mjsiny

Thank you for your time and effort Jim. It sounds like something one could watch once a year and pick up a new tip each time. My guess is that most folks who have purchased it, watched it once or twice before putting it on a shelf. I've watched violin masterclasses at a local college and although I'm nowhere near the skill level of the students, I often come away with a little tip. I guess it depends upon what the viewer ready to absorb. I'll just keep exploring for now and try to build some repertoire while training my ear to the instrument. It would still be nice to hear from someone who has actually tried to use the DVD as a tutor.

I appreciate the feedback Ken. I suspected the book was something I'd like to have later. Your post confirms that it might be a bit too much information for me right now. Maybe I'll put it on my Christmas list . I was at a session this evening with a fellow fiddler who saw my request. It seems we have some closet concertina players in my neighborhood. He too is hoping to get a good review of the DVD. It seems odd that there's not more discussion about it.

I was wondering if anyone could offer an in depth review of Alistair Anderson’s tutorial DVD? There’s been some discussion on these forums but I’ve only found one person who had actually watched it once and said they expected to learn a lot from it. I’ve just purchased my first EC, (Lachenal New Model). I’m a fiddle player with loads of Trad, New England Contra Tunes in my head. I don’t need a tutor for learning to read music, nor do I need a book of tunes. What I need is to figure out how to get the tunes out of the instrument! I’m becoming familiar with the fingerboard and can play jigs and reels although certainly not at tempo. I’m ready to start adding a few chords to waltzes and do understand chord construction so it will just be a matter of choosing my voice and learning to control multiple fingers at once. I’ve scoured these forums and picked up a lot of tips. I’ve downloaded the Butler and Anderson tutors. I’ve worked through the Butler book until the point where it focuses on keys that I never use. I’ve yet to work with the Anderson book but did buy the companion CD and look forward to using them together. I’ve watched all of Martyn’s videos. Would anyone suggest the Anderson DVD or "Contemplating the Concertina" by Allan Atlas as my next best step in exploring this instrument? Thanks for any suggestions and all that I’ve already gained from the forums. Marlene