I have quite a bit of experience playing the Tanzbaer, having restored
both 16-note and 28-note models and played the latter many times at
MBSGB meetings.  There are a few rules for competent playing.

Learn the roll, i.e., the beat, the speed, and the expression.  Your
pumping of the bellows must be sympathetic to all of these.  The more
force you apply to the bellows, the louder the music.  Change direction
of pumping only on a distinct bar line, or similar beat position, and
never during a note.  Never run out of travel on the bellows so change
direction before a long phrase starts, otherwise you will run out of
wind and the music will die.

The drive lever is operated by your right hand.  The lever drives an
inertia flywheel via a pawl and ratchet, and the flywheel is geared
down to drive the take-up spool.  Learn to make your right hand work
without any relationship to the music, other than the speed.  Do not
try to relate the hand to the beat.  Just try to 'feel' the speed of
the roll by the force exerted on the lever, and always operate the
lever over its full travel, releasing quickly to re-engage.

After a bit of experience you should get the hang of it.  Beginners
tend to speed up as they go, a bit like a musically incompetent barrel
organ player cranking too fast and not listening to the results of his
labours.

Always use rolls that are in perfect condition.  Slightly weak rolls
can suddenly self-destruct as any minor problems cannot be seen by
the operator, as the roll is invisible to the player.  Old rolls are
usually brittle due to being originally shellacked for strength and
after being left rolled up for years, will crack across the card when
unrolled to play.  I use only recut rolls.

It is easiest to play the Tanzbaer sitting down, with its weight taken
on your knee.  Only when you really know what you are doing, and if you
have no heart and lung problems, should you attempt to play it standing
up!  Only play the Tanzbaer in public once all the above have been
thoroughly learnt and practised.  You will then always get a round of
applause!

To answer Robbie's questions, there are three sizes of Tanzbaer found
today, with different degrees of rarity.

- 16 note.  Usually with a single rank of reeds for blow and suck,
giving a total of 32.  The music is a bit basic due to the limited
scale.

- 28 note.  This is the most common model and has duplex reeds,
i.e., two for each note for both blow and suck, giving a total of 112.
Scales for both of these models are given in The Organette Book.  The
two reeds per note in the 28-note model are an octave apart.

- 40 note.  This model is very rare with, at last count, only about
six known worldwide.

All Tanzbaers operate by a direct key action, with keys sprung against
the card roll and directly linked to the pallets.  Accurate adjustment
of the mechanism is therefore of paramount importance.

Various publications also mention 14- and 20-note models but until
actual models are seen and photographed they must remain of suspect
existence.  Also made, and rare today, are models made with hexagonal
bodies, rather than the conventional square.

Another automatic accordion found today is the Hohner Magic Organa.
This is a much larger instrument which utilises pneumatic playing
action and a wind motor.  The wind motor is powered by a supplementary
bellows operated by one foot, with the supply pipe passing up the
trouser leg of the operator and thence to the accordion.

Tanzbaers and Hohner Magic Organas were allegedly made for music hall
artists, particularly comedians, to give a bit of variety to the act.
I wonder if any old films exist of such.

Happy Tanzbaer playing to you all.

Nicholas Simons, UK