Almost Time To Place An Order

[david_boveri]

i'm planning on ordering my edgley concertina in january. i basically am safe to order it now, but i'm going to play it safe and work some extra hours and let the sting of the holidays heal and my wallet recover. plus i like to always have a buffer for some emergencies or whims.

 

so any suggestions? i thought about it, and am thinking of going for the stainless steel ends rather than wooden, because my carroll will have wood ends, which would leave me at the professional model. but i have no idea what wood to use or anything else. i'm thinking of going wheatstone layout, because i like the Eb where it is. i'm open to other ideas about which model i should get or layout (when my carroll's ready i have plans for maybe doing custom fingering, but nothing crazy now). what edgley's do you all have?

[bill_mchale]

i'm planning on ordering my edgley concertina in january. i basically am safe to order it now, but i'm going to play it safe and work some extra hours and let the sting of the holidays heal and my wallet recover. plus i like to always have a buffer for some emergencies or whims.

 

so any suggestions? i thought about it, and am thinking of going for the stainless steel ends rather than wooden, because my carroll will have wood ends, which would leave me at the professional model. but i have no idea what wood to use or anything else. i'm thinking of going wheatstone layout, because i like the Eb where it is. i'm open to other ideas about which model i should get or layout (when my carroll's ready i have plans for maybe doing custom fingering, but nothing crazy now). what edgley's do you all have?

 

 

Well regarding the wook, you could ask Frank if he has anything he particuarly recommends. I went with the black finish myself which is quite traditional but there are times that I wish I had gone with something a little lighter... No matter its the sound and playability that really matter and the Edgley won't take you wrong there.

 

What sort of music are you planning on playing on it? In general, I have found that the extra C# is awfully handy for Irish Music.

 

--

Bill

[Rhomylly]

I have a 2-row, 24-button, black finish, silver ends. I am particularly fond of that "classic" look, though. I love every inch of it.

[Paul Read]

David,

 

I think Frank is now doing ends with a raised edge (like on the Jeffries). I'd certainly go for that option. Stainless stell is a good call also as it doesn't discolour.

[david_boveri]

What sort of music are you planning on playing on it? In general, I have found that the extra C# is awfully handy for Irish Music.

 

--

Bill

 

i plan on playing irish. so far, i havent found a need for an extra c sharp. although, i was looking for one on the second button in mason's apron, which i dont think is on the jeffries. CORRECTION: i must be crazy. i just looked it up, and apparently the c# is on the second button. for some reason i thought they were both on the push, and i've looked up the layout at least a dozen times in the last couple months. that changes a lot. funny how if i actually stop and think for a second, the thing i complain about usually is not valid!

 

i keep telling myself that the a and the g on the second button could be really useful, but i dont find myself really needing it. there is one of the 12 major scales that its useful on, but i really only practice scales for fun and it really wasnt overly convenient to use them.

 

i think you might have me sold on that (even though i sold myself). although i have had no problems with wheatstone besides mason's apron, i think jeffries could open up a lot of possibilities.

 

so while i just took a blow on something i swore i'd never change, who's open to taking another stab while i'm down. anyone want to try to convert me to english?

[JimLucas]

i keep telling myself that the a and the g on the second button could be really useful, but i dont find myself really needing it. there is one of the 12 major scales that its useful on, but i really only practice scales for fun and it really wasnt overly convenient to use them.

Consider chords as well as scales. Even if you don't use chords for accompaniment (what is often termed "English style"), lots of tunes have arpeggiated chords.

 

If you're playing in C -- mainly on the C row -- it can be handy to combine the 3rd-row pull G with the pull B and D for the notes of the G chord. That way you can play all the notes of the chord/arpeggio in the same direction. It also helps balance the pushes and pulls. And if you're playing in A or using the notes of an A chord in some other key (e.g., D, Bm, or Em), it's the push A with the push C# and E.

[Bruce McCaskey]

... what edgley's do you all have?

