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[Stiamh]

I hate to break it to you guys, but a melodeon is not a typewriter.   

When I told a Canadian musician friend that I had taken up the button box he commented, "Ah, the Newfie typewriter." 

(Brothers and sisters in Terre-Neuve will please forgive this use of the "N word": I realize that many of you object to it - except when using it yourselves of course.)

Seriously, though, I think the analogy with "home keys" might prove less than helpful in the long run. When dissecting possible fingerings for tunes I do often conceive of a particular finger on a particular button as an anchor point or a jumping-off point, but only for short lengths of time. Thinking in terms of leaving four fingers in one place until you are obliged to move them would I think tend to induce a kind of inertia that wouldn't work for the music I play anyway.

George Garside has commented once or twice on the desirability of establishing a "brain-button" connection rather than a "finger-button" connection and I think this is a very useful thing to bear in mind.

[Strigulino]

Must admit I have found the "home key" idea useful for folk tunes in that they tend not to stray too far from one octave in one key.  However, on noodling a few other tunes I did find I had to occasionally stray into the G row to get the combination of chord and note that I wanted.  So don't worry, I am not afraid to think out of the box if necessary.  :)

[Pete Dunk]

(Brothers and sisters in Terre-Neuve will please forgive this use of the "N word": I realize that many of you object to it - except when using it yourselves of course.)

Really? I had no idea that Newfoundlanders objected to being called 'Newfies'. What a shame, I've always looked upon the term with great affection synonymous with a hardy, resilient folk not easily offended by anyone or anything.

[Strigulino]

It always seems to me that you never know which terms will offend or enrich people.  These things change with the times and the seasons anyway.  Suffragette, for example, started out as a journalists' derogatory term and is now the preferred description for such historical ladies.  Something of the perverseness of human defiance; we often re-use the weapons of others. 

I myself am an Essex Girl (not by birth, however) and rather proud of it, although I do not own any white stilettoes.  I do confess to listening to music rather loud in my car as I hurtle down the A13 swearing at people who think the speed limit is 60 mph, though.  Some stereotypes I can live with.  :)

[Strigulino]

Actually, doing the Language Show this weekend and answering questions on Esperanto, some of the preconceptions stung a little.  "Oh, that died out, didn't it?".  No, or we wouldn't be here, would we.  "But that's such a Eurocentric language".  "Yes, but it was created in the 1880s by a European so it would be, wouldn't it.  That doesn't mean it's not worth using".  "Do you know any Klingon?"  "Yes, a couple of words, in fact.  The interesting ones". 

After a while you learn to swallow the sarcastic answer and give the sensible one.  And for every person who asks a question based on hearsay, another one asks a proper question that is a pleasure to answer.  Although I wish I had a pound for everyone who asked how many people speak it.  That's a question that should go on QI as the "nobody knows"...

I'm used to that kind of thing now.  My hobbies include various handicrafts, Esperanto, rollercoasters, card games (Munchkin and Catan, not bridge and snap) and now playing the melodeon.  Having nailed most kinds of knitting, blackwork and last year Hardanger whitework, my next trick for crafts is going to be bobbin lace (always wanted to try it).  I always seem to want to do things that even nerds think is a bit niche.

[Rob2Hook]

... my next trick for crafts is going to be bobbin lace (always wanted to try it).  I always seem to want to do things that even nerds think is a bit niche.

Believe me, bobbin lace only leads onto even more nerdy things!  On the other hand I have got some really nice Russian and Finnish pattern lanyards from people who went down this route, can't remember what they called them, though.

Rob

[Strigulino]

Most of it is because I hate what I call "dead time".  Sitting on trains, sitting in pubs, waiting for things to happen.  I read very fast so always used to run out of books quite fast on holiday, and I like to actually be producing things with my dead time.  I've always got socks on the go.  You can't go wrong with knitting a sock.  Four double-pointed needles looks impressive to the uninitiated, they're small enough to knit on trains without inconveniencing your neighbours, you don't need much yarn, and when you've finished, you've got a pair of socks.

[Graham Spencer]

Most of it is because I hate what I call "dead time".  Sitting on trains, sitting in pubs, waiting for things to happen. 

I've never thought of sitting in pubs as "dead time" 

[ladydetemps]

Most of it is because I hate what I call "dead time".  Sitting on trains, sitting in pubs, waiting for things to happen.  I read very fast so always used to run out of books quite fast on holiday, and I like to actually be producing things with my dead time.  I've always got socks on the go.  You can't go wrong with knitting a sock.  Four double-pointed needles looks impressive to the uninitiated, they're small enough to knit on trains without inconveniencing your neighbours, you don't need much yarn, and when you've finished, you've got a pair of socks.

