Topic: Diatonics for Dummies !! (Read 6721 times)

Henry Piper · « **on:** February 16, 2016, 05:01:45 PM »

Ive been playing melodeons for some years, and am familiar with most of the common varieties of 1,2,and 3 row boxes, but I realise that there is a whole world of Trikitixa's, Garmoshkas, steirisches, Heligonka's and numerous other more or less bizarre variants on the diatonic theme out there. Can anyone direct me to a source of information on the differences/similarities between all these ? has this topic been covered on the forum ? or has anyone knowledge of an online source, I am fascinated by the variety of these instruments and would love to know more about their history and uses.

JimmyM · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2016, 06:07:27 PM »

Heres my latest 'mad' acquisition. It was sold as a Russian concertina and I thought it was a one row melodeon. The buttons on the left are not arranged like any melodeon or concertina ive ever tried. It starts on a 2nd button pull for C then push, pull push, pull push, push pull to complete the major scale
The right hand side has an air button and 3 'bass' buttons of which the 2 outside buttons are also attached to levers that strike the bells,

A quick waltz around the net has me thinking that this is a Saratov Garmon. There are also some youtube clips of a very similar instrument. The build quality of mine is quite low. I wonder if it wasnt produced as a toy or certainly aimed at the budget end of the market

Ill put some pics up in a sec

JimmyM · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2016, 07:25:55 PM »

these are some pics

malcolmbebb · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2016, 07:30:49 PM »

LOL I was looking at that - my wife set out to discourage me

Theo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2016, 07:38:36 PM »

And with three hammer and sickle badges it's clearly proud to a product of the Soviet Union!

JimmyM · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2016, 08:02:38 PM »

Quote from: malcolmbebb on February 16, 2016, 07:30:49 PM

LOL I was looking at that - my wife set out to discourage me

;Dshe was probably right! I've worked out that all the crazy ebay purchases would have gone quite away towards a better quality Anglo. So hopefully this will be my last 'mad' purchase for a while

I'm not too disapointed though. Its an interesting item and makes a pleasant enough noise but i wont be putting any time into learning yet another lot of fingering.

Quote from: Theo on February 16, 2016, 07:38:36 PM

And with three hammer and sickle badges it's clearly proud to a product of the Soviet Union!

indeed

and it has the most fabulous grill too

Anahata · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2016, 08:20:05 PM »

I've got one of those.
It's a Saratovskaya Garmonika. Basically a 1 row with all the push and pull backwards, and bells on, and an extra button that plays the dominant bass note in both directions.

To hear one played properly, you'll find plenty of examples on a YouTube search.

Steve_freereeder · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2016, 07:24:54 AM »

Quote from: Anahata on February 16, 2016, 08:20:05 PM

To hear one played properly, you'll find plenty of examples on a YouTube search.

Try this one: various players, instruments and styles.

Some nice tunes, but the bell would drive me crazy after 30 seconds.

Henry Piper · « **Reply #8 on:** February 17, 2016, 09:27:35 AM »

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on February 17, 2016, 07:24:54 AM

Quote from: Anahata on February 16, 2016, 08:20:05 PM
To hear one played properly, you'll find plenty of examples on a YouTube search.

Try this one: various players, instruments and styles.

Some nice tunes, but the bell would drive me crazy after 30 seconds.

Might be useful for a Cajun band.....save paying a Triangle player !! ( I'll get me coat now !! )

Julian S · « **Reply #9 on:** February 17, 2016, 10:35:06 AM »

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on February 17, 2016, 07:24:54 AM

Quote from: Anahata on February 16, 2016, 08:20:05 PM
To hear one played properly, you'll find plenty of examples on a YouTube search.

Try this one: various players, instruments and styles.

Some nice tunes, but the bell would drive me crazy after 30 seconds.

Like it ! Strangely addictive tunes - though I might need a lot of vodka to get the head round them...I wonder if you can get top quality models with whistles as well !

Prestidigitator · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2016, 11:32:14 AM »

Quote from: Steve_freereeder on February 17, 2016, 07:24:54 AM

Quote from: Anahata on February 16, 2016, 08:20:05 PM
To hear one played properly, you'll find plenty of examples on a YouTube search.

Try this one: various players, instruments and styles.

Some nice tunes, but the bell would drive me crazy after 30 seconds.

The bells are an instrument of torture, straight from the Lubianka, and which I could resist for only about 8 seconds.
30 seconds shows an enviable staying power.

Henry Piper · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2016, 12:33:40 PM »

......And not a smile from any of them, just a glazed expression,....The Bells! The Bells!!.

911377brian · « **Reply #12 on:** February 17, 2016, 01:41:29 PM »

I'm afraid I find these tunes very dull...looks like the players feel as I do... $:-\$

Theo · « **Reply #13 on:** February 17, 2016, 02:11:15 PM »

I think they are wonderful example of how much can be done with a simple instrument. I imagine that the bell would have taken the rhythm right to the back of the hall in the days before amplification, and could be just the thing for NW Morris.

Henry Piper · « **Reply #14 on:** February 17, 2016, 06:12:48 PM »

I agree with Theo, these gentlemen seem to have an amazing degree of fluency on what at first glance appears to be a very primitive instrument, and show what can be done on such basic instruments, unfortunately it doesn't seem to engender much joy in the participants !! they do seem to be a glum lot !! and I do think the relentless and unvarying sound of the bells would become an annoyance for me after a while, but as someone who regularly plays a bass drum and Hi Hat cymbal at the same time as the melodeon, I can empathise with the reasoning behind having your own built in percussion section, particularly for Dance music.

Julian S · « **Reply #15 on:** February 17, 2016, 07:22:31 PM »

Maybe their expressions are the result of long term exposure to 'the bells'....but I have also been told off for looking so miserable when I play !

Theo · « **Reply #16 on:** February 17, 2016, 07:41:17 PM »

Melodeon face is a well know phenomenon. Many members here show varying degrees of it.

Broadland Boy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2016, 12:17:36 AM »

When you've spent the worst part of your life slaving away down a tractor mine or in a salt foundry, the expression tends to get set to represent that, and given the lack of hearing protection, they probably all think that the bells stopped working decades ago and the lower reeds are only sounding weakly these days..........

God bless grumpy looking old gits, otherwise what would we have to look forward to

Psuggmog Volbenz · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2016, 07:36:52 AM »

I had fun playing jingle bells on mine, when it was seasonally appropriate. My wife was not amused. I considered flipping the reeds to get a, what we consider a conventional layout, but decided not to since I don't play much in the key of A flat.

Henry Piper · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2016, 08:54:21 AM »

Quote from: Broadland Boy on February 18, 2016, 12:17:36 AM

God bless grumpy looking old gits, otherwise what would we have to look forward to

Hear Hear !!
Having thoroughly discussed the social and medical aspects of the saratovskoya garmonica, and its place in the socialist hegemony, can we move on to other weird sounding variants on the diatonic spectrum, such as the Heligonka, or the Styrische Akkordian, what are they all about then ??

. mind you as far as the Styrische goes, I have a great regard for any "musical" instrument that can emulate the sound of a Hippopotamus farting under water.

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Author Topic: Diatonics for Dummies !! (Read 6721 times)