Painful Wrists

[JimLucas]

Colin Dipper recetly did a conversion job on my Jeffries 38 G/D to change the extra button to the left of the right hand G/F# button to D/E...no harm in asking ...

I'm not sure what button you're talking about though. Our 30-button has no "extra" buttons, so we'd have to add one. Where would it go? What octave G/F# would it be?

Lowest octave in the right hand. The extra button would continue the scale downward in the right hand by duplicating the D/E button of the left hand (equivalent to G/A on a C/G), and the continuation is in a straight line with the rest of the scale. I agree that it's very useful.

 

The situation with our boxes is that there is easily room for 16 reedplates/side and the right side already has 15 plus the air valve location. That's why installing another reedplate on the left is fairly easy - there's an extra space! No so on the right - though there is some inboard space, but getting to it is pretty hard with the levers located where they are. Knowing where the "extra" button would be located and the reeds' pitches will let me see what finagling would be needed.

From what you say, it sounds as if the reed plates for the higher-pitched reeds are not smaller than those for the lower-pitched ones, even though the reeds must be smaller. Is that the case? Otherwise, I would expect you could easily fit more reeds into the right hand side than the left, as can be done with traditional concertina reeds.

[Mike Fairbairn]

Hi Jody, I may be a bit late with this but here goes. I've a lot of experience with wrist worries through playing guitar/whistle/anglo/piano - motorcycling etc.

First go to the doctor yes but don't expect them to understand muscians repetetive or acute strains. 'The Athletic Musician' by the Stoufville (not sure of spelling) is a good book and they have a clinic in Ontario. Also the 'Art of Practising' is great as well - look on the muscians injury web site.

From my own experience with the Anglo I can offer this advice; Keep the wrists in their natural plane - that is , nearly STRAIGHT - if you were going to punch something the wrist would be nearly straight, (it would look as if it's in it's strongest position) - it can come back a little for the anglo. I feel that as soon as you have a close look with some real awareness, you may find that there is an easy alteration you can make to your wrist postion.

This one simple step 'solved' a developing problem I had twelve years ago. I only play sitting down, For me standing would feel like 'asking for it' - so I don't...

Hope this helps - Mike Fairbairn.

[Tootler]

Hi Jody,

Snip

From my own experience with the Anglo I can offer this advice; Keep the wrists in their natural plane - that is , nearly STRAIGHT - if you were going to punch something the wrist would be nearly straight, (it would look as if it's in it's strongest position) - it can come back a little for the anglo. I feel that as soon as you have a close look with some real awareness, you may find that there is an easy alteration you can make to your wrist postion.

This one simple step 'solved' a developing problem I had twelve years ago. I only play sitting down, For me standing would feel like 'asking for it' - so I don't...

Hope this helps - Mike Fairbairn.

 

Someone suggested to me putting some foam tubing under the strap to lift the wrists slightly and keep them in proper line. It worked for me I was getting signs of problems, but I have had no problems since. I got mine from Boots - A UK Pharmacy chain. It was sold as orthopaedic tubing to protect toes. I just cut it lengthways and it gave me a piece for each side.

 

I bought a Morse last November. Its light weight was part of its appeal to me. Also I found the buttons a little more comfortable than others I tried, but I reckon that was about its fit to my hands as much as anything.

[Jody Kruskal]

Thanks all for your excellent suggestions. I do have the habit of playing standing up from time to time, though it has never been my preference... mostly for musical not medical reasons. I must be more careful in the future.

 

By the way, Frank Edgley says “Hi' Jody. Just thought I'd put in my two cents. I weighed one of my instruments and found it to be 100 grams lighter than my Dipper. My wooden-ended ones are lighter, but not as light as the Morse. My instruments are heavier than the Morse and some wooden-ended Lachenals, but not heavy compared to a Jeffries, Connor, Johnson, or most metal-ended Hybrids”.

 

Sorry Frank, if I misrepresented your fine instruments.

 

I weighed my Jefferies (the instrument I play most often) G/D, 38 metal buttons, metal ends... 54 oz. on my digital bathroom scale.

 

You may have started something Dan with your suggestion that Rich might be open to making a 31 button option, we'll see. The Morse 30 button is 34 oz. and a new instrument has advantages such as... it works without repair, manufacturer nearby etc. Still, I would guess that I would have to wait some time to have the instrument in hand. I've played the Morse instruments and I like the tone, the action as well as the price.

 

If I found a 31 bone button light weight Lachenal in good repair that would solve my immediate need,

 

Hmmmm....

[Richard Morse]

I'm not sure what button you're talking about though. Our 30-button has no "extra" buttons, so we'd have to add one. Where would it go? What octave G/F# would it be?

Lowest octave in the right hand. The extra button would continue the scale downward in the right hand by duplicating the D/E button of the left hand (equivalent to G/A on a C/G), and the continuation is in a straight line with the rest of the scale.

So that would be adding a new button that's on the left side of the middle row. The button placement is more important (due to the action constraints) than what pitch the reeds are (as the plates are all about the same regardless of pitch).

From what you say, it sounds as if the reed plates for the higher-pitched reeds are not smaller than those for the lower-pitched ones, even though the reeds must be smaller. Is that the case?

The limiting factor is mainly the reedplate *width*, which is the same no matter what pitch the reed is. The length of the plate varies though not nearly as much as with concertina reeds.

 

The situation is - due to accordion reedplates being rectangular, it is more efficient to work them into a hexagon in a parallel arrangement rather than radial arrangement - and so the *width* of the reedplate winds up being what governs, not the length.