Knitting an melodeons...keep an eye in the background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoxvuqPIOZE

[Strigulino]

I've never thought of sitting in pubs as "dead time" 

Well, admitted there is drinking and chat to be had, but my fingers get fidgety. 

[mory]

 Hi Strigulino, congrats on your new box. If your looking? you will find a nice bunch at the White Swan, Horndon on the hill, 1st Thursday of the month,(Olive Branch folk club) look out for Nel, DG box player, nice and friendly and very helpful, folk club there every (Sunday Sail Loft folk club) as well and another on 1st Monday of the month upstairs (Jingling Gate folk club). I have waited to see what layout box you went for as I teach Irish C#D and a bit of Irish concertina amongst other things, thought you might be heading down that route from your first post, but as you have gone for DG I thought I'd offer to point you in a helpfull direction, there are plenty of players around through the Morris if you'd like to get some help or get involved locally we have a Ladies side Hands Around, Cockleshell clog, Malden Green Jackets, Rumford Morris, all details on the Web, also in Leigh on sea we have the Thames gate folk Orchestra and lots of other stuff. I hope you have a long and fruitful relationship with........ (fill in name at your leasure) feel free to contact me personally (see profile) all the best mory (MoryArty)

[Strigulino]

Nice to meet you; I went to the Yardarm a couple of weeks ago and I know someone who goes to the Sail Loft so doubtless we'll meet at some point. If not already. Ships in the night and all that.

[Rob2Hook]

[I've never thought of sitting in pubs as "dead time" 

Only for the brain cells!   

[Strigulino]

Went to another session type thing last night.  Ye Gods my sight reading is coming along well.  Getting to grips with the fact that most tune sections end with a D or a G so at the very least I can blast out the last note right, and sound like I know what I'm doing.

Seriously though, I'm getting to the point where I can see a G, or an A, or a D coming and know what I have to do to get that note to come out.  

Got a few tune books to work through.  What were these people drinking when they named these things?  "Shave the Donkey"?  "Planxty Fanny Power"?  And my personal favourite, "The Cat Rambles to the Child's Saucepan".  Friends of mine think it's something to do with a cat trying to nick the last dregs of a child's milk, which makes sense I suppose, but it sounds to me like the kind of thing spies would use as a code phrase.

I have found myself having to pad my left hand though - strap won't go any smaller and I keep slipping upwards and losing my air button.  Might make some kind of strap padding.

[Steve_freereeder]

What were these people drinking when they named these things?  "Shave the Donkey"?  "Planxty Fanny Power"?  And my personal favourite, "The Cat Rambles to the Child's Saucepan".

'Shave the Donkey' is a quote from the words of the song which goes with the tune:
Sharp' the razor,
Shave the donkey,
Don't cut his tail off,
Pretty little thing.

A Planxty is (or was) a tune written in honour of a person, usually a benefactor or patron of some kind. Many planxties were written by the blind harper Turlough o' Carolan in the 17th/18th century.

The Cat Rambles.... is indeed a piece of espionage wireless message code (usually thought to mean 'I can't make it to the session tonight, but I'll see you in the bar afterwards.')

I have found myself having to pad my left hand though - strap won't go any smaller and I keep slipping upwards and losing my air button.  Might make some kind of strap padding.

One answer to this is to angle the axis of your melodeon slightly downwards (see my avatar picture). Gravity then acts partly against the palm of your hand and it is less likely to slip upwards. Or you could use a bath sponge like Sharon Shannon does.

[ladydetemps]

I have found myself having to pad my left hand though - strap won't go any smaller and I keep slipping upwards and losing my air button.  Might make some kind of strap padding.

There's my anti slip strap I make them from my quilting scraps.
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,1880.20.html

[Strigulino]

Must admit, I'd come up with three solutions, none of which look like that.  So I now have four options:

1) The Lady de Temps Wrist Strap
2) Making some kind of padded cylinder to go above the wrist to stop it sliding up.
3) Some kind of fingerless glove with a padded back.
4) Padding the inside of the strap.

[Theo]

Must admit, I'd come up with three solutions, none of which look like that.  So I now have four options:

2) Making some kind of padded cylinder to go above the wrist to stop it sliding up.

Foam pipe insulation would be worth a try.

[Strigulino]

Not something I have to hand (pun intended) but I do have tons of knitting/crochet/sewing stuff so was thinking of just making a tiny bolster that I can tie on.  But something that size and shape, certainly.

[Ebor_fiddler]

Those little thingies that you put round car crash belts to stop the belt cutting can also be used on a bass strap.