 

I currently have two Edgley's, both are the 30-button professional model design with stainless steel ends. One is in C/G tuning with the standard soundboard and the visible wood is African Blackwood. The other is in A/E tuning with Frank's "improved soundboard" design and the visible wood is African Babinga. I really like the Babinga, I've been too lazy to take a photo and post it on my website, but this link to a non-concertina related site provides a good representation of what the wood looks like.

 

The C/G has a Jeffries layout while the A/E has a Wheatstone layout. I purposefully chose different systems to give myself a chance to be functional in both. I have a few other concertinas including a Dipper County Clare, but I've been finding myself drawn to the Edgley A/E since receiving it a little less than two months ago.

 

I've been enjoying the "improved soundboard" aspect that seems to enrich that quality of tones and I find the lower pitch of the A/E very satisfying. My wife likes it too, she tells me that of all the concertinas I own it's the only one she truly enjoys the sound of. She claims that C/G pitched concertinas are too harsh/shrill for her ears in the upper ranges. When reading C.net members stories of spouses irritated by the sound of their instruments I've often wondered if getting a lower pitched instrument might help.

 

A/E tuning isn't for everyone obviously, I was influenced by trying Tom Lawrence's Edgley A/E on several occasions. I think Tom picked that tuning because he wanted to play with pipes, but I chose it simply because I liked the pitch in contrast to a C/G. If you want to play with others I'd recommend C/G for a first concertina, but if you're getting a second or third instrument you might give G/D, A/E or Bb/F tunings some consideration.

 

Frank makes good instruments at all levels and would likely be happy to suggest woods if you ask him. That's how I ended up with Babinga, something I'd not heard of until Frank suggested it to me.

 

Bruce

Edited December 17, 2005 by Bruce McCaskey

[Chris Timson]

who's open to taking another stab while i'm down. anyone want to try to convert me to english?

If you're from Chicago, you'll probably need to work on the accent a bit in order to be convincing. Try saying, "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain" ...

 

Chris

[Cream-T]

anyone want to try to convert me to english?

 

Ever thought about Duets? ...

[Tom Lawrence]

Ever thought about Duets? ...

 

At the risk of starting an argument, I'd recommend against Duet for Irish. Although perhaps Hayden would work well (I know nothing about it), but someone with some unknown to me Duet system Out West here found most of the Irish tunes to be on the pinky and ring finger, which was sub-optimal. Plus, if you're going Edgley, he doesn't make Duets. Those who know better please correct me on this...

[JimLucas]

At the risk of starting an argument, I'd recommend against Duet for Irish. Although perhaps Hayden would work well (I know nothing about it), but someone with some unknown to me Duet system Out West here found most of the Irish tunes to be on the pinky and ring finger, which was sub-optimal.

If it's who I think, his is a Maccann, and not a small one. But I think the comment is unfair. A Maccann certainly wouldn't use mostly only the ring and little fingers, but would tend to use all fingers more or less equally. The Crane would use the little finger mainly for accidentals (the upper C# and F# in the right hand). Meanwhile, anglo playing also makes heavy use of the ring finger, and I use my little finger a lot on the anglo, too, though perhaps many Irish players don't.

 

But small duets are very well suited to the mostly-melody style of Irish anglo playing. On even the smallest (35-button) Cranes the lowest RH note is middle C, so many tunes can be played entirely in the right hand. (Actually, many Irish tunes go at least to the A above the 35's high G, so 42 buttons -- continuing to the C above -- is reasonably a minimum for a Crane to play most Irish music.) Small Maccann's (55 or fewer buttons) start the right hand at G above middle C, so more crossing between the hands would be necessary, though the left hand still wouldn't need to be used as much for melody as on C/G anglos.

 

Like anglos, all duets have some amount of overlap between the hands, and any notes in that range can be played in either hand, as desired. But in all duets the overlap is lower than on C/G anglos. On a 55-button Crane, the overlap is an entire octave, from middle C to the octave above.

 

For those who use occasional "bass" notes against their melody, even the smallest Crane has the F# and D below middle C, which can be put to excellent use in many tunes, but are lacking on standard C/G anglos. And many tunes can be played entirely in either hand on duets, just an octave lower in the left hand. This gives the option of playing a tune in two different octaves (with the same pattern of buttons), or even both at once. Even on tunes that exceed the range (usually at the high end in the left or low end in the right), one can still use the octave technique for parts of a tune, which is probably more "Irish", anyway. Frank Edgley's anglo tutor shows it on the jig "Old Man Dillon".

