Palm Rests

[SteveS]

This item contained a reference to palm rests on a baritone concertina.

 

I've seen holes in more or less the positions shown in the accompanying pictures before.

 

Does the forum have any comments as to

 

- the design of palm rests

- the efficacy of palm rests in use

- mounting methods (preferably without drilling holes in the ends of concertinas)

- likely historic suppliers (I've never seen them advertised, so maybe players made up their own)

 

 

[Dana Johnson]

On looking closer, the rest holes look to be in a good location. I wonder if they are supported from below by posts. They seem like they would be useful on the press, but unless they had a strap as well, not very helpful on the draw. The holes appear quite well done, as though the were drilled at the time of the fretwork.and polished along with it as though the rests were original equipment. I've seen some baritones with leather straps going from one side of the frame to the other, but never someone using rests.

It is hard to think of mounting methods that wouldn't cause as much damage to the instrument as holes in the ends. Ergonomically, ordinary straight rests are a bit restrictive on something with that long a button layout. Ordinarily, you are pressing with the meaty arc of your palm from the base of the little finger down across the bottom to your thumb. This leaves a lot of freedom for your fingers. Anglo players who have tight straps and solid contact with their hand rests often have trouble reaching some buttons if their finger length isn't within a relatively narrow range. And they are only usually three rows deep. Goran had other changes he proposed that may have made them more appropriate.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Dana Johnson

[Wolf Molkentin]

Göran Rahm is commending handrests on an English concertina if memory serves me rightly...

[Stephen Chambers]

Göran Rahm is commending handrests on an English concertina if memory serves me rightly...

 

Hand rests were tried long before Göran recommended them. I have a Wheatstone 1844 Patent "double" concertina (similar in appearance/ergonomics to "English" models - having four horizontal rows of buttons and thumb straps*) which appears to formerly have had them fitted to it, and they are illustrated on the English concertina in William Wheatstone's 1861 Patent, but both of those designs also dispensed with the finger rests, whilst William Wheatstone's one effectively altered the centre of gravity of the instrument (by moving the buttons and thumb straps forwards) so that it balanced better in the player's hands.

 

But hand rests never caught on generally.

 

Footnote:

 

* Indeed the "doubles" are externally so similar to "English" models that another example in my collection (originally sold to Miss Elphinstone as a "double") was converted, later in the 19th century, into an English-system tenor.

 

Edited to be more explicit

Edited July 29, 2015 by Stephen Chambers

[Peter Laban]

In the echo chamber of a paralel universe this thread is continuing.

Edited July 26, 2015 by Peter Laban

[Stephen Selby]

Early on, I got a Stagi G/D concertina, which is a bit big and heavy. I found that it was hard to play standing.

 

So I looked for some way of supporting it against my pals palms. After experimentation, I found that two boxes for blues harmonicas were about the right size. So I got a piece of wood of the right dimensions and cut off two pieces 3" x 1.5" x 0.75". I glued on chamois leather covering them completely (rough side out), like wrapping a gift.

 

As they are loose, I use them on all my concertinas. The chamois has just enough purchase to stop them shifting, and won't shed dust into the mechanism. The weight of the instrument is enough to hold them in place.

 

Of course, this assumes a wrist strap. No use on an English concertina.

[JimLucas]

Of course, this assumes a wrist strap. No use on an English concertina.

 

A "hand" strap, perhaps, but I doubt that it ever touches your wrist. It fits across the back of your hand.

 

Some larger English concertinas are fitted with actual wrist straps, in addition to the thumb loops and finger plates, but they don't serve the same function and there's no associated "rail" for support.