Looking for lightest playing bellows instrument

[Hans]

I'm a composer and like playing fantasy (ambient) soundtracks on my midi keyboard. But I’m looking for an acoustic instrument instrument where I can play those long drawn out chords you often hear in soundtracks like Lord Of The Rings and Skyrim and perform this music on the street (amplification is not allowed in my town). That’s why I bought an accordion and I’m absolutely loving the fact I can play long drawn out interesting chords in every key.

 

However, I’m dealing with a lot of fatigue, due to chronic stomach issues. When I’m playing the accordion for 30 minutes, I’m already very tired and not feel well afterwards and usually have to wait a day before I can play music again. The thing is, music is my biggest passion and I want to play for extended periods of time, even when I’m tired/not feeling well. I want to compose fantasy soundtracks on my instrument and I’ve tried sitting with my 8 kg (17 lbs) accordion on my lap in a relaxed position, but still find I’m tired afterwards.

 

So right now I’m looking for an alternative to my heavy accordeon. Maybe a lighter accordeon or a bandoneon or a concertina that is fully chromatic (that can play in all the 12 keys) and most importantly, that operates very lightly. I’ve once bought a super lightweight (around 5kg/11lbs) accordion but the bellows where so weak I had to pump them constantly, making it even heavier to operate than heavier accordeons I’ve played. Funny enough my accordion is so heavy I can pull the bellows just by tilting the instrument on my knee so I’ve noticed that a heavier instrument is sometimes even lighter to operate. But it still feels tiring somehow to play for 30 minutes or so. I’ve also tried playing the melodica with foot pumps but the amount of pumping and energy I had to put in made me tired quite fast and electric pumps (for inflating boats) where too noisy.

 

So my question is… which chromatic bellows instrument plays the lightest and can be played for hours without tiring much? Or is there a technique/way of playing that makes these instruments considerably lighter/easier to play? I'm thinking a duet concertina might be it but it's hard to say without owning one yet. Really curious about your experiences. Any suggestions are welcome!

 

[Bill N]

A duet would probably be the best choice for the music you want to play.  I think the most important consideration would be a good set of bellows, which would mean a vintage instrument in good condition, or at a minimum an intermediate level instrument by a modern maker such as Wim Wakker.  Entry level instruments like the Concertina Connection Elise have very stiff bellows which are hard work.

 

[LesJessop]

What about an Indian Shruti Box ? They are bellows blown, designed to produce a drone rather than a melody, and portable. 

 

 

 

 

[Hans]

Thanks for chiming in guys.

 

I've had a shruti box but found the option to not change chords as fast as with a keyboard limiting. However, I'm considering a harmonium with a shruti box foot pump attached, so you can operate the bellows with the foot and play with two hands. Still researching if that's possible...

 

I'm also thinking that duet with large bellows is probably my best choice. I've found a couple of manufacturers/websites where you can order a duet concertina and send it back after 7 days if it's not what I want. It's either that option or a affordable bandoneon or a lightweight digital accordeon. 

[RAc]

how about an erhu? weighs less than 1kg. It is no button instrument and microtonal, though...

 

Erhu Musical Instrument Facts

 

edit: since you mentioned LOR:

 

 

Edited May 4 by RAc

[wunks]

I have a Morse Anglo that is feather-lite compared to my Jeffries Duet of the same size.  Morse also made a Hayden duet ( the Beaumont ) and a Baritone EC ( the Albion ).  Both are chromatic and I would assume very lite as well.   

[Bill N]

3 hours ago, Hans said:

I've found a couple of manufacturers/websites where you can order a duet concertina and send it back after 7 days if it's not what I want.

A word of caution- an instrument that can be supplied that quickly and cheaply is likely to be very bulky and stiff playing, if it ever gets delivered.  See other threads here re: Concertine Italia, Stagi and Bastari woes.

Edited May 4 by Bill N
clarification

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Quote: I'm a composer and like playing fantasy (ambient) soundtracks on my midi keyboard. But I’m looking for an acoustic instrument instrument where I can play those long drawn out chords you often hear in soundtracks like Lord Of The Rings and Skyrim and perform this music on the street (amplification is not allowed in my town). That’s why I bought an accordion and I’m absolutely loving the fact I can play long drawn out interesting chords in every key.

 

Oh how much I am gald to hear that in your town 'Amplification is not allowed'!