Otherwise, I would expect you could easily fit more reeds into the right hand side than the left, as can be done with traditional concertina reeds.

You can see how we arrange our anlgos below (which is the way all the other hybrids I've seen are arranged - though the Rochelle is different - but then they're considerably larger instruments!). Note how we've been able to cram in a few more reeds into our English model.

 

-- Rich --

[Chris Timson]

So that would be adding a new button that's on the left side of the middle row.

Sorry I hadn't replied before, I've been at Chippenham FF playing my Morse for the Morris.

 

That is correct. The reason for placing the button there in particular is that it feels very natural to play the button with the index finger of the right hand, which has to work a bit harder as a consequence. I find this fingering easier to handle when moving between conventional instruments and instruments with the extra button. If you were able to make such an anglo with the light weight of your usual Ceili, then like Jody for his requirement I'd be first in the queue.

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

[Ken_Coles]

Someone suggested to me putting some foam tubing under the strap to lift the wrists slightly and keep them in proper line. It worked for me I was getting signs of problems, but I have had no problems since. I got mine from Boots - A UK Pharmacy chain. It was sold as orthopaedic tubing to protect toes. I just cut it lengthways and it gave me a piece for each side.

 

Did they get the idea here? If not, no doubt we independently co-invented, as I had never seen such a device before coming up with mine. I still use foam risers on all my anglos except my Kensington, where Dana and I are experimenting with designing much taller wood handles. It seems only a few players need this help the way I do (sort of like the minority of runners who pronate instead of supinate when they plant their foot and thus need different running shoes/orthodics to avoid injury), but if you're one of them, it is very cheap to try this and see if it helps.

 

play in health,

Ken

 

Edited to add a note: I have inverted the foam so the wider end is at the bottom. This helps if you have short fingers.

[DavidFR]

Yes, I am here! And I've just finished looking at my CAD drawings of our box's innards, reed lengths, chambers, action.... and getting that 31st button in there *IS* possible - and it looks like the modification will be pretty reasonable too. Certainly a lot less hassle than making one of our baritone versions of the Ceili.

 

Now that I realize how it can be done, I can also see that we could alter our action board and chamber components such that any subsequent anglo could easily be had in a 31-key version.

 

I'll powwow with Doug and Bob next week (after they recover from the Marlboro Ale - mega Morris event) and get back to you all. And while we're waiting.... Any one else interested in a 31-button model? If we're only talking the rare call for one we'd alter one that comes off our current line. If there seems like enough call we'll alter the basic guts so that all subsequent Ceili's could have the 31-key option at nominal upcost.

 

-- Rich --

 

I've always wondered about that, whether you guys intended to have a left-hand thumb button, since the hole where it would go is already tantalizingly available.

 

-David

[asdormire]

I know when participating in athletics, you always stretch before working out. makes me wonder if there aren't stretching exercises for the fingers and forearms before we start.

 

Alan

[Tootler]

Someone suggested to me putting some foam tubing under the strap to lift the wrists slightly and keep them in proper line. It worked for me I was getting signs of problems, but I have had no problems since. I got mine from Boots - A UK Pharmacy chain. It was sold as orthopaedic tubing to protect toes. I just cut it lengthways and it gave me a piece for each side.

 

Did they get the idea here? If not, no doubt we independently co-invented, as I had never seen such a device before coming up with mine. I still use foam risers on all my anglos except my Kensington, where Dana and I are experimenting with designing much taller wood handles. It seems only a few players need this help the way I do (sort of like the minority of runners who pronate instead of supinate when they plant their foot and thus need different running shoes/orthodics to avoid injury), but if you're one of them, it is very cheap to try this and see if it helps.

 

 

It was a friend who actually suggested small bore domestic water pipe lagging which it looks like you're using. Unfortunately, the standards for lagging had changed and the stuff available was much too thick and lifted my hands too much. Someone else suggested the orthopaedic stuff which is just right. In the meantime, I had seen your pictures on concertina.net, so I am taking no credit for the idea, just passing on what has proved to be a very useful tip.

 

Cheers

 

Geoff

[Bob Tedrow]

. but I would like to have the extra thumb button, a 31 button instrument actually with that left hand thumb button playing F/C. The Button Box does not customize their standard 30 button layout. Edgley instruments are great too and he will make to order, (right Frank?) but known to be on the heavy side. I need very low weight so as not to stress out my poor tendons.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Here are a couple of concertinas I built with over 30 buttons.

 

http://hmi.homewood.net/jeff31/

http://hmi.homewood.net/33bGD/

 

I can be flexible with the number buttons and the size of each concertina as I build each one individually. If I need an extra 1/8" of reedpan space I can build a set of bellows to match. By the same token I can make a smaller concertina:

 

http://hmi.homewood.net/zephyr/ (thirty button)

 

or

http://hmi.homewood.net/fretless/ (smaller 24 button)

 

 

I will admit adding buttons/reeds is much harder if you are using only one body size or don't want to take the time to build the appropriate bellows jigs for the odd sizes.

 

Bob

[m3838]

I know when participating in athletics, you always stretch before working out. makes me wonder if there aren't stretching exercises for the fingers and forearms before we start.

 

Alan

 

As far as I know, the very good stretching excersize is to start with playing scales very slowly. Start with note lasting on the count of 8, doing crescendo/diminuendo, then on count 4, then 2, 1, 1/2 etc. This slow movement is boring, but warms you up surprizingly well. 5-10 minutes. Besides it teaches you to control your sound. I think.