Concerteeny

Highly amusing. Yes, but I was enjoying the specific personal responses of people who seemed knowledgeable as well as nice (for the most part). Ever heard of Google? Or Wikipedia? http://en.wikipedia....tzer_concertina

Everybody who's posted a reply has helped me work this out. Thank you all so much. Do you give advice on other things, too, say, plumbing or auto repair? I'm leaning toward the Rochelle, but will go back and listen to as many Anglo videos as I can find first, and also consider the suggestion to rent. My musical tastes are eclectic, I mostly play folk, but I have recently realized my first memory of a concertina (or accordian) was from my dad's record of Michel Legrand's I Love Paris. That's probably not what most of you play, I'm guessing. I loved it as a child. Anyway, thanks again one and all. Quite good summary by Mischa, but I will clarify a few things.... A 20-button anglo in C/G will allow you to play easily in C, G, modal Am and modal Dm, with some of D major (but you don't have that all-important C#) A 30-button anglo is fully chromatic across much of its range and much more versatile in terms of keys; C, G, F, D, Am, Dm and Em, are fairly straightforward. Although the English is fully chromatic over all its range, most people find it rather challenging to play in the more extreme keys say more than 3 sharps or flats in the key signature (although this is largely a matter of familiarity and practice). Not true. There are plenty of Youtube videos and CDs of anglo concertina playing in non-Irish style. I guess it depends where you live. There are plenty of both anglo and English players around in the UK. You would have no trouble meeting up with your peers. I think by 'less capable' you are referring to the Rochelle's response and ease of playing? The reeds in the Rochelle and the Jackie are exactly the same quality. Having played a Rochelle, I am impressed with its responsive nature. It speaks quite readily and the bellows direction changes are fine. I think it is an excellent beginner's anglo, probably the best on the market for its price.

I vaguely know Nancy Apple, and just remembered I saw her pick up a concertina once. What's a Chemnitzer? I've also learned of another friend's friend who plays. Since the broken concertina I had belongs to a friend, I will pass on all your suggestions to him, but I'm ready to take the leap of faith and get my own. Now it's just deciding which one. I tried that and only spotted one, a country singer/songwriter named Nancy Apple who says she "plays drums, guitar, harmonica and dabbles on the accordion and concertina". But I couldn't tell if she plays Chemnitzer concertina or one of the kinds that we're discussing here. If you could find an Irish music session in Memphis you might find a concertina player there -- a high proportion of US players play in that style.

Thanks. I'm nursing a cold and may not get to trying out the chart until the end of the working week. As far as I could tell, though, there was no such order when I first tried to figure out the keyboard. And I believe it was Theo who responded that if it's playing notes when I'm not pressing buttons (as it is), it's broke. Is that not right? Try checking the buttons using the Graham Patent 20 Anglo Chart for Beginners (u can sellotape it the right and left sides of the box!) I hope I have the right notes....LoL Above the line are the C row of buttons notes furthest from your fingers and below the line are the G row buttons nearer to your fingers. Blow is the same as push and suck is same as pull out - B and S to avoid confusion for me over P ush and P ull.... Copy, paste into Word, bold as required and make as big as u can (it has to fit on the wood/bellows binding on right and left) cut to shape, sellotape down and start cooking. Right side bC D F A B blow s B E G C E suck ------------------------------- bF# A C E F# blow s G B D G B suck Left side b C G C E G blow s G B D F A suck --------------------------- b G D G B D blow s D F# A C E suck if you don't get notes something like these coming out then send it to Theo! Or you follow Dirge and open up (unscrew keeping screws laid out in order so they go back in the same holes and then http://www.concertin...showtopic=10770 put a pencil mark on where u took it out (on the pan and the side) so u can match up tp stick it back the same way it came out. When open poke (visually!) around inside and see what's stuck, leaking, bent, eaten by moths, or the little man inside may be on strike and need feeding etc etc

Thanks. I got caught up in the Folk Alliance Conference last week and now I've gone and got a cold. But I did see Neil's offer, and also Daniel's reference to instruments on Concertina Connection. I also just learned that Consignment Music in town just got in a 20 button for around $170. I'm trying to take it all in. One remaining question (I also posted it in a new forum question): how does one decide whether to get an Anglo or English concertina? Daniel suggested one of each offered on Concertina Connection for about the same amount of money. By the way, do you guys all know each other?

