Duet air-buttons

[Anglo-Irishman]

Now that my Crane playing is becoming a bit more fluent, I notice that I've started using its air-button in a similar way to the Anglo's - namely, to get a good "run-up" to a long, legato phrase. Is this just an Angloist's habit that helps me out when I've missed an opportunity to change bellows direction, or is the use of the air-button a standard duet technique?

 

I notice that the air-valve on my Lachenal Crane is smaller than on a good Anglo. I can't use it to gulp air quickly, but for adjusting bellows speed while keeping the pressure constant, it's just right. And it's in the same easily accessible position as an Anglo air-button. Is this what it's designed for?

 

The Crane layout is very amenable to chords, but 4 reeds going at once do consume a lot of air, so bellows control seems just as important as on the Anglo. Or is that just my perception?

 

Cheers,

John

[Marien]

When playing chords on the Crane, sometimes I have a run that I want keep sounding the chords with the melody. When I change from pull to push, it is heared. I cannot use the air button to change that, I am at the end of the pull, and I will have to push. So I have to think in advance about how long I want to continue the pull, so I could use the air release in advance to have the maximum "pull length" for playing the chord.

 

I think the air release use on anglo is different, there you may have that you want to continue pulling, and than you use the air release to put the bellows back, or to let some extra air in when you are pushing the bellows (and vice versa).

 

Marien

 

edited to add the content of an unintendedly empty reaction

Edited December 5, 2008 by marien

[Anglo-Irishman]

I think the air release use on anglo is different, there you may have that you want to continue pulling, and than you use the air release to put the bellows back, or to let some extra air in when you are pushing the bellows (and vice versa).

 

Marien,

Thanks for the quick response!

Reading between the lines, I assume you don't play Anglo, so you didn't get your air-button technique from there - is that right?

 

Cheers,

John

[Richard Morse]

Now that my Crane playing is becoming a bit more fluent, I notice that I've started using its air-button in a similar way to the Anglo's - namely, to get a good "run-up" to a long, legato phrase. Is this just an Angloist's habit that helps me out when I've missed an opportunity to change bellows direction, or is the use of the air-button a standard duet technique?

While I have played anglo and now play Hayden duet, I've never used the air button on my duet. Never thought about it!

I notice that the air-valve on my Lachenal Crane is smaller than on a good Anglo. I can't use it to gulp air quickly, but for adjusting bellows speed while keeping the pressure constant, it's just right. And it's in the same easily accessible position as an Anglo air-button. Is this what it's designed for?

Probably just for the initial opening and closing of your box without making a noise. I think it's position was a result of mimicking an anglo's key position. My Hayden's air-button is on the handle and is designed to depressed with with one's index finger. Handy to be out of the way but very inconvenient to be used while playing.

The Crane layout is very amenable to chords, but 4 reeds going at once do consume a lot of air, so bellows control seems just as important as on the Anglo. Or is that just my perception?

I often play with lots of reeds going and dispite having only 7 folds and a small (6 1/4") box I've rarely had problems with running out of air. Occasionally when I've found myself in a tough spot I seem to remember it and change bellows direction a little before I get to it next time so that when starting that phrase I'm at one end or the other. For times that I'm in mid-play without pre-realizing the need for a sustained phrase I can tell I'll run out of bellows and I opt to play fewer notes and/or play a bit softer.

 

-- Rich --

[frogspawn]

Probably just for the initial opening and closing of your box without making a noise.

 

Me too. I've never used it during playing.

[Marien]

I think the air release use on anglo is different, there you may have that you want to continue pulling, and than you use the air release to put the bellows back, or to let some extra air in when you are pushing the bellows (and vice versa).

 

Marien,

Thanks for the quick response!

Reading between the lines, I assume you don't play Anglo, so you didn't get your air-button technique from there - is that right?

 

Cheers,

John

 

Hi John,

 

I played anglo before I had the Crane duet. On the anglo I ran out of air a lot before I replaced the pads and made it more air tight.

Some tunes ask for pulling out and out on the anglo.

 

When I already played anglo, I started playing the MacCan duet, I did not have an air release on that one.

 

Later I moved to the Crane Duet. I felt sometimes that I use the air release unneccessarily. As it is quite a different instrument, I mostly play other tunes on the Crane Duet, and I think that the air release use may be driven by the machine language in my head while I play the tune, so it may be copied from the anglo if I played the tune before on the anglo.

 

Still playing the anglo concertina as well...

