation would be? I think I should like to be able to make a jig prior to starting to cut cards and so forth, but I can't guess at this inner plane size. I hypothesise that it must be some function of (1) the outer plane size, (2) the bellows card/fold depth, and (3) the angle of those cards at maximum extension. The first two variables are easy, but the third I cannot guess at. Is this angle an constant unavoidable facet of the geometry of the bellows? Or is it itself determined by other factors, such as the number of sides, or the angle the trapeziums are cut at? Has anyone here ever made their jig before starting a bellows, and had the maths work out? I am very much obliged to you all for your experience, and for putting it down in threads like this. Matt Hi there, One very knowledgeable and credible source of information regarding concertina restoration showed me his bellows jig last year - a carton poster mailing tube. Cheap, easy to get hold of, available in lots of sizes, easy to adapt (shouldn't be too hard add some kind of support structure to make it support hexagonal or octagonal shapes), and no big loss if you goof it up. If corrugated cardboard happens to be insufficient a base material - they also come in plastic (eg http://italplast.com.au/Store/index.php?cPath=103_110).You could also consider sewage pipes (for example http://www.polygonpipe.com/4-PVC-U-sewage-1.html).

Hi there, a recent session has brought back the not-so-novel insight to me that people are different and thus are their respective approaches to music. I've always envied the seasoned sight readers. At Sidmouth last year, I was (again) flabbergasted how some people can decipher a score at first glance and translate them onto their instruments with seemlessly no effort, no matter what speed and no matter what distraction by others around them. I have a fairly good memory and can thus memorize a tune (as long as it resonates with me and is technically not too difficult) after playing it several times on my own, and after about a week or so have it lying under my fingers so well that I can at least find my way back into it after getting lost when playing with others. But it'll take at least a few months of recurring practice until I could lead/carry the tune in a session. Having a guitarist's backgound, I can at least fake my way through unknown or too-difficult-as-of-yet tunes by playing some harmonic backing while I'm still mentally too far behind the melody to play along... Having neglected to practice ensemble playing for most of my active music life, I can do almost anything at home without disturbances, but everything that qualifies as a distraction (be it a metronome, listeners, a karaoke track to play against, a change in speed let alone other musicians to play together with or dancers) will blow a few fuses in my mind, allowing at best only the minimum rendition (which is the barebone melody). Anyways, no whining, it's just a matter of practice; the more ensemble practice one gets, the better it'll become. Pretty simple math it is. Last weekend on a session I came across somebody who doesn't read music at all and can not identify any tune by name, but he gets into every tune (familiar or unfamiliar) by listening to it once or twice and can then play along both handed. His huge repertoire is all in his head without attachment to scores, abcs, names or styles, sometimes stories. Enviable just the same! I for myself find that being able to read music is helpful for several reasons (for example, by looking at a score, I can build a fuzzy idea in my head how the tune would sound), but I have the highest respect for those whose ear guides them instead of the brain. Others (for example Alan if I understand an earlier statement of his correctly) find their way into music through dancing, mapping the dancing steps onto the tunes. And so on. I'm sure there are myriads of other ways to become proficient and fun-to-listen-to musicians. Just out of curiosity, what type would you consider yourself, and what is your personal key to unlock the world of music? For preventive purposes, let's just make sure that this is NOT for judgemental purposes. There's nothing "better" or "worse" in being able to read music (or understand music theory, or...) or not, and I'd be unhappy if this turned into some kind of discussion between dogmatists. At the end of the day, all that counts is the music, and we all need to find a road to it that suits our individual way of thinking, no? Of course, a number of things are non-negotiable (such as keeping rhythm, harmonic structure, the value of good face-to-face instruction, the ability to listen and being able to subordinate oneself to the musical experience), but other than that, I believe there isn't a one-size-fits-all road to music, and we all need to find ours that fits our shoes.

