Spouse Vs Concertina

[Bob Tedrow]

Well, strap this one on.

 

Wife Klari has over the last two years become a pretty fair frontporch concertina player.

 

Daughter Alex takes medals at her Feis competitions playing the concertina.

 

I now have to play backup guitar when we play out!

 

I recently took up the simple system wood flute just so I can have a melody instrument to play.

 

I have to admit some fascination with an instrument with no moving parts.

 

 

Bob

[Jay Lamsa]

I'm a little late getting in on this discussion, so I'm really responding to earlier in the thread.

 

My wife and two daughters really don't like my english concertina very much. It hasn't made any difference that my playing has REALLY improved since starting 3 years ago. I have never had a positive comment from them, well, just once. They think it is shrill and piercing - I don't hear it that way at all, so I think there is something to the earlier discussion about how people hear the same sounds differently.

 

Second, I picked up a piano accordion last fall. They don't mind the sound of that, even though my playing skills are a fair amount below the concertina. And even though it is a lot louder.

 

So go figure. Anyway, we've all found ways to deal with it. Ultimately, I think we all look at it this way - there are a lot worse interests I could have.

 

My youngest daughter is playing electric guitar and electric bass. Her room is above our kitchen, and when she practices it sounds like we live under a bar. I keep finding myself wanting to grab a beer. But really, I'm happy she is (both my daughters are) very interestred in music. And MAYBE some day they'll appreciate the concertina!

 

Jay

[rmerris]

My wife, who plays concert harp, has near-perfect pitch and the timing of a metronome. I have not close to either.

My solutions:

1. I have been playing fiddle for 25 years--terribly. But I love it. I keep a fiddle in my office, go to work very early, and play before any of my staff arrive. If one of them sees the fiddle in my office and says they have heard it, I know it is a fib, because none of them arrive before 8am, by which time I am working rather than fiddling. It makes a fairly good lie detector. (Two years ago, a thief stole my computer--company property--but not my fiddle on the wall. Clue for the company detectives: the thief is not a fiddler.)

2. I keep a very quiet Lachenal piccolo Anglo locked in the desk in my office, and occasionally close and lock my office door and softly play at lunchtime.

3. I play full-size Anglo at home, only when I can get totally off by myself.

4. When my wife is around, I only play a miniature Wheatstone concertina that is very high pitched and low volume. She actually likes it. "It's so cute."

5. I never let my wife catch me playing scales or otherwise doodling around on the concertina while watching television. I am a consummate multi-tasker, but doing my TV/concertina bit is deemed to be a sin of the house.

I hope one or more of my solutions helps.

[Greg Jowaisas]

Jay: And MAYBE some day they'll appreciate the concertina!

 

(Once the electric music tones down their perception of highs!)

 

You've got the right attitude though, Jay. Music speaks in many different ways.

Encouraging your daughter to explore her musicality will empower her, even if it does drive you to drink.

 

And all the comments concerning how people respond differently to the same sound or instrument has opened my eyes. Ocassionally I've noticed students at my school concerts putting hands over or fingers in ears, rarely, thank goodness, for the entire show! I'll pay more attention to which instruments that evoke this response and take a little time to ask teachers about those students and this kind of behavior. Thanks, C.net contributors!

 

Greg

[Helen]

Greg,

 

I also found the info on how different people perceive different tones very enlightening. Thanks everyone, especially, I believe, Allison.

 

And hey Jay,

 

Way to go with the piano accordion. See, your family has taste.

 

Oh no, oh no, incoming, people are gonna throw things at me.

 

Well of course they should also like the concertina. But one out of two ain't so bad.

 

Helen

 

 

Edited to add some commas. Otherwise, it would read incoming people instead of Radar's incoming warning from M*A*S*H

Edited June 24, 2004 by Helen

[Chris Timson]

Second, I picked up a piano accordion last fall.  They don't mind the sound of that, even though my playing skills are a fair amount below the concertina. And even though it is a lot louder.

The solution to your problem is obvious, sir. Just buy a concertina with accordion reeds. My bill is in the post.

 

Chris

[Robin Madge]

I'm sure that some people just don't like high frequencies, and that the high frequency harmonics vary from concertina to concertina, so find one with less high frequency output.

 

My wife, an english player, is much happier playing her baritone english than her treble, and much prefers tunes in G rather than "screeching in D".

She also has trouble in picking out a tune if I whisle it to her instead of singing it to her, as she has trouble distinguishing between notes at the higher pitch. That is not to say that she cannot detect it as a sound better at the higher pitch!

 

I must admit that I prefer the bass end of the instrument myself.

 

Robin Madge

[geoffwright]

And which particular layout might this accordion-reeded concertina be in?

