bellowsing on English concertina

[JimLucas]

You certainly won't catching me 'bellowsing'. What a horrible word.

I think it should be hyphenated, "bellow-sing". Then it's something I do a lot, but I usually call it shantying.

[Leonard]

Is this Mr Göran around? Perhaps he might let us know a bit more?

 

He's actively discussing his ideas on http://englishconcertina.ning.com/

I'm sure he's happy to answer any question there.

[PeterT]

He's actively discussing his ideas on http://englishconcertina.ning.com/

Which is a "Members Only" site.

[Kautilya]

...I have suddenly found my finger in the top fret hole on right side where the posh tinas have names of the makers. It just happens when I want to really pull out the bellows very fast against the extra strong air button spring and it makes it so much easier. More purchase than holding the concertina down against my knee.

I honestly do not have the faintest idea what you are talking about.... Perhaps you can explain?

...here is a nice piccy which may help.

It looks to me that Kautilya is pressing that finger against the end in order to brace the back of the palm tightly against the strap, forming a "rigid" structure to transfer the force used to pull out the bellows. I expect that otherwise there would be some play in the contact between the hand and the hand strap, resulting in a slight delay when trying to pull suddenly and strongly. I suspect that the placement of the finger in that "hole" in the fretwork is a coincidence of the size of Kautilya's hand and the details of the fretwork design. That finger (or another) could just as well have been braced by simply pressing against some other portion of the end.

Edited to add: I just took another look at the photo, and I revise my analysis. While what I describe above is a viable technique (variations of which I use all the time; after all, pressing on a button also braces the hand), it looks like Kautilya isn't just pressing on the end, but may actually be using the finger in the fretwork to pull the hand tighter in the strap. Hmm.

Yes Jim y're right - pulling (

The finger there also allows a bit more push as my overstrong airbutton spring means the heavy lower pressure from the thumb seems to push the top of the fretwork away from the bellows and up to the right if the finger is not exerting counterpressure to thumb... probably just a bad habit but I certainly did not set out deliberately to achieve this - mmy hand just sort of worked it out on its own.

 

Mabybe no connection but interesting how many Melodeon plays use their right thumb against the vertiical keyboard to stop it moving and increase that control with their ONE shoulder/elbow strap -- go watch the video which I will put in next box separate from this. They keep adjusting that shoulder/elbow strap like its a live snake!

[Kautilya]

The answer to Russians?

I may (may) have the answer. There was some pretty whizzy stuff by the master tutors and squeezerati at the Witney ((hold yr air button!) Melodeon HandsonMusic weekend's formal concert on the Saturday in October but that was not for recording.

 

But I have some bits of us mainly UK students and our homework set pieces on the final show us your stuff on the Sunday afternoon......

 

The dancing meolodeonites showed how to work your legs like a bellows at slow speed, Then another class did a piece that went faster and faster and faster -- hi-speed bellowsing. My group of course was squeezing in and out wildly in every direction but no pics as I did not have enough hands.....

 

Why so much explanation? Weeeell (he said, pressing air button and pulling out bellows for a big sigh)- the video off my still camera ain't that good and the files are enormous. So u will just have to wait till I sort it out to show it somehow. I have sorted out the time delay between the music and the picture by using Videolan.org (Windows' Media Player is a no no...) .. but but but...

 

PS

on the the Russian video (he really must have been christened Akkordeon coz I could not find his name in the info -- LoL) he did not have to pull and push for different notes so he had big advantage over Anglotinas and Melodeons.

 

PPS

I am sure u did not mean the phrasing as it came out from your quill but u might want to go back and fix it or they will think we are dim if we think such brilliant playing is the same as the Pol-glish for carp -- you know, the fish but spelt with a Kr....

MELODEON FAST BELLOW-DAN-SING (apologies to clever bellow-sing post!)

Somone helped me out with their youtube site:

In two parts - slow start then the beginning of the faster piece which continues on the second URL for grand finale....