yes, as suspected, this looks a lot like a post-factory customization... obviously someone who for whatever reason wanted the A instead of the Eb and had it replaced (or did it him/her self). Do I read you correctly in that you plan on selling the instrument and wonder whether you should replace the reed to match a standard layout? Folks interested in Cranes generally fall into one of two broad categories: Total beginners who want a ready-to-play instrument (who wouldn't want to deal with even a trivial modification job) or seasoned players in search of a backup or new box (those will very likely not be interested in 35 button Cranes in the first place but wouldn't shy away from replacing a reed if they really want the instrument). Thus I would advise you to have it converted to factory layout (or do it yourself; it's very straightforward to do as long as you get fitting and tuned reeds) and sell the instrument optionally with the A reeds for re-replacement if anyone really wants it. I believe it is currently rather hard to sell any 35 button Crane in the first place, thus an instrument with an exotic layout would rather turn off potential buyers. In any case, be prepared that it may take a rather long time to sell even if you have it sold on commission. The community of Crane players is small, and anyone who already owns one is not very likely to buy another one any time soon, so allow for time.

Do you have a photo of the reed chamber? Eb and A are fairly far apart meaning the reeds should have recognizable different lengths. Since the reed chambers are normally adjusted to the reed lengths, looking at the reed chamber would be an indication as to whether this odd layout was already a factory design or a later modification.

yes, ultrasonic works ok. If you don't want to purchase your own cleaner, take the buttons to your jeweller and have him/her do it while you wait.

I believe this to be a provable NP complete Problem (if at all solvable) and I have a very neat proof, but the margin of the Internet is too small to fit it. In any case, there is reason to believe that any possibly existing solution will approximate 42. Congrats Paul. You beat me be a hair (I was busy calculating all possible moves from the last one and was about to hit the "enter" button once your winning move popped up)...

we had this several times before, but no harm done recalling it. What a delight to watch... every time... Thanks!

John - I take it you're the (so far) sole bidder as the combination suits your musical perferences perfectly? just kidding, glad to see you back (I began to worry a wee little bit in the back of my mind).

Just in case any of you should be irritated (which I don't think will happen, but FWIW): I changed my visible name to my "standard Nick" RAc just because I tend to become more worried about seeing my full name floating around the internet. Hate to tell you that this won't likely affect my presence in this forum... anyways, this is an opportunity for me to thank the community and in particular its administrators as well as its "heavy weight boxers" for making this place in Cyberland as pleasant and inviting as it is. Let's keep up the good concertina spirit (and, if really need be, the goofy concertina faces while we play)! ;-) Thanks, Ruediger

actually, no. A slap is much more than and very different from simply hitting a resonating body concurrently with shaping a sound on a melody instrument. A slap is a technique to attack *the string* such that the shaping of the sound interleaves with the rhythmic effect. It's sort of hard to describe, but those who play guitar, banjo, mandolin or something the like may be able to relate: You can either pluck the string or string pair with a movement parallel to the instrument's body or you can come down on the string vertically. (in a third version, you can also use your finger as a claw, reaching under the string and pulling it upward). In both cases you will generate the sound whose pitch is defined by the fretted length of the string, but the actual shape of the sound will be very different in each case. The guitar allows you to create all kinds of grooves this way. @Jim: I am in danger of repeating myself, but I'm convinced the world would be poorer without your killer instinct for puns. You just made my day once more. Brilliant!

Hi Wolf, I don't think we are in disagreement here. Like you I strongly believe that a piece of music without a recognizable melody line doesn't have a lot of value. The purpose of any polyphonic arrangement (be it on a single instrument or in a "real" band context) should be to support the melody voice such that the listening experience makes sense as a whole. Sorry if I should have been unclear; I never meant to imply that the different voices ought to be equally weighted. The pianist's left hand should certainly not dominate the piece or outweigh the right hand (unless of course the piece is meant that way). My point was that a good arrangement of a piece adds all the individual voices meaningfully in that their blend sounds interesting, natural and serves the piece best. Every voice has its place there, and the listener will be able to both enjpy the mix or focus on the individual voices and enjoy their contribution at his/her discretion and discover a lot of subtle details in each voice that blend into the whole. For that purpose, it doesn't matter whether the individual voices are contributed by different instruments or individuals or by different voices played simultaneously on the same instrument. I believe it's best explained by what Tommy Emmanuel says about Chet Atkins' playing in this intervew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGpY1SCD2LY His father couldn't believe (like many others) that there was only one guitar playing Windy and Warm. Many others couldn't either, but it was just Chet. He didn't weigh his voices equally, but he played an arrangement which sounded, well, like more than one.

