Concertina Advice Needed

[GreybeardGunner]

Hello All:

 

Hello everyone, I"m Shawn and I hail from Timberlea, Nova Scotia, Canada.  

 

First of all, I will apologize up front for my many, sure-to-be irritatingly simple questions regarding learning about the concertina.  

 

Second, I've recently come into possession of an entry-level, German Scholer 20-button concertina, in exceptionally good shape.  I realize that this instrument is not of the highest quality, but I'm interested in taking a few lessons to see if this is something that I would like to pursue, after which point I would upgrade to a better concertina.  I have found a local instructor, who I am about to engage for lessons.  

I would appreciate any advice, hints, suggestions, gripes, bitches and insight into learning this really, really interesting instrument.  I already play guitar and banjo, and have (in the far, far past) belonged to a pipe and drum band where I learned to play chanter and bagpipes.  As said, any advice for a newbie, would be greatly appreciated.  OH...and does anyone know how to determine which KEY my concertina is in?

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

​Shawn 
 

[Anglo-Irishman]

Shawn,

Congratulations on your decision to join our merry band!

 

My first concertina was an East German 20-button, too. It got me started on the slippery road that led to a Bandoneon, a 30-button Anglo and finally a Crane Duet - and lots of innocent fun on the way.

 

These German concertinas are usually in C/G - that is, the outer row of buttons gives you the diatonic scale of C, the inner row the scale of G. The key note of each scale is on the middle button of the left hand side when presssing the bellows in. Check them against a piano, keyboard or electronic tuner.

 

So "middle button/outer row/left side/press" and "middle button/inner row/left side/press" (as I said, probably C and G in your case) gives you the key of the instrument (i.e. probably C/G).

 

Wish you good luck! As an experienced musician, you shouldn't have too much difficulty learning the Anglo concertina. After all, it has hardly any "wrong" notes on it

 

Cheers,

John

[GreybeardGunner]

Thanks for the information! I'm sure that I'll be banging my head on the wall for a bit until I start to get the knack of it, but I'm determined if not talented, lol. I'll try your trick about comparing then notes to an online keyboard to find the key! Cheers,

Shawn

[Patrick McMahon]

Hi Shawn,

to find the key, I would normally work out how to play a full scale using the top rows, and identify the DOH note.

And then do the same with the bottom rows.

The doh note gives you the key for that row.

 

I don't think it's possible to play any other full scale than C, on a C row. And the same for a G row.

 

So just try to play the full doh ray me fah so lah tee doh, using just the one row. And when you find it, check the doh.