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Author Topic: muddled beginner on C/F  (Read 3266 times)

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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #20 on: April 14, 2019, 04:36:14 PM »

Have you checked the pitching of your instrument?
I have found these older ones are not always at standard modern pitch (A=440)
Might be worth finding a tuner app.
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

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richard.fleming

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2019, 08:15:19 AM »

You don't need to go into cross rowing to start with.

Bear in mind that Peadar says in another post that he got his first melodeon in February. Other more experienced players may disagree with him.
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Old Paolo Sopranis in C#/D and D/D#

Lester

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2019, 08:25:15 AM »

You don't need to go into cross rowing to start with.

Bear in mind that Peadar says in another post that he got his first melodeon in February. Other more experienced players may disagree with him.


Bear in mind that Lester who has been playing for >40 years (almost entirely English tunes) agrees with Peadar, but it does depend on the type of music you want to play.

Winston Smith

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2019, 08:57:37 AM »

"but it does depend on the type of music you want to play."

And not even only that! In every sphere there are those who want to excel, for whichever reason, while some players just want to make music of a sort which pleases themselves and maybe some other, likeminded, "plebs".
After over 50 years of singing in a choir, I've realised that I'll never be a Pavarotti, but that doesn't mean that I'm particularly dissatisfied with my efforts, or that many people who listen don't enjoy it!
We cannot, and should not, expect everyone who plays melodeon to aspire to the skills of young Cohen, or JK (or whosoever) just because a certain type of player (or listener, come to that) demands a highly artistic, in their opinion, type of performance or style.
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richard.fleming

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #24 on: April 15, 2019, 09:28:20 AM »

"after you've got the hang of using the bellows to change pitch"

Intrigued by this.
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Old Paolo Sopranis in C#/D and D/D#

richard.fleming

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #25 on: April 15, 2019, 09:32:04 AM »

"but it does depend on the type of music you want to play."

And not even only that! In every sphere there are those who want to excel, for whichever reason, while some players just want to make music of a sort which pleases themselves and maybe some other, likeminded, "plebs".
After over 50 years of singing in a choir, I've realised that I'll never be a Pavarotti, but that doesn't mean that I'm particularly dissatisfied with my efforts, or that many people who listen don't enjoy it!
We cannot, and should not, expect everyone who plays melodeon to aspire to the skills of young Cohen, or JK (or whosoever) just because a certain type of player (or listener, come to that) demands a highly artistic, in their opinion, type of performance or style.

If you make a virtue of amateurism, fair enough.  But if you ask for advice you need to get it from someone with experience, don't you?
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 10:14:13 AM by richard.fleming »
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Old Paolo Sopranis in C#/D and D/D#

Winston Smith

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #26 on: April 15, 2019, 10:14:55 AM »

Hahaha!

I just wonder how many of our members see themselves as professional, then? There's no particular "virtue" in either, IMHO. They are only different states of being!

"But if you ask for advice you need to get it from someone with experience, don't you?"

Surely, but it depends on what you're looking for, as the experience (and mindset, it would appear) of the advisor will colour any advice they give. I'm eternally grateful for the loads of advice I've received on this forum (and hopefully will continue to do so) but social and financial differences, along with differences in personal temperament, can make some very well-meaning advice worthless to the recipient.

I would counsel anyone to take all advice and be thankful for the willingness of the giver to actually give it, but weigh it as befits your needs, wants and resources. It seems to me that melodeonists are a very broad church, and also that there is no pecking order, at least not that I've come across in my journey so far.

Perhaps we could get Brother Corbyn and Mrs May into our little flock? It would be great to see the two of them delightedly squeezing away on the same stage!

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richard.fleming

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #27 on: April 15, 2019, 10:48:19 AM »

Hahaha!

I just wonder how many of our members see themselves as professional, then?

I don't see myself as professional either, but I have always had to live with wanting to play better, and have thought that that is one of the conditions of being a musician. It is less comfortable than amateurism, but hard to avoid because enjoying music surely involves some appreciation of quality.
I'm reminded of the Seamus Ennis story about the piper given the choice of wishes  (by a fairy or a leprechaun or suchlike) of being able to play so that he pleased himself but nobody else, or being able to please everybody who heard him except himself. Where do you stand on that, Winston?
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Old Paolo Sopranis in C#/D and D/D#

Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #28 on: April 15, 2019, 11:34:04 AM »

...but I have always had to live with wanting to play better, and have thought that that is one of the conditions of being a musician. It is less comfortable than amateurism...

I am very wary of entering the fray, here, but I think what is going on is a clash of styles.
On the row playing is no more or less skillful, or "professional" than across the row playing. Just different.

{Edit: Don't be put off by partisan statements, Noah. A lot of people would like to be better at both. Some people are. Some people excel at one, or the other,  of them. It's not something to worry about. Now I think about it, it's not limited to two styles, either.]
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 01:11:35 PM by Tone Dumb Greg »
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Greg Smith
DG/GC Pokerwork, DG 2.4 Saltarelle, pre-war CF Hohner, Hohner 1040 Vienna style, old  BbEb Hohner that needs a lot of work.

ACCORDION, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin. Ambrose Bierce

george garside

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #29 on: April 15, 2019, 11:37:15 AM »


I

Perhaps we could get Brother Corbyn and Mrs May into our little flock? It would be great to see the two of them delightedly squeezing away on the same stage!
[

quote



more likely to be playing a duet on musical R souls!

george
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Winston Smith

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #30 on: April 15, 2019, 11:41:16 AM »

Richard, I'm happy to continue this discussion but I'm concerned that it may well add to any confusion that the OP might be experiencing. Although it may not be strictly off-topic, I don't think it's particularly helpful to other members.

I'll pm you instead, if that meets with your approval?
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richard.fleming

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #31 on: April 15, 2019, 11:53:31 AM »

[ I think what is going on is a clash of styles.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to clash. Merely to discuss. I'll get my coat.
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Old Paolo Sopranis in C#/D and D/D#

playandteach

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Re: muddled beginner on C/F
« Reply #32 on: April 15, 2019, 12:48:11 PM »

"after you've got the hang of using the bellows to change pitch"

Intrigued by this.
It doesn't mean anything fancy, just that for newcomers to melodeon, (at least this is what I found), the concept of different pitches with different buttons was easy, but the push pull way of changing notes was less intuitive if you've previously played an instrument that doesn't do that. Especially that the pitch change doesn't always go in the same direction as you move up the keyboard. Nothing more subtle was meant.
I've decided to limit myself for a couple of weeks to only playing in G as I have to use the bellows to cope with the C over a G chord phrase. It really is an Achilles heal.
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