Well, this discussion is going into a funny direction... I don't think "faking" has anything to do with it. When I listen to a band, I am able to identify distinct instruments, voicings, functions, colors, approaches - which all blend into the musical experience as a whole. It is no coincidence that the guitar has been used numerous times within this thread as an example of something that accomplishes the same effect but using only one player and one instrument. it's logical because the guitar has (as far as I understand it as a life long afficionado and part time player wanna be of the guitar) undergone an evolution as a "band in one instrument - " roughly along the lines of the folk revival in the 80's, guitarists have explored polyphony in the sense that Bob mentioned - emulating the piano by using the bass strings as the sphere for the bass line that works sort of independent of the melody line. But that's only the first step of the evolution. Guitarists have really explored that "piano" band type of thing in depth, and I'd see Guy van Duser* and Kottke as Masters of that "two dimensional" style - there were many others back then in all kinds of musical styles, from the folk baroque style by John Renbourn to almost classical players like Chet Atkins. What mostly remains from that time these days is the "fingerpicking paradigm" somewhat symbolized by arrangements like Ralph McTell's Streets of London. I deliberately exclude other Masters like Al di Meola from that movement because he belongs to a school that mostly plays single albeit very complex melody lines. Now around the mid eighties another dimension was added to the degree of polyphony explored on the guitar - roughly with the appearance of Michael Hedges, guitarists employed strong percussive elements, using the guitar body as a drum set ALONG WITH the above already existing polyphony. Ever since then, that third dimension has been explored in depth by people like Adam Rafferty, Claus Boesser Ferrari or Don Ross. There practically is no practicing guitarist who does not incorporate some kind of tapping, back beat slap or emulating a rhythm track on the guitar top (like in the Andy McKee video I posted initially) in his or her playing. When I think of "a band in a single instrument," I think of this very issue - several truly independent voices as well as "instrumental dogmas" that are both individually distinguishable as well as part of the complex arrangement. The only thing that's missing is different individuals playing the individual voicings, but I wouldn't consider that faking or anything else with a negative connotation. The closest I believe a concertina can come to this interpretation of "band in one instrument" is the two dimensional ("piano emulation") level which attempts to separate accompaniment from the melody line and achieving highest possible independence of both (possibly creating poly rhythms). Ragtime with its polyrhythmic nature, for example, has been proven possible on the concertina. I have also tried myself on an arrangement of Stars and Stripes forever, and it is absolutely doable for example on a Crane (I just can't do it, at least not to a degree that's fun to listen to, for sure not within the next twenty years), but in terms of fingering, it's much easier than on the guitar. However, I don't see the concertina allowing the full possiblilities for groove that a guitar allows for; I don't see how you can emulate short stops, slaps, rest strokes and all the other effects that are possible on a concertina. But there is a lot of potential in the concertina that hasn't been explored yet, I'm sure... Sorry for veering off and thanks for reading (in case you've made it up to this point). *The arrangement of Stars and Stripes forver by Guy van Duser already foreshadowed the more complex band arrangements in that he alternates the melody line between the brass band voices and the piccolo voice and tries to emulate the dynamics of the rhythm section by attack. But I'm pretty certain that a more modern arrangement would do what he does but on top of that use some of the free fingers to do real percussion on some of the so far unused parts of the guitar.

In retaliation for that accusation of foreign intervention into deeply British Matters (for which I plead guilty on all counts), I'll stop at Green Park and veer into Wiltons for some traditional British food. Costly they say but hey. There's worse things one can spend money on. P.S. It's true, it may count as an insult to you native players that non-natives (let alone continental Europeans, of all the plagues!) should dare to participate in the game, but as it turns out, we don't have fun sports like these, at least not in Germany, so we'll have to bug you...

THAT bad a move? C'm on guys, don't make me apologize... again... :-(

Elephant and Castle?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbow7ui8UzY The guitar, being basically a stringed percussion instrument, is a very natural choice for a band of its own...

Corrected is not the same as defeated, unless you refuse to be corrected. (And you didn't refuse.) Right. As usual. Thanks!