hope for new button accordina/melodica type

[Johnathan]

The link posted by Stephen

Iosif Purits performs Mozarts Piano Sonata No. 11 on accordina

is very interesting. It is another video of someone playing the Edward Jay Concertone.

All the accordinas I have seen have required one hand to hold the accordina whilst the free hand plays the music. On one video I have seen someone using the hand they hold their accordina with to fan the accordina, much as you might an harmonica to alter the sound. This is the first time that I have seen anyone play an accordina using both hands to play the tune. The design of this accordina opens up some wonderful opportunities for two handed playing.

Very interesting.

 

[TomBR]

A question for Stephen or others knowledgeable about accordinas - the Patent includes a mechanism for opening and closing the side plates to give a mute effect.
Is this feature included always, sometimes or never? Any videos of it in use?

 

[Deleted member 48]

There are not many videos demonstrating in detail the technical capacities of the accordina in solo pieces. Most of these videos are short.
André Borel is said to have made a few versions of this accordina or chromatic harmonicon patent.
Most accordinas only have the side pallets, that can be moved by the thumb or index or other fingers.

In this video at 3800 Richard Galliano is making some vibrato wah-wah effects on the high notes in the Smile piece, an improvisation here for solo accordina :
Richard Galliano - Tangaria Quartet - Jazzwoche Burghausen Live (2010)

In the US 1949 chromatic harmonicon patent by André Borel, there is a sort of mechanism at the end of the accordina. His intention seems to have been: a short lever at the end, sticking outside the end of the accordina. This lever was connected to some inside parts that could move both left and right outer panels, thus making some vibrato sound using only one finger. A very ingenious design, but I dont know if it was succesfull (considering the player also needs one hand for supporting the accordina while playing), and dont know how many of this type were made. As far as I know no one has ever done any research into the history and development of accordinas.
It was used for a short periode 1960s-1980s by accordionists, mostly musette players, and only gained broader public interest starting in the 1990s by jazz players.

Maybe you could contact some accordina experts in France, because my accordina is of the most simple structure, without the lever mechanism at the end.
If I want to make a vibrato sound, like RG in the video, I have to push the outer side pallets with the fingers of one or both hands.

I still have the feeling accordina players could get much more out of the accordina if a good microphone is used. Most accordina players seem to stand too far away from the microphone, or too close. Or poor amplification is used.
Needs more experiments with built in microphones, or attached top quality microphones, ...

 

[debra]

Here is my microphone setup:
http://wwwis.win.tue.nl/~debra/photos/zinnenzo-2015/slides/_RB36715.jpg>
You can hear what that sounds like in combination with accordions in for instance:
Il Postino: Il Postino played by accordion quintet ARTE, with accordina.
or Spleen played with a different accordion ensemble: Spleen played by accordion sextet Avanti, with accordina.
or Oblivion played with yet another accordion ensemble: Oblivion played by accordion quintet Quadrupool.
The microphone I use is from Microvox (with a home-made aluminium bracket) and for amplification I use a Bose L1 model II with ToneMatch engine, the absolute best for accordion amplification and accordina as well.

 

[debra]

very rare video of someone playing a (1960s-1970s?) so called Bayanita 43 (Баянита 43)

B-system layout, 43 buttons (?)
sounds different than a French accordina, maybe melodica style reedplates, and some plastics were used (?)
No information yet on the exact weight of this Bayanita compared to a French accordina

Some have been sold online in the Ukraine.

I listened to that clip and indeed it sounds much more like a melodica than an accordina. Dont like it as much. But of course thats a matter of taste.

 

[Deleted member 48]

The Russian bayanita-43 video showing a B-system accordina most likely was a mass produced Industrial product, like past and modern melodicas.
Plastics are used.
No online photos are available of the inside of this bayanita-43, we dont know if it has melodica or harmonica type reeds, or accordina reeds. It it was a factory made one, more examples could have survived and kept in private collections or museums in Russia or elsewhere.
This page showing a photo of the same model in a Ukrainian accordion museum (?), its labeled as bayanita 43 (produced, patented, ... in 1943 ? It has some 45 buttons) :
http://dp.kp.ua/culture/246599-ot-zvukov-baiana-y-zhukov-dobrel

Photos of the inside of these things could learn us some more of the sound qualities and construction. Its possible they have 3 melodica reed plates inside (15+14+14 reeds per plate, or another combination; or separate reed plates, or...)

(The Finnish Salmela Instruments accordina like chromatic button melodica has mouth harmonica reeds on 1 single plate, making it very a lightweight one, with harmonica sound like qualities)

French accordinas have Italian made accordina reed plates, very similar to accordion reed plates, steel reeds.

Melodica and harmonica reeds can be made of other metal types.
Personally, I quite like the sound in this bayanita-43 video, similar to a melodica sound. But I also prefer the French Borel accordina sound with steel reeds on separate reed plates. Its top quality, but probably heavier than the bayanita-43 or a melodica. (An 44 button accordina 1 kilogram, a plastic 32 piano keys melodica 580 grams)

This French accordina has a very beautiful, natural sound, without amplification, tested in a hall:
Accordina Warm-up

I heard a French accordina maker is doing experiments with creating a 550 grams top quality accordina, well have to wait and see for some videos.

 

[TomBR]

A question for Stephen or others knowledgeable about accordinas - the Patent includes a mechanism for opening and closing the side plates to give a mute effect.
Is this feature included always, sometimes or never? Any videos of it in use?

Thanks for your reply Stephen.

Given that everyone who patents something wants to keep their patent as wide as possible, I do wonder if the muting mechanism was at least partially included for legal reasons, to make the idea original enough to patent. Maybe a mouth blown free reed instrument with button keys wasnt sufficiently innovative to patent - after all, the Wheatstone Symphonium matches that description and was patented in 1829! I dont suppose Borels patent was ever tested in court, but its long expired anyway.

Microphone technique is an interesting point, after all its a significant matter for harmonica players, particularly diatonics, and there are special harp mics available.

I think this is a quick link to the same Bayanita video.
http://www.linkonardo.com/en/akordeon/d5261/bayanita-43-melodyka-z-guzikami-jak-w-bajanie-video.html[/url]
Interesting!

 

[Deleted member 48]

This video makes my day. Well worth the watch for the whole length, only 550 minutes of your time.

Charles Wheatstone concertina, sound vibrations, telegraph

Extremely rare video footage of the C. Wheatstone symphonium, starting 250 to 340

24 reeds inside, no really clear view of the backside, and he only plays for a few seconds, but still sounds after so many years. This cute little symphonium must have been made 1830s-1840s (?)

Can someone put some flowers on Charles Wheatstones grave for me? Ill mention him in my prayers tonight.
(I would be interested in someone going to a UK museum, and making other video material of these symphoniums)

 

[Deleted member 48]

A bayanita-43 chromatic button melodica put online for sale in the Ukraine, we get to see an inside view of the mechanism

http://olx.ua/obyavlenie/duhovoy-bayan-bayanita-43-v-rab-hor-sost-IDhFPim.html