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Bill the Farmer

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FAQ
« on: August 19, 2008, 02:58:27 PM »

There are a lot of Frequently Asked Questions, which have been answered before, possibly on the old forum, which keep coming up. Things like how to use the air button, where to put your thumb, (not there  :o) how to take your box apart, how to replace a broken spring, etc. If there was a site FAQ, new joiners would know where to look. It could be just links to existing threads, which can be hard to find if you don't know what to look for. Apologies if this has come up before, but I couldn't find it. ;D
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Bill of Old Shoreham Town

Steve_freereeder

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2008, 04:51:25 PM »

No so much FAQs, but there is a lot of good stuff under 'Melodeon Information' here:
http://info.melodeon.net/info
In particular, Alison Scott's A Beginner's Guide to the Melodeon is very good :)

The old forum is still around, but treat it as 'read only'.
http://melodeon.aimoo.com/
You will have to browse through the various categories to find what you might be seeking.
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Steve
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TomB-R

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2008, 06:06:29 PM »

I think Bill is making the suggestion on behalf of others.
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Bill the Farmer

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #3 on: August 19, 2008, 06:47:47 PM »

I think Bill is making the suggestion on behalf of others.
Yes I am. In other forums that I have used the moderators and other long term members get fed up with being asked the same questions over and over again, and cobble together an FAQ together with a prominent pointer to it saying READ THIS FIRST. As an example of this, somebody asked recently about Eagle comic like exploded diagrams of the internals of a melodeon. I posted some pictures of the innards of my pokerwork, as I had it apart at the time. It didn't help much, though, because the member needed to know how to take his box apart.
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Bill of Old Shoreham Town

Lester

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #4 on: August 20, 2008, 05:31:04 PM »

I'm quite up for producing a FAQ as I spend far too much time in hotel rooms at the moment. This was OK when they were in the UK but mostly now in Europeland and taking a melodeon on a plane is too much hassle.

So Theo(?) shall I do this?

Alison Scott

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #5 on: August 20, 2008, 08:42:04 PM »

I'm quite up for producing a FAQ as I spend far too much time in hotel rooms at the moment. This was OK when they were in the UK but mostly now in Europeland and taking a melodeon on a plane is too much hassle.

So Theo(?) shall I do this?

Lester -- that's a splendid idea and I'd be happy to help. First I suppose we should think of some questions!

Lester

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #6 on: August 20, 2008, 09:12:57 PM »

Just to prove how boring Vienna can be if you are on your own, here is a starter for 10

Alison Scott

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2008, 09:57:56 PM »

Further to my last post, here are a few that come up quite a lot... Answers left as an exercise for the chap who's away from home a lot.

In sections!


What Box Is This?

"I've acquired a squeezebox. How can I tell what it is?" (with some links to concertina.net and equivalent for p**** a******* for people who find they've got one of them) How can I tell what key it's in? How can I tell if it needs to be repaired?
"I have a melodeon and my mate tells me it's valuable. What is it worth?"
"I thought what I had was a melodeon but you're all talking about squeezeboxes and mine is a small organ. What's going on?"
"How can I get my melodeon repaired?"


What Box Should I Get?

"I want to play melodeon. What melodeon should I buy?" and its close relations "There seem to be a lot of different types, which one do I get?" and
"I can't afford a decent melodeon. How can I get started on a really small budget?" (where we might want to mention the Take it Away scheme, which I know that Hobgoblin at least participate in.)
"I'm thinking of getting a box on eBay...."
"What should I look for when buying a secondhand melodeon?"


How Do I Learn?

"How can I get started" (where we can link to the article I've written already)
"What tuition material is available for my melodeon?"
"Where can I find a teacher in __________ "
"How can I find other people to play with?"
"Do I need to know how to read music to play melodeon?"

Improvers

"I want to play in a session. Which tunes should I learn?"
"I'm trying to play in a session but it's all too hard."
"I practice but I don't seem to be getting any better"
"How can I learn to play more like _____________ "?
"I'm thinking of going to Melodeons at Witney / Melodeons and More. What's it like?"
"How can I find a local Morris side to play with?"

Melodeon Music

"What artists/bands/CDs feature melodeon playing?"
"Is it possible to play __________ on my melodeon?"
"Where can I get melodeon sheet music?"
"What is melodeon tab? What different systems of melodeon tab are there?"


Learning to Fix Melodeons

(I know nothing about this so will have to leave the questions to someone else)


I'm sure people can add lots of other likely questions!

Steve_freereeder

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2008, 08:57:07 AM »

Lester,

Love your FAQ diagram. It's brilliant! (Such a logical mind!  ;) )

I know this might be covered on the 'Layouts' branch, but perhaps under the 'keys' branch, maybe add a line for 1-row melodeons. People sometimes ask whether these are the best to learn on (in the mistaken belief that one row is easier than two.) I guess that the 'keys' and 'layouts' branches are closely connected anyway. Perhaps there is a strand of ivy connecting the two?

How about using the diagram as a starting point for a series of hyperlinks to the relevant FAQs ?
« Last Edit: August 21, 2008, 09:08:34 AM by Steve_freereeder »
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Steve
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Bill the Farmer

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2008, 11:00:23 AM »

Another suggestion: the FAQ doesn't have to be an all-in-one monolithic thing. It could be in parts pinned to the top of the relevant discussion, like Theo has already done with News and Events, Recordings and Videos, and  Buy and Sell. That's where new members are going to be looking. It will also be easier if you manage to port the data from the old forums across, because there's a lot of good stuff in there which can be referred to.