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/InsightandMind#p/u/3/Z1LsQQWI8d4

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/InsightandMind#p/u/2/RSEKGi_B1fI

 

Dancing melodeonites doing slow bellow-dan-sing

http://www.youtube.com/user/InsightandMind#p/u/1/rt-Lay92dUI

 

Bell-less playground-/'step-'/morris-dancers who couldnt quite get their joint bellows

action right but prove that you can even make a fine noise with just one-sided-belly-danc-clap-ing.

http://www.youtube.com/user/InsightandMind#p/u/0/6IudKCcyzkI

 

ps -as many will know, the weekend organiser Dave Townsend is a whiz tina player and his coorganiser, his better half, plays the accordeon.

Edited December 5, 2009 by Kautilya

[JimLucas]

He's actively discussing his ideas on http://englishconcertina.ning.com/

Which is a "Members Only" site.

So is this one if you want to post, no?

[Kautilya]

Jim - you can't get past the front page even... Anglo Saxoninas would never do that... it those English Normans who came later....

[PeterT]

He's actively discussing his ideas on http://englishconcertina.ning.com/

Which is a "Members Only" site.

So is this one if you want to post, no?

Only if you want to post. Reading the numerous posts; informative, or otherwise, is "free" to all.

[PeterT]

Jim - you can't get past the front page even... Anglo Saxoninas would never do that... it those English Normans who came later....

Then you probably need to know the "correct" password ......

[Kautilya]

P - was that a hint hint, squeeze squeeze, knock knock?

Edited December 5, 2009 by Kautilya

[JimLucas]

He's actively discussing his ideas on http://englishconcertina.ning.com/

Which is a "Members Only" site.

So is this one if you want to post, no?

Oops! I guess I should have checked it out before commenting.

I now see what Peter meant. Though there are some tantalizing things visible on the openly accessible home page, it looks like one has to become a member to even read the SITE RULES. Yes, that is more restrictive than here on Concertina.net.

[Henrik Müller]

...

You certainly won't catching me 'bellowsing'. What a horrible word.

Come to think of it, it is a horrible word - sounds like a bodily function:

 

"Children! I have told so many times not to be bellowsing at the table!"

 

/Henrik

[Boney]

...

You certainly won't catching me 'bellowsing'. What a horrible word.

Come to think of it, it is a horrible word

Yes, it sounds ugly. For nouns that are usually only used in the plural, when you add "ing" to make a verb, you drop the "s," for example, you wouldn't say "scissorsing." I guess it's an attempt to differentiate it from "bellowing," but I think I can talk about bellows technique all I want to without using it.

Edited December 7, 2009 by Boney

[Randy Stein]

My teachers, Boris and Serge Matueswich would often invoke the use of bellows for note articulation. Especially when playing repeated 16th or 32nd notes allegretto, i.e. in Flight of the Bumble Bee, especially in doubled notes. Over the years, in working with violin music, it became equally apparent that the phrasing and articulation of the bow is not too dissimilar to the in-out of the bellows. Especially for a more legato expression. Note articulation for staccato or sforzato came definitely through fingering other than stated above.

rss

[billybunterr]

Wheatstones instructions for the English concertina, by Alfred Edwards, has markings above the music,which look like bellows suggestions.

I have another old tutor, that too has music markings for bellows, this book contains a lot of Hornpipes.

most of the bellows markings for these Hornpipes, mark bellows changes on the first and third beats, with occasional groups of four played one three,it is similiar to violin bowing.

[buikligger]

Wheatstones instructions for the English concertina, by Alfred Edwards, has markings above the music,which look like bellows suggestions.

I have another old tutor, that too has music markings for bellows, this book contains a lot of Hornpipes.

most of the bellows markings for these Hornpipes, mark bellows changes on the first and third beats, with occasional groups of four played one three,it is similiar to violin bowing.

 

 

Can you give some examples to be more precise in showing what you mean?

 

dirk

[billybunterr]

Liverpool Hornpipe,bars 1,2,5,7.plus all the bars in the second part, bellows changes are indicated,before the first and third beats,so the player is mainly changing after groups of four notes.

of course it maybe a classical players interpretation of how to play traditional hornpipes.

Fiddle players often use more variety than that, but anyway the point is bellows movements are marked,seven other hornpipes are marked like this.

the sailors hornpipe,has 7 bars marked like this,but has more variety of bellows markings in other bars ,bars 5 6 7 ,in the first part,and bars 9 11 14 and 15,in the second part,are all marked in this way.

[Dirge]

Or are they just accents (and does this amount to more or less the same thing anyway, fo that matter?)