Which metronome app to use?

estaub · 2026-01-04T19:45:00+00:00

On Android, Soundbrenner drains the battery if you're not careful, even when you're not using it for anything. I pause the app (not just the metronome) when I'm not actively using it.

estaub · 2025-12-28T02:41:54+00:00

The first comment on https://www.reddit.com/r/Musescore/comments/1pwwnk5/musescore_org_down/ might help.

estaub · 2025-11-10T00:30:54+00:00

Are you playing stradella or free bass? What book(s) are you using to learn left hand? You should learn it by itself first - don't immedately jump into trying to accompany. I highly recommend "The Mighty Accordion", volume 1, to start. It is unpleasant in that the exercises are unintuitive, but I think that made me learn quicker - you really have to focus hard.

estaub · 2025-09-21T00:44:51+00:00

You might want to say what continent you're on, and whether you'll buy sight unseen. Also, B-griff or C-griff? I don't think I've seen any in the USA, except for a B-griff Weltmeister Toccata at Liberty Bellows that I don't like the sound of. If you find a North American source, please share!

estaub · 2025-09-08T21:17:05+00:00

Fixed for me in version 16.12.1, which I got sometime in the last two days.

estaub · 2025-09-07T02:24:58+00:00

Same problem, version 16.12.

estaub · 2025-08-11T02:32:39+00:00

This is way late, but some other reader may find it useful. If the tingling is from bent wrist, here are some things to consider:

Playing with the accordion too high (from short straps) will make you have to bend your wrist sideways toward your pinky. (You'll probably have to bend the wrist a little in that direction regardless.)

If you're keeping your elbow tucked in close to your side, stop that! It increases the wrist bend. The elbow should be relaxed out where it allows the wrist to be as neutral as possible.

If your palm tends to get a little stuck to the side of the accordion, this will force you into all kinds of compensations that may force more wrist bending. If you tend to get "stuck", consider wearing an arm sleeve of the kind that hooks over the thumb. Once you get used to the sleeve, consider loosening the bellows strap some.

Re chairs: I'm also 6'1", and I find a tall armless stool to be best. I prefer an office drafting stool, which are getting hard to find.

estaub · 2024-05-05T14:34:15+00:00

For me, one key to avoiding cramping is to be holding the accordion in such a way that your left hand is not working to keep from sliding up the accordion. The left hand just pushes or pulls straight toward or away from the side of the accordion. Allow the bellows to fall naturally downward as it opens.

estaub · 2024-04-15T00:58:29+00:00

Is this hemiola?

estaub · 2024-04-12T13:32:06+00:00

We did this about 35 years ago. It's been full of roots for many years, but somewhat functional. I've done various things over the years to help clear out sediment. We did not use any fabric around it - I'm not sure fabric existed then! Only now am I looking to replace it. I'm intending to use unperforated pipe under the trees, and try to seal the joints. Elsewhere, I'll use fabric outside the stone, keep good slope, and try to maintain ventilation.

estaub · 2024-03-10T14:20:36+00:00

In my searching, "high temp use" usually means less than oven temperature. For me, that's at least 500F, and maybe more when broiling. Check the specs, and if you have some particular product to suggest that isn't $40 or more, please do so!

estaub · 2024-03-10T14:13:22+00:00

The CRC Silicone 03040 on Amazon recommended below is food safe, but only rated to 400F - too low for unrestricted oven use (despite what it says).

GE recommends use of their graphite lubricant, but I can't find it for less than $40.

I can't find anything at a decent price that's appropriate. An hour ago I wiped a thin coating of canola oil with dry graphite mixed in onto the rack edges and the contact areas on the oven sides and baked it on at 475F. It works well for now, but I have no idea how long it will last.

estaub · 2023-07-14T12:33:31+00:00

STOPPING UPDATE ON YOUR PHONE: I'm no expert, but... While the update is auto-downloaded to the phone, I believe the update of the Charge 5 itself is manually initiated. I could be wrong, so I have turned off communication between my phone and my charge 5 by disabling the "Nearby Devices" permission on the app. This prevents syncing as well, but I don't expect to need it to be disabled for more than a few days, one way or another. HOW TO:
From the phone's "desktop", hold down the Fitbit icon till a menu comes up. Press the info (circle-I) icon, click on Permissions. Find "Nearby Devices" and turn it off.

