Wrist Straps On Ec

[chiton1]

As a comment to "Wrist straps On EC", I have placed a (very short) clip on YouTube: Reel in the Kitchen

 

Thanks for the great music Henrik. It shows what you can do with your ''strap system''. Perhaps I am missing something but why can't I see the regular 48 (or 56) button design in your EC?

I will try to put some music of mine on YouTube in the near future. All this concertina (and non concertina) chitchat on Concertinanet is great, but it is the music made by all of us that really count. I am always interested in how people play, no matter if they are beginners or 30 years experience pros. So the more music made available the better. Although I know I should give a good example myself

Hermann

[Henrik Müller]

Thanks for the great music Henrik. It shows what you can do with your ''strap system''. Perhaps I am missing something but why can't I see the regular 48 (or 56) button design in your EC?

I will try to put some music of mine on YouTube in the near future. All this concertina (and non concertina) chitchat on Concertinanet is great, but it is the music made by all of us that really count. I am always interested in how people play, no matter if they are beginners or 30 years experience pros. So the more music made available the better. Although I know I should give a good example myself

Hermann

Très bon, merci, Hermann -

In the shower this morning I realized that I hadn't listed all the

differences between my instrument and a standard EC.

 

One of them is of course the number of buttons:

The mini Stagi, which started all this has 18 buttons ans that's a bit on the low side .

So I sat down and played all tunes I could think off, to find the coverage I needed. And I

glued little paper dots on the sides to mark the missing buttons and ended with 27. So a

lot of bs and #s are missing, hence the peculiar look of the layout. Should have been 28...

 

In my well-plannedness, I forgot that the position of the high C was in the "hole part" of

the Stagi's fretwork, so there was no paper dot. And since considerable time went by before

I actually started making serious drawings, I only took one look at the Stagi and said: "Right,

that's buttons I'll need" and started drawing. Much later, I realized the mistake

 

Anyway - the fact that all the buttons up there in the eternal snow are gone, brings us to the

next difference: the whole cluster of buttons are moved upwards, approximately the vertical

distance between the buttons. This facilitates reaching lower notes.

 

Finally, the thumbstrap. On a standard EC, I will place the end joint my of my thumbs in the

straps (again to reach the lows). And my thumbs don't like that, probably due to the playing

style - I use the bellows a lot, and the pull, with the thumbs in that position definitely don't

agree with me. But the thumbstrap is still there, yes?

 

The new thumbstrap is only half the width of a standard strap and it is positioned on the

instrument so that the thumb is meant to go all the way in. It acts merely as a guide, there

is no strain on the thumbs - all the pulling force is on the handstraps.

 

So, to summarize all the changes:

 

1) Wider spacing between buttons, asymmetrical: more space horizontally

2) Lots of bs and #s are removed (also the need for space was considered - accordion reeds need more room)

3) The button cluster is offset one button upwards

4) The buttons go all the way down (I can feel the hole on the finger tip)

5) A handsrest, angled 15 degrees

6) A handstrap, coming up between the thumb and index finger, going back almost in the corner hand/arm

7) A thumbstrap, half width, positioned so the thumb goes all the way through

 

That's all!

 

/Henrik

[JimLucas]

Thanks for the great music Henrik. It shows what you can do with your ''strap system''. Perhaps I am missing something but why can't I see the regular 48 (or 56) button design in your EC?

In the shower this morning I realized that I hadn't listed all the

differences between my instrument and a standard EC.

...

That's all!

No, Henrik, that's not all.

You didn't state the most significant detail, although what you did say does imply it:

You didn't simply modify an existing instrument; you built it yourself, "from scratch".

[chris]

Hi

nice concertina (watched it being built) but is it an 'english'? - it's obviously not an anglo and it's not a duet perhaps its a 'swedish' (or where ever Henrik comes from) maybe we have a new 'type' to add to the list.

chris (appreciative of the skill involved in its manufacture)

[Leo]

.............................

As a comment to "Wrist straps On EC", I have placed a (very short) clip on YouTube: Reel in the Kitchen

............

/Henrik

I'm not sure if you caught it yet but there is a response to your video that echoes the same sentiments:

 

"Added: March 16, 2008

wrist support and wrist straps facilitate bellows work"

 

Re: Paddy Taylor's, on English concertina

 

Thanks

Leo

[Larry Stout]

"Added: March 16, 2008

wrist support and wrist straps facilitate bellows work"

 

Re: Paddy Taylor's, on English concertina

 

Thanks

Leo

Is that actually an English concertina? I see no thumb straps and the bellows technique looks more like what I'd expect on an anglo. The buttons aren't visible. Nicely played in a style I haven't heard on either EC or anglo.

[tony]

"Added: March 16, 2008

wrist support and wrist straps facilitate bellows work"

 

Re: Paddy Taylor's, on English concertina

 

Thanks

Leo

Is that actually an English concertina? I see no thumb straps and the bellows technique looks more like what I'd expect on an anglo. The buttons aren't visible. Nicely played in a style I haven't heard on either EC or anglo.

