Long Haired David

Thanks for all the comments. I have taken the reduced workload route. I am working on a subset of tunes and gaining full accuracy. As a result of this I find that there are a few tunes that I can play without the music. This is resulting in me playing (as my wife and mother-in=law - who are the two that really hear me - say) with a lot more fluency and feeling. Putting my own twist on them is a bit easier once i can play them by heart with my eyes shut! I still have a lot of trouble playing in C because of so much of the repertoire being in G so I am currently concentrating on that area. David

Isn't the girl on the right the concertina player from Simple Gifts? See http://www.youtube.com/user/simplegiftsmusic

If you check out my You Tube videos I have used two techniques - neither of them particularly cheap - grin. My first videos including the tin whistle ones were taken on my Canon 500D which records HD video. The second set - Saucy Little Bird - was taken on my iPad. I had to run both through iMovie to get the bitrate down and there is little difference in the quality. My guess is that if you bought a cheap microphone on EBay or somesuch then you would find that the sound improves greatly. I love that tune and can see me looking for more Music Hall tunes. If you want a great one to play with check out this You Tube video -

This is my attempt at 'The Saucy Little Bird on Nellie's Hat' I have been playing for a few months and got this 20key C/G Lachenal about a month ago. I had a big problem with it because the left hand B/C button on the G row kept staying on so giving a drone. After a few attempts, I have managed to fix it. I got an iPad2 about 2 weeks ago so thought I would have a go at using it to video my playing. The line up is a bit off but it has come out quite well. You can see it on YouTube at http://bit.ly/iSJg9e

I have been playing only since Christmas and I am having a small fingering problem with this. Its in the first phrase where it goes E D C B E. I am looking for some advice on how to do this correctly - efficiently - etc. I have tried crossing to the C line for the E and then staying on the C line for the D C B coming back to the E again and I have also tried playing the E on the C line and then coming back to the G Line for the D C B and then back for the E again. Neither of these seems to flow and i could do with some advice as to which way to go to get it to flow. I have a 20 key C/G Lachenal. Any thoughts would be helpful. David

Does anyone have the dots for this tune?

I think you should, so the whole book is available. Just sending you the last thirty or so pages for completion. Not all of this site are members of the ICA Ruediger so please carry on putting it up on your site. Many thanks for the prompt action from you both. Please let me know everyone if you find the pages interesting Al ok, upload is now complete. There are 2 sets of files: On http://www.ruediger-asche.de/jdbook/ , there is a collection of 54 pages of tunes, and on http://www.ruediger-asche.de/jdbook/book2/ there are 28 pages of excercises, scales and so forth. Please let me know if anything is missing, but I don't hink so (Alan has strictly numbered the files consecutively). I'll also try to get a single file version done asap; it's not that hard, but I'm behind schedule in my other tasks, so it may take a while. Thanks again, RAc just in case anybody is still using this: I need to make some space on my account, so I'll delete the directory soon. Please let me know anybody if there's a problem. Thanks! If needs be I have tons of space so could host them off my personal web site. David

Thanks for that. I had forgotten that page. Humm, not a bad purchase then. All I have to do is get to grips with it - smile. David

Hi everyone. This is my new Lachenal 20key C/G. Can anyone give me a clue to its age given the serial no as stated in the heading? Thanks in advance. David

No, it is the bellows that seem very stiff. I have a problem moving them quickly and they tend to 'bounce'. I was assured that they would loosen up. I have attached two photos of the instrument. David