 

So while duet concertinas are rare to nonexistent in current Irish tradition, I don't think it's because Irish music is unsuited to the instruments. Quite the contrary.

[bill_mchale]

 

What sort of music are you planning on playing on it? In general, I have found that the extra C# is awfully handy for Irish Music.

 

--

Bill

 

i plan on playing irish. so far, i havent found a need for an extra c sharp. although, i was looking for one on the second button in mason's apron, which i dont think is on the jeffries. CORRECTION: i must be crazy. i just looked it up, and apparently the c# is on the second button. for some reason i thought they were both on the push, and i've looked up the layout at least a dozen times in the last couple months. that changes a lot. funny how if i actually stop and think for a second, the thing i complain about usually is not valid!

 

It is on the second button, just of different sides .

 

i keep telling myself that the a and the g on the second button could be really useful, but i dont find myself really needing it. there is one of the 12 major scales that its useful on, but i really only practice scales for fun and it really wasnt overly convenient to use them.

Are you referring to the G/A on the 2nd button of the left hand side? I find that one very useful. There are alot of tunes that I end up playing mostly on the push or the draw but that have phrases that end with a reasonably long g or a note. In those cases I will often go for the reversed g/a to allow me to bring the bellows back to a better position for the next phrase.

 

i think you might have me sold on that (even though i sold myself). although i have had no problems with wheatstone besides mason's apron, i think jeffries could open up a lot of possibilities.

 

so while i just took a blow on something i swore i'd never change, who's open to taking another stab while i'm down. anyone want to try to convert me to english?

 

If you are just getting started in Irish Music, I would suggest you would be better off sticking with Anglo. Though I have heard Irish played fairly well on the English (heck, better than I can currently play it on the Anglo ) it is a fairly rare instrument in Irish Music. As a result you are pretty much on your own in figuring out how to play it. Remember learning to play an instrument in a particular style is more than just playing the notes, its also how to phrase it and ornament it. There are a reasonable number of teaching resources and workshops available to learn Anglo Concertina in the Irish style, at the moment (as far as I know) there are none available for playing English Concertina in the Irish Style. The same comments by the way would apply to duets.

 

--

Bill

[david_boveri]

If you are just getting started in Irish Music, I would suggest you would be better off sticking with Anglo. Though I have heard Irish played fairly well on the English (heck, better than I can currently play it on the Anglo ) it is a fairly rare instrument in Irish Music. As a result you are pretty much on your own in figuring out how to play it. Remember learning to play an instrument in a particular style is more than just playing the notes, its also how to phrase it and ornament it. There are a reasonable number of teaching resources and workshops available to learn Anglo Concertina in the Irish style, at the moment (as far as I know) there are none available for playing English Concertina in the Irish Style. The same comments by the way would apply to duets.

 

--

Bill

 

i have no plans on switching! i was only joking. someday i want to get an english, but i wouldnt play irish on it. i'm cutting myself off at my carroll concertina (which will be ready in january 2009) and maybe a wooden flute. after that, no more instruments until i master everything.

 

i'm having trouble with deciding on a fingering system. the prospect of losing the a chord really makes me leery of the jeffries (even though i currently do not use the a chord). i'm working at my stagi (wheastone) to look at the prospects of fingering. i effectively can switch to the jeffries c#'s (of course, the pitch is wrong on my fingering, but i can switch between the two systems without thinking). the a chord could be done, with cross fingering on the right hand or with the pointer on the left hand doing both a and e. does anyone else do this? it is a bit awkward but it looks like it could be done. does anyone ever do chords with their finger on 2 buttons?

 

my biggest problem now, tho, is i want a third octave a on the pull for playing in double octaves. has anyone switched their (push / pull) "A / D" (accidental row, last button) to a "D/A"? my concertina now is "F/A" which doesnt make sense. i dont know that THAT is even practical, either, because even though i have a pull a right now its very hard to do double octave.