 

 

Look again. He is using thumb straps and wrist straps.

 

Hinrik is using thumb straps and hand straps.

[chiton1]

Thanks Henrik. Are you never afraid that you will stumble upon a piece of music you want to play in which you will need one or more of the deleted buttons?

 

Larry, I can see thumb straps on the concertina video, so I think it is an EC alright.

Hermann

[Larry Stout]

Now I see them.

 

Two of my EC's came with the hardware for attaching wrist straps, though without the straps themselves. Indeed one of them indicates in the Horiman ledgers that it originally had wrist straps. I tend to anchor one end of the instrument on my knee, so I haven't felt any need for the straps. If I played standing I might want straps on my tenor-treble (it's the heaviest of my instruments).

[Henrik Müller]

Please say more about why the buttons must go all the way down.

 

Oh, and, very nice craftsmenship, indeed....

 

Randy

Thanks, Randy -

 

I'll answer you and Chris and more in the same response - I have time for it, since heavy winds and

snow and dropping temperatures stopped me from driving to a St.Patrick's session in Elsingborg,

just across Denmark's Elsinore - you know: Shakespeare, Hamlet (and Jim Lucas , thanks, Jim).

 

Let come to the bottom of the buttons

I am not saying the buttons must go all the way down - but once I tried it, I experienced

a great relief by not having to bang my fingertops into little metal pins. Eh, pins? To me, that is

what it felt like after some time. But what I didn't suspect - that was the bonus - was that it allowed

me to play differently - better, IMHO. I will set up a video that demonstrates it, with a suitable tune

("My Love is in America", I can reveal now). I am sure that that will kick off another video with

someone doing the same on ordinary buttons ... which is fine, of course.

 

An English?

Of course it is an English - I think many are thrown off track by the silly looks of the layout.

Even in Ireland - I was playing in the Cobblestone in Dublin last August and it took a few tunes before

someone said: "Ahhm - that's not a normal concertina, is it, now?". Though I am Danish, I understand that

that name is taken, and I wouldn't want my instrument be associated with something you have with coffee.

 

Edited the next day:

No one - myself included - pointed out that one very EC item is missing: the finger rest. When I did my

"research" = modified the miniStagi until I was content, a finger rest was never in question. Stagi had already

removed it, to replace it by a coarse leather strap, making the instrument playable only by aliens or other

beings with non-terrestial physiology... The photo on Stagi site is the old one - still with the finger rest.

End of edit.

 

Hermann: Tunes using the non-existing buttons? Sure - it has happened already. Mind, a major contributor

to the reduced layout was space and even that was a gamble- I didn't have the Antonelli reeds when I

decided the number of buttons and it is a wonder of this world how Richard Morse manages to queeze in

37 notes, I think it is, in his instruments. Should I ever decide to build another it would be with concertina reeds,

which would involve a lot of work.

 

And, oh: the response video is an English concertina, modified in ways which are different to see.

 

/Henrik

Edited March 18, 2008 by Henrik Müller

[buikligger]

Hi Henrik , Hermann and all,

 

i got some inspiration from you. As I'm not so handy as you are i can only rely on my brains for solutions.

 

This is my solution for the moment. I took off the little finger rests since i didn't use them anyhow. I cut myself two curved rubber hand straps from the inner tire of a car and put some holes in it. The upper side i fixed with the big round bolt, the lower side i fixed with the screw in the middle from the finger rest. The left side plays best when i insert my 5 fingers, and put my thumb into the thumb strap (I use middle, ring finger and little finger for the notes). At the right side i put thumb and 3 fingers through the loop and the little finger outside the loop (I use index, middle and ring finger for the buttons). It's not according to the rules, but for me it works: i don't have pain in my thumbs after having played for several hours yesterday.

 

kind greetings

 

from

 

Dirk , Belgium

[m3838]

Hi Henrik , Hermann and all,

 

i got some inspiration from you. As I'm not so handy as you are i can only rely on my brains for solutions.

 

This is my solution for the moment. I took off the little finger rests since i didn't use them anyhow. I cut myself two curved rubber hand straps from the inner tire of a car and put some holes in it. The upper side i fixed with the big round bolt, the lower side i fixed with the screw in the middle from the finger rest. The left side plays best when i insert my 5 fingers, and put my thumb into the thumb strap (I use middle, ring finger and little finger for the notes). At the right side i put thumb and 3 fingers through the loop and the little finger outside the loop (I use index, middle and ring finger for the buttons). It's not according to the rules, but for me it works: i don't have pain in my thumbs after having played for several hours yesterday.

 

kind greetings

 

from

 

Dirk , Belgium

What do you mean "curved"?

A picture perhaps?

I am a bit reluctunt to take off pinkey rests. I'm afraid to lose them and have a hard time re-selling in case if...

[buikligger]

Hi Henrik , Hermann and all,

 

i got some inspiration from you. As I'm not so handy as you are i can only rely on my brains for solutions.