HB.

[Jay Lamsa]

Second, I picked up a piano accordion last fall.  They don't mind the sound of that, even though my playing skills are a fair amount below the concertina. And even though it is a lot louder.

The solution to your problem is obvious, sir. Just buy a concertina with accordion reeds. My bill is in the post.

 

Chris

Truly the wisdom of Solomon, Chris - I stand in awe!

 

Jay

[Chris Timson]

Truly the wisdom of Solomon, Chris - I stand in awe! 

Ah, this is one of those sentences where the "not" is silent, yes? Nevertheless, I thank you.

 

Just setting off for the ECMW now. Hope everyone else has a good weekend too!

 

Chris

[JimLucas]

And which particular layout might this accordion-reeded concertina be in?

Take your pick.

They're available in both anglo and English, from multiple sources.

Maybe even Hayden now, from Bob T.

[BillErickson]

Actually, an accordion-reeded concertina might be the solution to my problems. The wife has never complained much about my piano accordion -- other than a rolling of the eyes about it's "Lawrence Welk" factor. Hmm, might just have to check those out...

[bellowbelle]

Actually, an accordion-reeded concertina might be the solution to my problems.

Hmm...don't want to 'rain on your parade,' as they say, but...I still get complaints about the high pitch, from my daughter, and I play the Morse Albion English (accordion reeds). BUT....that's the treble. Maybe check out the baritone...I think they have one, now.

 

I'm interested in getting a bass EC, sometime.

 

But, you know, I think reeds are an acquired taste, for a lot of people. I can remember that the sound of bagpipes used to drive me nuts....said I hated them. Now, I do like them, after becoming more sympathetic to all reed instruments.

 

For me...this may sound weird, but...I think it was that I could sense the 'pressure' that goes with wind/reed instruments. There's a sense of giving up oxygen, in order to make the noise....unlike a piano or a guitar, which politely lets me breathe. When I heard the bagpipes, I felt like I do when people just talk right over me and don't let me finish a.....sentence....

 

My daughter always knows if I've used the radio in her car, because I decrease the bass boom quite a bit, and turn up the treble! She is, in fact, not just a 'rocker,' she does a lot with various music, but...has yet to really allow the concertina OR the accordion much space.

[RatFace]

While I have experimented with internal baffles with some success, I have never seen external ones.  The photos are interesting - what material are these baffles made of and how are they attached?

This might be a good solution to loud concertina practice.  They are not offensive is appearance either.

Made out of MDF (shame etc) and painted black, at least on the outside. I thinned the inside to account for the raised ends of the concertina. They're attached using sticky-backed velcro.

I'm sure if someone more careful than me (i.e. almost everyone else) did this they could make it look much nicer.

Edited June 28, 2004 by RatFace

[thehnote]

sorry for shouting and upsetting some of you

Edited June 30, 2004 by thehnote

[Alan Day]

I had terrible problems when I played the trumpet,unless it was muted I had complaints from my other half, almost from the first note I played when practicing.

The problem with any mouthpiece playing is you cannot put it down for a month like the concertina,or at least I could not so unless I played on a constant basis my trumpet days were numbered.That eventually was the case ,anyway a far more exciting instrument came along and the trumpet hibernated to the loft.I get it out on the odd occasion and play the last post up in the loft,which sends my dogs crazy ,running in all directions barking and wondering where that noise is coming from.When I get down from the loft ,the usual comment is "That was not funny"!

Somehow though A good blast on it seems to blow a few cobwebs away,so to speak.

Al

[BillErickson]

The problem with any mouthpiece playing is you cannot put it down for a month like the concertina,or at least I could not so unless I played on a constant basis my trumpet days were numbered.

 

Actually Alan, that's only really true for the brass instruments with smaller mouthpieces. I also play Trombone, and because of the larger mouthpiece size, I can get away with not playing it for a year, and still be able to pull it out and play reasonably well. I *do* have to compensate some by pressing harder against my mouth -- leaving a lovely ring around my lips when I stop playing

 

I'd imagine that for some folks, there would be some decay of playing ability on the concertina if you put it down for a while -- particularly on the faster passages. Wouldn't the fingers be just a bit slower to respond?

Edited July 1, 2004 by BillErickson

[BillErickson]

Getting back to the original topic of this thread....

 

I don't have any experience yet with brass-reeded instruments. I've read that they have a "mellower" sound, although tend to go out of tune more frequently.

 

What has been other's experiences regarding the difference in sound (particularly the harmonic balance and timbre) between steel and brass reeded concertinas? Is there hope that my wife might find a brass-reeded concertina easier to tolerate?