Having had some interesting discussions here about spending £300 on a new concertina, I ended up buying a 20 key Lachenal C/G. I now have even more problems. Firstly, when it arrived, it had a drone on the push from a stuck bottom G. In discussion with the sellers I got that fixed and am now confident about opening it up and re-aligning pads and so on. So I set about starting to play it. Consider that all I had before was a yellow and blue Stagi Gremlin that cost £75 on EBay. I have four problems that are making me wish sometimes that I should go back to El Cheapo. Problem 1. The bellows have been refurbished and it has quite a stiff action. I am told that this should ease over the next six months but it is giving me problems due to the arthritis in my hands. It is also (not sure how to express this) bouncing back and playing the note on the other action. Problem 2. Because of this stiff action, I am finding myself holding the right hand end with my finger tips to move the bellows and thus have a bit of an issue when playing anything on that side. Problem 3. It is a 5 bellows instrument as opposed to the 9 that was on the previous one and it runs out of puff much quicker than I am used to. I suppose that the answer to this one is that, instead of just playing my way through the book, I will need to concentrate on a couple of tunes and get the fingering right to counteract this. Problem 4. The keys are slightly different. The actual key layout is better as the problems I had playing D E F across the rows on the left hand, for instance, have gone away. However, the rows are in a different place and I am finding it hard to cover both rows on the left and to reach anything other than the first two buttons in both rows on the right. Problem 2 will solve once Problem 1 eases. Problem 3 is a case of practicing properly rather than just expecting to get better just by playing any old tune I fancy and living with the mistakes. Problem 4 should solve with time but I am finding it hard to set the straps so that I can get enough pull on the bellows whilst providing enough movement to get to all the keys. I think that I need to get my right hand to the same place that my left hand ability is sitting. All in all, I was really looking forward to getting a better concertina and have ended up frustrated. Getting back to learning the whistle sometimes seems easier. Please tell me it will get better - smile. David

Here is my favourite - not concertina but great cockney!! David PS I disagree with one line - he sings 'should have been washed in a jug' - I have always sung 'should have been barfed in a jug'!

Indeed it is The Valiant, composed by Simon Ritchie who was probably the person organising the dance. Thank you. It was indeed Simon who was leading the playing. Somehow he seemed to be the one I wanted to watch. It all seemed so easy for him. I wish!! Maybe its a melodeon you want to play then? *ducks for cover* Actually I am under pressure from my wife to do that. However, as I am struggling to improve on my el-cheapo concertina, the chance of me getting any sort of Melodeon is out of the question at the moment :-( - unless some kind soul in Suffolk has one I could borrow - smile. David

Indeed it is The Valiant, composed by Simon Ritchie who was probably the person organising the dance. Thank you. It was indeed Simon who was leading the playing. Somehow he seemed to be the one I wanted to watch. It all seemed so easy for him. I wish!! Where would I find the dots? David

I was the miserable old git sitting in the left hand corner :-( What tune are they playing. It sounds like something I should be able to get my fingers around. David

Don't worry - have my eye on both of those. The cheaper one is a Gen. I whilst the second is a Gen II but it will be interesting to see where the Gen II bifding goes although there were no bidders the last time I looked. David

I have asked him if I can go up and try it. I am on a fixed pension so don't have a lot to spend. Plus, I have no interest in any public performance other than Melodeons and More so I am looking for something to replace my current 20 key anglo - preferably with 30 keys. All I am going to do is sit in my living room and enjoy myself. I have my eye on a 2nd hand Rochelle so I will get that in preference. This would be 2nd choice and probably would be no better than I have except it ain't blue and yellow and has 30 keys! David

I know that but it may be better than the blue and yellow Gremlin that I have where the right hand reeds keep falling off inside and the top notes sound like someone whispering. David

I know that it is very cheap but I wondered if anyone knew what make it was? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Black-DM-Concertina-and-case-ANGLO-SYSTEM-/130501263139?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Keyboard_RL&hash=item1e627b3f23 David