I'm in Memphis, Tennessee.

Thanks to all those who helped me (a novice) figure out that the instrument that had fallen into my hands didn't work right. The experience made me decide that I want to fulfill my long-time dream of learning to play. Now that I've decided to take the plunge, I don't know how to consider whether to get an English or Anglo. Daniel Hersh suggested the Rochelle/Jackie/Elise lines on Concertina Connection and I looked at them - I'm thinking I won't go with the 34 key Elise, but how to decide between the 30 key Rochelle Anglo and 30 key Jackie English - which both come with the extras offered by that site.

I might give this one a little more effort, although, I honestly can't wait to see what a properly working concertina feels and sounds like. This one has frustrated me. $350 is within my means. There's a consignment music store in town that might have one to test drive. Thanks again for all suggestions.

Okay, that explains it. Thank you so much for taking so much time to help a novice get to the bottom of this. It is undoubtedly a Chinese instrument and seems to be quite cheap. So now I move on to the next consideration: has this experience sparked my interest enough to push me into buying a real, working instrument to learn on? Any suggestions on where to look/buy online?

Yes, some notes play all the time, even when you push and pull the bellows without pressing any buttons. So you mean, when you push and pull the bellows without pressing any buttons, you should not hear any notes?

Thanks. No offense taken. I also sing without making people's jaws drop, so I'm pretty sure I'm not tone-deaf. It's not that it plays the same note in either bellows direction - it sounds like it plays F when pulling and then D when pushing, although both notes have overtones.But pressing many of the buttons doesn't change the note much. One button on the left hand changes the note to E when pushing, and another one changes it to B (push) and C (pull) another button changes it to low C (push). As I'm playing around with it trying to explain it,I 'm finding more changes, but they don't seem to fit at all with the chart on a site recommended by someone on this site, and some of the buttons don't seem to change anything. In that case I can only conclude one of three possibilities: (i) some drastic modification to the tuning has been carried out on the instrument to make the buttons play the same note in either bellows direction. (ii) something is seriously wrong with the concertina to give it the same effect as (i) (iii) you are partly tone-deaf and not able to distinguish between musical intervals of a tone (the normal difference between the push and pull notes on an anglo. I'm not trying to be nasty here. It does happen occasionally. But since you already have played guitar and piano, it is probably unlikely. As a check, I recommend that you let someone else hear the concertina and ask them the question: "Does this note change in pitch when I push and then pull the bellows?"

According to one site, the kind of strap it has says it's not an English concertina. Are you sure you did not get an English concertina? Regie

It looks like the picture of the Anglo Stagi C-1 or C-2 The anglo concertina should play a different note on the pull and the push. If you are getting the same note then (i) it is possibly not an anglo but a small size English system concertina or (ii) highly unlikely at only 20 buttons, a duet system concertina. These latter types play the same note per button on both push and pull. Can you describe the layout of the buttons on your instrument? Are they arranged in two rows of 5 buttons on each side, or are they arranged in a small cluster of columns? If you look at any of these pictures, are there any which resemble your instrument? If so, tell us which, and we might be more able to help. http://www.buttonbox...oncertinas.html

I'm a newbie who got some kind, helpful responses to my question about how to start yesterday. Unfortunately, I looked at the suggested websites and tried to start, but pushing the buttons while pushing and pulling did not change the notes. I know nothing about concertinas, but I have played guitar, piano, etc. So is it likely that this struggle is standard for a beginner, or could it be the instrument (it's an inexpensive 20 button that fell into my hands)?

This is me (Concerteeny) again. I looked at the Peter Trimming teach yourself site, but when I press various buttons while pushing and pulling there is little if any change in note. Might this happen to a beginner or is something probably wrong with the instrument?