Edit: Or, it could be an all-in-one monolithic thing, with pointers to the relevant sections at the top of the relevant discussions.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2008, 11:16:54 AM by Bill Farmer »
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Bill of Old Shoreham Town

Theo

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #10 on: August 22, 2008, 10:05:42 PM »

Great ideas, and thanks to Lester and Alison for volunteering.

Bill I think you are spot on in suggesting the faqs go at the top of each forum. 

I need a bit of time to sort myself out after just returning from a week at Folkworks followed immediately by a week at Whitby.  In a few days I'll give Letser and Alison some extra privs so they can create FAQ topics pinned  at the top of each forum and which are read only for the rest of the membership.  In the mean time the two of you can strat composing your texts!  Thanks one and all.
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Theo Gibb - Gateshead UK

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Waltham

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2008, 04:18:00 PM »

More suggested FAQs, only a few of which I have answers for:

Who maintains this FAQ?
How do I suggest new FAQs?
How do I notify errors in this FAQ?

Who runs/moderates/administrates this forum?
Are there any rules/guidelines for posting in this forum?
How does the 'quote' feature work? (you know who you are!)

When did pokerworks go from having wood to plastic keyboards?*
How can I tell if my Hohner was made in Germany or China?
How can I tell if my Paolo Soprani is one of the particularly desirable ones?
How can I find out how old my Pokerwork/Erica/Erika/Corse/etc is?

How can I find out what key(s) my melodeon is in?
What is the club system?
Is it possible to have my melodeon tuned to a different key?
My melodeon has six sides and only one voice, what make is it?
My melodeon has four strings and a bow, what make is it?
Am I thick or clumsy?
What is Waltham's Principle (WP)?

My new melodeon has a stiff bellows, what can I do about it?
My melodeon has noisy buttons/pallettes, what can I do about them?
How is Cajun/Quebecois/Martian tuning different from normal tuning?

*Seriously, I'd like to know this, any suggestions?
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Bill the Farmer

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2008, 06:13:34 PM »

Just to prove how boring Vienna can be if you are on your own, here is a starter for 10
I think it's very important that you have the big picture...
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Lester

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2008, 10:54:52 AM »

Some answers

Who maintains this FAQ? Lester & Alison
How do I suggest new FAQs? PM to either Lester or Alison or both
How do I notify errors in this FAQ? PM to either Lester or Alison or both

Who runs/moderates/administrates this forum?  Theo, Clive, Darren & now Lester & Alison
Are there any rules/guidelines for posting in this forum? Not that I know of other tah common decency
How does the 'quote' feature work? (you know who you are!)  Press the quote button in the message you wish to reply too, then DON'T put your reply inside the [~Quote] ... [~Unquote] bit. (minus the ~s)


When did pokerworks go from having wood to plastic keyboards?* Don't know
How can I tell if my Hohner was made in Germany or China? Don't know
How can I tell if my Paolo Soprani is one of the particularly desirable ones? Ask an Irish man
How can I find out how old my Pokerwork/Erica/Erika/Corse/etc is? Saw it in half and count the rings (dendromelodeonism)

How can I find out what key(s) my melodeon is in? Will be in the FAQ shortly
What is the club system?
Is it possible to have my melodeon tuned to a different key?  Yes
My melodeon has six sides and only one voice, what make is it? Eh? guess it's a concertina
My melodeon has four strings and a bow, what make is it? Guess it's a banjo and you wear the bow in your hair
Am I thick or clumsy? or both?
What is Waltham's Principle (WP)? If you don't know how should I know

My new melodeon has a stiff bellows, what can I do about it?  Buy a Castagnari
My melodeon has noisy buttons/pallettes, what can I do about them?  Buy a Castagnari
How is Cajun/Quebecois/Martian tuning different from normal tuning? Yes and no

*Seriously, I'd like to know this, any suggestions?

Martin J

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2008, 02:21:31 PM »

Hi Lester

I've just started a thread regarding a library of all makes and models which cannot be found on makers current sites http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php?topic=807.0.

This may well tie in with your new remit.
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an bosca ceoil

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #15 on: August 26, 2008, 01:29:57 AM »

Some answers

When did pokerworks go from having wood to plastic keyboards?* Don't know

*Seriously, I'd like to know this, any suggestions?


The "lyre-ended" wood keyboard went in the late fifties, along with candlewick bellows gaskets. The early  "rounded" Erica & Double Ray initially also had wooden keyboards with a transverse groove to locate the edge of a flat recessed grille. Like the Corona their keyboards went plastic  along with lipped grilles in the early sixties. Obviously this was because injection was cheaper than machining and two mouldings sufficed for several models. (Incidentally, apart from the "Made in Germany" transfer on the back of of the board  you can distinguish Chinese from German because the finish is duller on the Chinese one. Mind it could be a replacement, that is why you should never take Tunings, marked on  straps and keyboards as gospel when buying unseen)
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Waltham

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Re: FAQ
« Reply #16 on: August 26, 2008, 08:52:59 AM »

Thanks, very useful and two potential FAQs answered.
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