 

Happy squeezing,

Marien

[Boney]

I've only played duet a couple years, and I played anglo before that for a few. One of the (minor) reasons I moved from anglo was to get away from the "gasps" and fidgety air-button control needed when playing longer sequences in one direction with only a quick note or two in the other. I just didn't like the sound (especially easily heard over the notes in a recording) and the effort it took. I've thought of occasionally using the air button on the duet to prepare for a long passage I'd prefer to play in one direction, but I haven't really tried it yet. I think I take it as a sign of weakness -- that is, I've been working more on being able to change bellows direction at almost any point at will. I'm not very good at that yet.

 

I've been thinking of making a post of all sorts of issues and challenges and discoveries I've had on the duet, maybe some time soon, but I think I'll have to be selective, or make it a series.

[Marien]

I have been playing the Crane today to check my own Crane behaviour, and I found out that I do practically do not use the air release button at all, strange that memory told me something else first....

[Dirge]

I think it's sized smaller to allow moving the bellows to the end of its travel during play; I've considered doing it, and even think I probably should, but in practice I never remember.

 

I only use the thing to shut the bellows at the end.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Dirge

[Henri VIII]

I have a rosewood-ended, 48 button Lachenal Crane / Truimph Salvation Army 'tina #3754 with six fold bellows -- without an air release button.

 

Any thoughts on why my Crane doesn't have an air button when other Lachenals do (please be nice ;^)

 

I'd appreciate having the option of being able to use an air button -- would those of you that don't use your air button mind if I borrowed said button for those chordy tunes every once in a while?

 

Thanks,

Henri

 

P.S. If anyone is considering selling their 55 button Crane, please let me know!

Edited December 5, 2008 by Henri VIII

[Dirge]

I have a rosewood-ended, 48 button Lachenal Crane / Truimph Salvation Army 'tina #3754 with six fold bellows -- without an air release button.

 

Any thoughts on why my Crane doesn't have an air button when other Lachenals do (please be nice ;^)

 

I'd appreciate having the option of being able to use an air button -- would those of you that don't use your air button mind if I borrowed said button for those chordy tunes every once in a while?

 

Thanks,

Henri

 

P.S. If anyone is considering selling their 55 button Crane, please let me know!

 

I read somewhere about an olden days pro who always ended a tune with the bellows closed, simply as another aspect of play. This, again, seems like something to learn as a piece of showmanship, and to save the great gasp of rushing air at the end, and I if I master it you can have one of mine...

[Marien]

... I've thought of occasionally using the air button on the duet to prepare for a long passage I'd prefer to play in one direction....

 

It happens sometimes that I forgot it prepare a long passage and I am running out of air. Like I seem to have miscalculated the amount of air left in the pushed bellows and I am running out of air in this tune (somewhere about 30 seconds from the beginning) The second time for the same part (after 1,05 minute) all goes well, and you will see I am pulling the bellows there and not pushing:

 

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=zzu9db87EmA

 

If I play it a couple of times more, I will be prepared better for knowing the passages where I have to watch these changes from pull to push.

Also within a passage I seem to change direction sometimes (see passage 120-123), and I was not aware of that until I watched it.

 

Usually I don´t think about this while playing the Crane. I think the best thing to do is to keep the bellows away from the extreme positions, making it possible to change direction in time to avoid running out of air.

[Hooves]

Now that my Crane playing is becoming a bit more fluent, I notice that I've started using its air-button in a similar way to the Anglo's ...

 

 

Sadly, or inconsequentially,

 

neither of my duets has an air button.

 

 

I haven't missed it yet

[ragtimer]

I've been thinking of making a post of all sorts of issues and challenges and discoveries I've had on the duet, maybe some time soon, but I think I'll have to be selective, or make it a series.

I'd like to hear your observations, Boney.

 

I've been wondering if I/we SHOULD be studying air button technique. So far I use the button pretty much like everyone else -- twice a session -- coming out of the case and going back in

 

I had typed a much longer reply, but the spell checker ate the whole thing

--Mike K.

[Charles Hunt]

I've been thinking of making a post of all sorts of issues and challenges and discoveries I've had on the duet, maybe some time soon, but I think I'll have to be selective, or make it a series.

I'd like to hear your observations, Boney.

 

I've been wondering if I/we SHOULD be studying air button technique. So far I use the button pretty much like everyone else -- twice a session -- coming out of the case and going back in

 

I had typed a much longer reply, but the spell checker ate the whole thing

--Mike K.