I have just spent the day up at Mendlesham at Melodeons and More. I have a 20 key Anglo. As a beginner and a first time visitor, I thought I would give my impressions of the day. I arrived late due to major accident on my route across country so I was just in time to find out where I needed to be. I was to attend the morning and afternoon sessions provided by Mary Humphreys and Anahata. These were based on an 1850's manuscript. I had spent the last four weeks learning the pieces and was confident that I could play them all and also play 3 of them from memory (remember I only started playing at Christmas although I have played other instruments in the past and can sight read music). I waas thrilled to be in the company of these two accomplished musicians and was eager to get 'stuck in'. It didn't turn put that way unfortunately. What I was to find was that although Mary and Anahata were patient and clear in their instruction - the second that we all began to play, my mind became a blank! It was as if I couldn't read music and didn't know where any key on my 20 key Anglo was. They slowed everything down and for a while I was able to get somewhere. In the meantime, the most amazing sound of 26 concertinas (sorry - 25) played wonderful music. I learned a lot from their instruction though so it was overall a great morning. Lunchtime came and my chicken roll, bag of crisps and celery was just about enough - so maybe next year I will take my own lunch. Don't take this as a criticsm as they had a tight budget and I understood that. I braved a 1/2 pint of real ale - having been a lager man for more years than I care to remember. Then I went into the Céilidh. What an experience - 10 melodeons and Mary/Anahata playing concertinas - well what a sound! Then there was some dancing but the high point for me was the step dancing - especially the lady that danced to Davy Davy Knick Knack - she was tremendous. I then decided that I had to do something about my poor morning performance so went back to the concertina venue before time to do some practice to prove that I could play the pieces to come in the afternoon. This worked well for my self esteem. The session started and I didn't so too badly. However, once they got up to speed, my inexperience showed and I wasn't able to keep up with everything so I just did what I could (without the depression of the morning). However, the arthritis in my knuckles finally took over and proved that I can't do this for more than about one hour at a time. The final renditions of each tune were, however, amazing and I listened in wonder and hope for the future. It was interesting to have some melodeons in the group in the afternoon - they certainly add depth to the playing. I didn't stay for the Workshop showcase - which was where every group got to play their best pieces - mainly because if I had sat in, I would have faked it and that I couldn't do - and I already knew how good the group was. They asked for a survey form to be filled in - they got excellent in everything but when asked what did I learn, the only answer was - to practice more - smile. I have come home determined in a few things. Practice everyday for at least one hour and then maybe I will get there and to try and improve my instrument as it just wasn't capable of moving as quickly as I wanted to keep up with the beat - a cheap EBay Stagi Gremlin which costs £75 shouldn't be exposed to such things - grin. What is the saying? Next year in Medlesham! David

Thanks for that. It is very encouraging. Playing through three times is a goal I have set myself and almost always fail. Mind you, I have only been playing 'seriously' since Christmas. I do find that playing a tune through 2 or 3 times on a tin whistle (only playing 4 weeks but used to play a flue and recorder years ago) is much easier than on the concertina. Maybe that is just more built in memory of the fingerings. BTW, my wife comes from Chippenham and her grandparents lived on the Malmsbury Road at Hardenhuish! David

As I only started seriously at Christmas, I say that "I am learning" the concertina. I know how far I have to go to 'play'rather than struggle.. Just a thought, though - when do you say "I PLAY the concertina" What is the tipping point? David

I keep reading that I should be playing the tune on my right hand and chords on my left hand - I have a C/G Anglo 20 button. Now as far as I can see, on my right hand on the G row I have 10 notes. I routinely play tunes that spread over 1 1/2 octaves from the left hand D up to the B on the right hand. I read the Alan Day posts and listen to his lessons. He says, play any notes on the right and add some chords with your left hand. How then do you play, say, Over the Water To Charlie, which in my book starts on a the low G on the left and goes up to the higher G on the right? As I say, mystified of Suffolk!

Not any more, in the UK you can get them from the Music Room (£294) or Chris Algar I obviously missed a trick by waiting until I had been to Melodions And More - The Music Room are now quoting for a Rochelle although the US price at Button Box hasn't changed. Since I last loooked the pound has moved from 1.60 to 1.61 so there isn't much of a change in the exchange rate. Maybe I should get one from the States! David Hi David, I may have a used Rochelle that I could sell you for what I payed, which would work out to about 190 pounds (plus shipping, etc. I'm in Canada) It's like new. I lent it to a friend, but he seems to have given up. If you are interested, I'll ask for it back. Bill Thanks for the offer. However, by the time you add shipping and then the UK customs will add 20% VAT - sales tax plus the shipping company will add £10 for handling, I won't be far off the UK price. I own a Scale Model Shop - plastic kits for aeroplanes, taks etc. and I get quite upset when people go overseas for kits because they are cheaper - all it does in undermine the UK sellers (no offence intended to you of course and yours is a generous offer) so I really should keep my own faith and support local sellers. Thanks again David

I have spoken to Celtic Chords and he says the has some coming this week and some more by the end of the month and that the price will be close to £285. He says that The Music Room has normally charged £370 so the price that I saw was obviously a special. I am still not going to buy anything until the end of this month. I will keep you in touch. David