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Author Topic: That 'a-ha' moment  (Read 7256 times)

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Sharon

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #80 on: February 14, 2020, 01:33:55 PM »

Maybe you could both benefit from one of my a-ha moments:

It is possible to play a melodeon quietly

Yep, it certainly is. I haven’t been to many workshops (not for melodeon anyway) and I have noticed a distinct lack of dynamic range.
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Helena Handcart

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #81 on: February 14, 2020, 04:38:03 PM »

I think that’s us, especially if I deafened you by deploying my Tommy in place of the pokerwork in the afternoon.

If your Tommy is louder than your Pokerwork... there's something wrong with your Pokerwork  (:) :||:
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Mcgrooger

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #82 on: February 14, 2020, 05:32:20 PM »

My earliest 'a-ha' moment was being shown how to oom-pa by my good friend Hugh Taylor of this parish some time way back in the 1970's
My next came MUCH later when I realised never to fix my right hand patterns for a tune before deciding on what I think are the best left hand chords for it. To re-iterate Hugh recently quoting Frank Lee, 'The melodeon is all about the left hand'.
I really hope this is of some help to anyone struggling to get going or get more out of their playing.
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Chris Rayner

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #83 on: February 14, 2020, 08:42:26 PM »


If your Tommy is louder than your Pokerwork... there's something wrong with your Pokerwork  (:) :||:

Well, it has three voices, so one up there, and I find it easier to play the pokerwork softly.  Even when I take out the bassoon reed on the Tommy I find it needs to be handled carefully if it’s to be played quietly.  I think it may have to do with the different cross-sectional areas of the bellows.
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Elderly amateur musician hoping to stave off dementia by learning to play the melodeon.  Main instrument a Tommy, also D/G and G/C pokerworks,  a single row 2 stop Hohner, and a new addition to the free reedery, a rather splendid Paolo Soprani four voice 120 bass c-system chromatic button accordion.  Very shiny, very loud, and about the same size and weight as a small car.  Now I’ve traded me Benny with (ahem) a cash adjustment, to a three voice 60 bass Castagnari K3.

Steve_freereeder

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #84 on: February 15, 2020, 12:18:42 AM »

Well, it has three voices, so one up there, and I find it easier to play the pokerwork softly.  Even when I take out the bassoon reed on the Tommy I find it needs to be handled carefully if it’s to be played quietly.  I think it may have to do with the different cross-sectional areas of the bellows.
Indeed. The smaller cross-sectional area of the bellows on the Tommy compared with the Pokerwork means that for the same amount of force, you will be generating a higher air pressure through the reeds (pressure is inversely proportional to cross sectional area). Also, assuming they are both set up properly, the Tommy's tipo a mano reeds are likely to respond just that bit more readily than the Pokerwork's Hohner reeds.
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Tone Dumb Greg

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #85 on: February 15, 2020, 12:24:24 AM »

Well, it has three voices, so one up there, and I find it easier to play the pokerwork softly.  Even when I take out the bassoon reed on the Tommy I find it needs to be handled carefully if it’s to be played quietly.  I think it may have to do with the different cross-sectional areas of the bellows.
Indeed. The smaller cross-sectional area of the bellows on the Tommy compared with the Pokerwork means that for the same amount of force, you will be generating a higher air pressure through the reeds (pressure is inversely proportional to cross sectional area). Also, assuming they are both set up properly, the Tommy's tipo a mano reeds are likely to respond just that bit more readily than the Pokerwork's Hohner reeds.

Generally speaking, the Pokerworks I hear out and about sound louder than the Tommies. Presumably this means that Tommy players have more respect for other people's eardrums than Pokerwork players.
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Greg Smith
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Chris Peacock

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #86 on: February 16, 2020, 11:06:07 PM »

I have been playing a D/G Erica for about a year, getting it from Theo. I’d never even touched a melodeon before! It came with a Malley strap, and the bass strap was very tight and must have been shortened by an owner which made hitting the bass buttons difficult for me. I think this situation lasted just over a week. My a-ha moment came when I contacted Charlie and bought a pair of shoulder straps and a nicely padded replacement bass strap. Suddenly the Erica became stable, and everything improved from that point. My second a-ha was realising that I was automatically using the air button. Lots more a-ha’s to come, methinks!
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playandteach

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Re: That 'a-ha' moment
« Reply #87 on: February 16, 2020, 11:28:10 PM »

I'm having a few a-has as I try to learn one row playing. Firstly is the straps - now I understand about the one strap following. And also Lester's strap around the tricep style. And as you push the box further away from the body - if you are also anchoring it with an inside thigh, then the thumb behind the keyboard also makes some sense.
Still experimenting, and perhaps the final answer is yet to present itself, but it's been fun so far.
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Serafini R2D2 GC, Serafini GC accs 18 bass
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