Hello! I'm New

[Mike G.]

Greetings! My name is Mike. I'm 16 years old and enjoy most old or unusual instruments.

 

For Christmas i received a 20 german anglo concertina. very old but very playable.

i would like to know how to play it, but i do not have a book yet. are there any tips or tricks i could learn from advanced players for a beginner? Also, it has its original box, but being old(1940 or somthing) the paper box might rip. my dad and i are going to build a wooden case for it, but are quite puzzled by its hexagonal shape. if you have any advice or need any more info about my concertina, feel free to post.

Thanx!

[Animaterra]

Welcome, Mike! What a wonderful way to welcome the New Year! Where are you on this planet?

You will get good advice from many more experienced players than me, but there are lots of good resources on this site. I got started two years ago with a great book/cd combo: "The Anglo Concertina Demystified" by Bertram Levy. Read about it here (click)

 

Good luck with your playing! And keep us posted about your progress!

[Guest]

Hi Mike, and Welcome

 

There are lots of great resources on the Concertina.net learning page.

 

If like me, you learn best from watching, I also highly recommend the Mad4Trad CDRom or the the John Williams Video or DVD. Although both of these players use a 30 button, there is plenty there to keep you busy on your 20 button. [Actually I have an extra copy of the John Williams DVD - if you'd like to email me your address through this site, I would be more than happy to send it to you ]

 

Hard cases are great for protecting your instrument, but they don't have to be a hexagonal shape. Concertinas are best stored on their sides, not resting on one end, as this tend to put too much pressure on them, and can end up damaging them in the long run.

 

My hard case for my Lachanel concertina is simple a square box shape; tight enough to stop the concertina moving around, but not too tight that it's a squeeze to get it in and out (no pun intended

 

My hard case for my Norman concertina is a little too big, so I wrap a towel around the concertina to make sure it doesn't move around. [And you'd be surprised how often that towel has come in handy for one thing or another! ]

 

Two other 20 button players I know use ladies solid make-up cases, which they picked up cheaply in second hand stores. Or if you have a father who by the sound of it, is very handy around the house, perhaps you could get him to make one for you. Previous discussion on this site have suggested that a soft form rubber is not good for lining the case, as tiny bits can break off and find their way into your instrument.

 

Anyway hope I haven't rambled on too much, hope this has been of some help.

 

Cheers

Morgana

[Mike G.]

thank you for the suggestions. i bought the "anglo concertina demystified" book. i also bought a book called "how to play concertina today". both of which have been very helpful.

 

how do i know if my concertina is out of tune? how do i put it back in tune?

[hjcjones]

how do i know if my concertina is out of tune? how do i put it back in tune?

 

"Out of tune" can have different meanings. If the instrument is "out of tune with itself", then when you play a scale some of the notes may sound sharp or flat. You may also notice this if you play notes an octave apart, or play the same note with a different button (you will find that on an Anglo a note can often be played with different buttons, and usually in a different bellows direction). Harmonies may not sound as sweet as they should. If this is the case, then tunes won't sound "quite right" - how bad this is will depend partly on how much the instrument is out of tune, and partly on how sensitive your ear is to whether a note is sharp or flat.

 

However, an instrument may be perfectly in tune with itself, but "out of tune" relative to the standard concert pitch (A=440). This could be because all the reeds have gone out of tune by an equal amount, or because it was originally tuned to a different pitch from modern instruments - it is only quite recently that a standard pitch was settled on, and it is quite common to find old instruments (not just concertinas) which are sharper or flatter than the modern standard "concert pitch". This is only a problem if you want to play alongside other instruments, since the instrument will sound fine when you play solo.

 

If you can't tell by listening, then it's probably in tune with itself (unless you've got a "cloth ear" ). To tell whether it's in concert pitch you'll need to check it against a tuning fork, electronic tuner, or another instrument that you know is in tune.

 

Tuning a concertina is definitely a job for an expert, you can easily do serious damage. Avoid accordian repairers unless they are also familiar with concertinas. The Concertina FAQs on concertina.net has a list of repairers.

 

Good luck with your playing

 

Howard Jones

[m3838]

Go to a chain department store and buy soft padded insulated lunch box for some $20.

Exact size for a concertina, gives perfect protection against the weather and if you are not in a habbit of kicking lunchboxes with your boots, it's better alternative to self-built wooden cases.