 

This is my solution for the moment. I took off the little finger rests since i didn't use them anyhow. I cut myself two curved rubber hand straps from the inner tire of a car and put some holes in it.

Dirk , Belgium

 

 

What do you mean "curved"?

A picture perhaps?

I am a bit reluctunt to take off pinkey rests. I'm afraid to lose them and have a hard time re-selling in case if...

 

Hi M3838,

 

Curved: I try to upload a drawing from the Right hand side.

No problem in taking the pink rests off. I didn't drill in new holes, so i can restore it in it's original way in one minute. No loss of worth.

 

wrist_straps.bmp

 

Dirk

[m3838]

Why did you curved the rubber strap then?

Doesn't it tend to "straighten" itself and cut into your wrist? Also, why did you chose to use rubber instead of leather?

And what is the result? Are you playing standing? Do your straps take the weight off thumbs or just add to the control while pulling the bellows?

Thanks.

[buikligger]

Why did you curved the rubber strap then?

Doesn't it tend to "straighten" itself and cut into your wrist? Also, why did you chose to use rubber instead of leather?

And what is the result? Are you playing standing? Do your straps take the weight off thumbs or just add to the control while pulling the bellows?

Thanks.

 

Hi M 3838 and all,

 

my friend Willy (who makes belly recumbent bikes = buikligger) does many construction tasks with the cheap used rubber car tires and bike tires. I follow him: cheap, multifunctional and plenty at arm reach in my attic.

the curve helps the strap to settle on the back of your hand, and not on your knuckles or fingers so that they can remain free to move.

rubber is soft, doesn't slide and is strong enough, whereas leather some times tends to be sharper and slides away more.

I play seated, but tend to pull quite a lot at bellows. So the straps take off completely the forces of pulling.

So more control and more force.

 

Hope this makes it more clear.

At your service if you have any questions

 

kind regards,

 

Dirk

[Henrik Müller]

Hi Henrik , Hermann and all,

 

i got some inspiration from you. As I'm not so handy as you are i can only rely on my brains for solutions.

 

This is my solution for the moment. I took off the little finger rests since i didn't use them anyhow. I cut myself two curved rubber hand straps from the inner tire of a car and put some holes in it. The upper side i fixed with the big round bolt, the lower side i fixed with the screw in the middle from the finger rest. The left side plays best when i insert my 5 fingers, and put my thumb into the thumb strap (I use middle, ring finger and little finger for the notes). At the right side i put thumb and 3 fingers through the loop and the little finger outside the loop (I use index, middle and ring finger for the buttons). It's not according to the rules, but for me it works: i don't have pain in my thumbs after having played for several hours yesterday.

 

kind greetings

 

from

 

Dirk , Belgium

Hello, Dirk -

 

You've certainly proved your handyness. I understand also that some obvious

restrictions are in play here: any change should be reversible, so the instrument

always can be returned to its original condition. But isn't that interesting:

 

"i don't have pain in my thumbs after having played for several hours yesterday."

 

Good luck with more experiments!

 

/Henrik

[Mark Evans]

After reading these postings many times I screwed up my courage and made the plunge. Opting for Fiddlerjoebobs solution, I called up the Buttonbox and got the hardwear and straps.

 

Changed my playing right away. I had become more comfortable with the push rather than pull (beastly thumb pain). Now I'm taking the bellows all the way out and adding some fun accents with a little wrist power (must find a middle ground eventually). The pinkies with just a little reminder are abandoning their rests and may, just may get involved in the playing process over time.

 

The set-up certainly lends itself well to putting a little more bounce in the Irish tunes, example the Providence Reel which had me a bit dissapointed with thumbs only. Now I'm getting some delightful punch on the A section E to launch things off, and the double finger repeated notes are clearer.

 

I'm suprised the wrist straps did not feel more restricting than they did. Had to re-work how I go for quick low notes on the right side however. One really has to curl those fingers a a bit more.

 

This might just add a few years of playing life to this old dog.

[chiton1]

After reading these postings many times I screwed up my courage and made the plunge. Opting for Fiddlerjoebobs solution, I called up the Buttonbox and got the hardwear and straps.

 

Changed my playing right away. I had become more comfortable with the push rather than pull (beastly thumb pain). Now I'm taking the bellows all the way out and adding some fun accents with a little wrist power (must find a middle ground eventually). The pinkies with just a little reminder are abandoning their rests and may, just may get involved in the playing process over time.

 

The set-up certainly lends itself well to putting a little more bounce in the Irish tunes, example the Providence Reel which had me a bit dissapointed with thumbs only. Now I'm getting some delightful punch on the A section E to launch things off, and the double finger repeated notes are clearer.

 

I'm suprised the wrist straps did not feel more restricting than they did. Had to re-work how I go for quick low notes on the right side however. One really has to curl those fingers a a bit more.

 

This might just add a few years of playing life to this old dog.

 

 

Hi Mark,

 

I am glad that you at least tried it. For many people wrist straps give extra comfort and stability. For others apparently not (hee Simon Thoumire does a great job without straps and even finger rests....). Keep on playing!

Hermann