Why? Because in York everything is so very allowed and 'loud in volume' at the very loudest possible way and unberable in the extreme during the summer months.  I am  sure you will find your goal of playable acousitc instrument and wish you best of luck in your choices.

[Hans]

RAc, erhu's are cool. I play the viola as well but I find that the polyphonal possibilities on these bowed instruments are limited unless I pull some tricks (which I can) to play all 4 strings at once but playing like that I get tired real fast. 

 

That Morse Beaumont duet sounds interesting. I'll look that one up. 

[Chris Ghent]

If an instrument is heavy to play the bellows can be at fault but it is more likely to reflect the quality of the reeds and the overall size of the instrument.  

[Don Taylor]

It sounds like you need the minimum number of reeds (to keep the weight down) that will give you a fully chromatic instrument.

 

An EC is a fine chordal instrument that meets this goal, but it is hard to play more than a few snatches of melody while playing full chords.

[Hans]

5 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

It sounds like you need the minimum number of reeds (to keep the weight down) that will give you a fully chromatic instrument.

 

An EC is a fine chordal instrument that meets this goal, but it is hard to play more than a few snatches of melody while playing full chords.

I feel that a duet is still light enough and you can play full chords with your left hand while playing the melody on the right side. I like that option because I like the option to play other instruments at the same time with my right hand. Or would you (or anyone else) say that a duet plays somehow heavier than an English concertina?

[Don Taylor]

3 hours ago, Hans said:

I feel that a duet is still light enough and you can play full chords with your left hand while playing the melody on the right side.

True, but...

 

All duets have an overlap area of notes that are duplicated on both sides.  The Beaumont, for example, is a 52 button instrument but the upper 12 notes on the LHS are duplicates of the lower 12 notes on the RHS. So those 12 notes each have four reeds which is why I raised a concern about weight.  An EC does not have any duplicated notes between the LHS and the RHS.  

 

As far as being fully chromatic, the Beaumont has regular fingering patterns for Bb, C, D, F, G, and A.  Once you are out of these scales then you have to use out of pattern enharmonic notes and these notes are 6 buttons away along the button row.

 

Michael Eskin has created IPad simulations of a variety of concertinas including a slightly expanded Beaumont Hayden duet (scroll down this page).  This was a Beaumont that I photographed for Michael but I added a D#3 on the LHS -  a real Beaumont does not have a D# on the LHS at all, you have to reach over to an Eb on the left of the button row.  If you have an iPad then it would be worth getting this app to see if a Hayden would work for you.  There are other concertina simulations on Michael's app store that you can try.

[Little John]

4 hours ago, Hans said:

I like that option because I like the option to play other instruments at the same time with my right hand.

 

This isn't really feasible. Even if you're playing only the left hand side of a duet you still need your right hand on the instrument for bellows control.

[David Barnert]

16 hours ago, Don Taylor said:

Michael Eskin has created IPad simulations of a variety of concertinas including a slightly expanded Beaumont Hayden duet (scroll down this page).

 

Odd... I just clicked the App Store button under the video of me in the Hayden section and got this:

 

App Not Available
This app is currently not available in your country or region.

 

Then I tried searching the App Store for Hayden Concertina and got nothing.

 

@Michael Eskin, are you aware of this?

[RAc]

1 hour ago, David Barnert said:

 

Odd... I just clicked the App Store button under the video of me in the Hayden section and got this:

 

App Not Available
This app is currently not available in your country or region.

 

Then I tried searching the App Store for Hayden Concertina and got nothing.

 

@Michael Eskin, are you aware of this?

In Germany, everything looks good, but since I have neither an iXxx nor an apple account, I can not say if a download would succees.

 

Have you tried accessing the store via Tor?

[David Barnert]

1 hour ago, RAc said:

Have you tried accessing the store via Tor?

 

I’ve never hear of Tor (just googled it, I’m not going to try it now). I (obviously) have the Hayden app, I was just nosing around out of curiosity.

[Hans]

That iPad app looks handy indeed but I don't have an iPad. Maybe I can borrow my gf's iPhone and try it on there. 

 

And Little John, what if I play the concertina with my left hand only and attach the right part of the concertina to my right hand which plays a psalter/lyre at the same time? In my mind this would be an easy way to pump the bellows, because the right side of the concertina would stay in one place and you can operate the bellows with the left hand. Maybe a crazy idea but simple enough to work?