Wolf Molkentin

Since I can't comment that much regarding the Anglo, let me take on the Melodeon part (and finally come back to the Anglo from here). The ADG box will be as fine a squeeze as is my GCF one - "Have your fun!" would be sufficient then. OTOH it seems that you are kind of "blaming" the (basic) scales (such as D major) "along the rows". IMO that's in fact what the melodeon is all about... I was quite delighted with my first one (a Hohner Pokerwork Single-Row just in C). The expanded options of the 2- and 3-row instruments haven't changed that at all. If these scales are really bothering you you might better chose the CBA or PA (and maybe not even just an Anglo concertina - our member Hendrik Müller from Sweden is doing eminently well with ITM on his [self-built] English Concertina). I apologize in advance in case I should have misread what you are saying.

Patrick, David has it absolutely right regarding the classical doctrine of part writing, and you may choose to observe it. However, I didn't find the parallels that distracting in this case. But if you were working on your arrangement in any case I would suggest replacing the tonic chord at the end of the first half of the A part by something else (such as the dominant, just like you have it at the end of part A). Edited to add as to why I made my suggestion: You proceed with the tonic when resuming the A phrase, so I would not return to that chord just before - but of course that's matter of taste... Best wishes - Wolf

As to me, it's nicely arranged and played, with a delicate touch on buttons and bellows...

I'd suggest you have that feature disabled. I had the same trouble with my IPhone until I stopped it...

The latter. Then you can play lying down! Chris A matress might at least give longer lasting air support than a condom... This has already been done!The New Rope String Band do a long sequence with video which ends up with Tim Dalling strapped to an air bed with someone else pumping it up, playing two melodicas (one bass, one treble) fed from it. Tim sings while playing and (apart from the air bed) is only wearing a pair of underpants. The song's message is that many things can kill you, but you won't die of shame. I couldn't find that song on YouTube, but there are quite a few others to show what the band does. It's well worth seeing, if you get the chance. Steve Having watched their promo video I can easily believe their doing the matress thing.

The latter. Then you can play lying down! Chris A matress might at least give longer lasting air support than a condom...

Sounds pretty bad, Wendy. May you recover soon and let us hear your playing again! In the meantime feel comfortable around here! Best wishes- Wolf

I believe it can be done to some extent - not through bending but engaging two or three notes, at least that is what came to my mind once giving "Lonesome John" a try, to be heard from my recording. Am still working on both the tune and the effect... Nice recording of a fine tune, and U know I love the Mixolydian mode...

Thank you, glad that you like it! And as to your plans for 2014: Good luck with them, looking forward to listen to the results... :-)

So how about adding a bag and bellows to the melodica? It works for Irish and Northumbrian pipers. I almost tried something similar with a melodica and a blue plastic foot bellows that I had found at a yardsale. Now I am wondering if I kept that bellows or did I throw it out this summer during the move. The melodicas I still have. A friend who travelled in the Balkans once told me of an old gajda (bagpipe) player who started using such a foot pump to inflate his bag after he no longer had the lung power to do so. Just like the German bloke I once heard playing his Irish pipes; in his case it was due to a lack of arm power as you might have already imagined....

That's Wendy: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=15533&p=147126 (Don't know how to post the link properly via IPhone) .....at least it worked thus far.

Yes, my favourite moment comes around 1:00, when the real low reeds drop in for the first time. And Thomas, IMO you're right in coming back to the common "parallel" chord scheme. I found the strong major seventh / secondary dominant progression (including one diminished chord if I recall it correctly) in the B part of your first recording interesting but not really fitting with the tune. Best regards - Wolf

"Do you know concertinas? Pretty small unremarkable pieces of plastic, but they do cost a lot..."

Simply great (both in terms of musicality and technical quality) - thanks for sharing once again, Wes! (f.y.i., only the first recording has been accessible to me, i.e. the "lost" one)

Guess I'm making progress in playing this lovely tune - and I have to attribute that pretty much to the CNet community in general, Jim's TOTM efforts and those who were / are willing to go through my recordings and commentate them - a big thank to all those involved! Well, here is Take Three which might have been regarded as "final" were there not some minor flaws which I might be able to avoid some days later (as always, the recording is unedited apart from cutting it out as a whole). But anyway, this take sings as it should as to me, and has a mostly fluent timing - so I chose to provide it for now... (edited to remove typo)

I second this! It's very good advice to rest just one end on one knee - that's at least what I do in order to be able to play freely and safely without doing avoidable harm to the bellows...

I don't know if something like that exists. But you might benefit from lots of fiddle (or perhaps whistle) videos which are pretty well explaining the different types of ornamentation.

You mean it might have been some rampant argument regarding selling or not selling the instrument that eventually caused the sinking? Just amazing how the pieces seem to fit together...!

Many thanks Robert - it's just good to know that the musical "message" is getting across to some, and I'm glad you're one of them - further inspiration in general and for the ongoing work on the tune which is well worth the effort as to me - besides, I enjoyed your prospect of the different moods of that growing up girl Josefin too...

I totally agree on the senselessness of just "nice" comments or friendly silence. I didn't ask for that! That said I'm still wondering if the two aspects of (1) taste and style and (2) flaws in producing the intended sounds are in fair balance. The sound I' aiming at derives from the fiddle and is meant to be dense and compact rather than in the way of the divided concept of the accordion. Besides, I use to play the piano just that way, rich right hand notes followed by "bass" notes in a range not too far away... That's why I believe having to move not sideways but forward. I have little knowlegde about "older" EC styles which I might have to look for... Regarding this month's tune I loved to play it in sort of a hymnic mood from the very beginning (in autumn 2013). I'm still working on the clarity of any melody note, but that's only second to the sincereness, or should I say urgency I have in mind. You seem to have featured the playfulness and mood for dancing, and these different angles are just what musical exchange is all about as to me. Thank you again for your thoughts and hints!

Geoff, thank you for getting yourself into my (2nd) recording, appreciated! Being somewhat puzzled as to the harshness of your critique it's nevertheless giving me the idea of what and where to improve. I believe if one can overcome the difficulties of playing bisonoric instruments like the Melodeon or the Anglo the same will be true with smaller English Concertinas like mine in order to produce "bigger" sounds. My (still developing) bellows technique for the issue you have mentioned can be heard from the (2nd) recording. My congrats on finding a new sort of instrument and having learnt playing it that fast - I know the feel! Best wishes - Wolf

"All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts ..." gpanda (1599*) ??? Very brave reply! Solving one of the last mysteries in history... Maybe those lost years were spent on concertina making then...?

This is a "Yes, that's what it's all about", isn't it?! (Posted from an IPhone, which means no smileys to indicate the friendly mood or mode...)

Not wanting to bother anyone I'm nevertheless under the impression that the fact of me having reworked my rendition might have been overlooked due to a page change shortly after having posted the link (the counter stands at "9" since the very beginning). So if you already noticed please ignore this; if not, here is my second attempt (a reworked and rather clean recording with some minor inconstencies in the timing, and maybe just a bit too hurried). Please bear with me, I'd really appreciate any reaction... And Geoff, since your well played version couldn't be farer away from mine regarding personal understanding of "our" tune IMO, I'm still and all the more delighted at the variety of musical approaches to be found just at a single "place" like this. You certainly revealed other aspects of the tune hidden to me priorly. Best wishes - Wolf

Perhaps that's just part of the game, and we have players among us despite their versions...