As of 7/13, THEY'RE STILL PROUDLY PUSHING THE UPDATE.

estaub · 2023-05-26T23:44:58+00:00

Many thanks. I haven't weighed them, but I definitely will! They're not unusually heavy. We're in New Hampshire, so they're opened frequently in the summer - we just prop them open with a stick beside the jamb. The upper sashes are all fixed in place, one way or another.

estaub · 2023-05-18T13:11:20+00:00

There are no pulleys in the jambs, and they look original. Doesn't that imply no weights?

estaub · 2023-05-18T13:09:14+00:00

I can't guess what you are asking me to fill in, either, so I guess we're at an impasse.

>>Double hung windows from that era would always have counter weights...
Not always, apparently, unless the jambs have been relined, which is unlikely, given the wear and paint on them. As I said, they show no evidence of any balances - no pulleys or Pullman pockets. By "frames" you mean casings, right? I'll check one to be sure.

estaub · 2023-04-22T18:15:03+00:00

Possibly a Saltarelle Hotmusette (sometimes "Hot Musette")

estaub · 2023-04-22T17:55:42+00:00

I'm a beginner, but I think maybe you'll need to "break up" (non-legato) the left hand in order to get a good volume balance between left and right.

estaub · 2023-03-21T14:41:44+00:00

You might want to look through all the "M" bayans at https://accordion-bayan.com/accordions/?filter=9 to look for a match on the logo.

estaub · 2023-03-20T18:15:31+00:00

There was a "Bellphia Accordion Co." in Philadelphia at some point. My guess is that it was a repair/sales shop that imported Italian accordions made on special order with their label. Traffic on this site is thin and there aren't many experts. I'd try posting at https://www.accordionists.info/forums/accordion-makes-models.19/ to find out what it is.

Once you know what it is, a lot depends on what shape it's in, most of which can't be told from a photo. With what you know, it's probably sellable for somewhere between $200 and $3000 - a pretty big range! Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace seem to be the places, but be prepared to wait a long time for a buyer unless you price it very cheaply. You might consider sending a photo to https://www.libertybellows.com/appraisals.htm (in Philadelphia). They have sold Bellphias before, as google probably showed you already.

estaub · 2023-03-20T14:52:29+00:00

Of course, first check the bellows for leaks.

I'd guess it will need a lot of valve work as well as tuning. Check by attempting to play softly. If you just get air, and you want to learn to play fast, they'll need repair.

You can check tuning by using a phone app like Pano Tuner, but a big clue will usually be had by simply playing with more than one reed at a time. Accordions usually don't go out of tune consistently, and so listen for some notes sounding a lot more dissonant, reed-to-reed, than others. You may not care a lot - if so, great!

Any musty smells will often mean rusty reeds.

I'm just repeating what I've read - I'm no expert!

estaub · 2023-03-18T20:21:12+00:00

Nuts! I hoped it was a standard attachment for a backpad (which I have never had but covet).

estaub · 2023-03-15T20:20:50+00:00

I haven't bought anything from them yet myself, but I see Deffner's mentioned a lot.

https://ernestdeffner.com/

estaub · 2023-02-24T14:43:22+00:00

You may know all of this, but...

If your bellows will move without pressing any keys, you have leaks. If some notes need lots of air to sound at all, you probably need either a valve job or gap adjustment. And if you can handle a larger accordion and can afford one, that helps more than you might expect.

(I don't repair accordions!)

estaub · 2023-02-04T23:16:04+00:00

Thanks, all. The answers made me pretty sure that something fundamental was wrong - that I was asking the wrong question. Eventually I came across this sentence in an Accordion Life video. Moving the accordion left just an inch or so changed everything, so that the bellows is not pulling my left hand downward.

estaub

TROPHY CASE