[Cruachan]

Hi All
I posted earlier under Canadian Newbie looking for advice as a total beginner.I have been approached since that post with a couple of offers [thanks again]
Here is my question, given that I am interested in Celtic music I had thought that a D/G Anglo was the way to go, but i wonder if as a total beginner there might be more teaching material designed for C/G models.
It looks like I could purchase a Rochelle in the $300 range
or
I have located a Stagi D/G available for $500
Any advice, such as easier to learn on or best bang for your buck etc would be appreciated

[jlfinkels]

Cruachan, on May 2 2009, 03:08 PM, said:

Hi All
I posted earlier under Canadian Newbie looking for advice as a total beginner.I have been approached since that post with a couple of offers [thanks again]
Here is my question, given that I am interested in Celtic music I had thought that a D/G Anglo was the way to go, but i wonder if as a total beginner there might be more teaching material designed for C/G models.
It looks like I could purchase a Rochelle in the $300 range
or
I have located a Stagi D/G available for $500
Any advice, such as easier to learn on or best bang for your buck etc would be appreciated

As a relative beginner myself and having played a few of both, I suggest trying them if possible to find out what you prefer. If you can't do that, I recommend considering the Rochelle. You may want to consider purchasing one through a company such as the Button Box or from a someone like Bob Tedrow or Wim Wakker. If you decide to upgrade at a later time they may consider taking it back as trade on a new instrument, but talk to them first to make sure they are still doing that. Even if you purchase it from someone else, you should be able to sell it outright later.

One point I'd like to make is I think it is a good idea starting on a C/G as every class I've been able to attend is based on that setup. You can move to a G/D or other later once you become proficient.

--jeff

[Gan Ainm]

Cruachan, on May 2 2009, 07:08 PM, said:

.. given that I am interested in Celtic music ... Any advice ... would be appreciated

From the point of view of Irish music, if you plan to attend classes or workshops, I would suggest you go with a C/G, since this is by far the most popular type for Irish music and is assumed for most tuition.

If you plan to teach yourself and you like a deeper sound, a G/D may be worth considering.

G/D seems to be popular for playing English folk music, but C/G is definitely the most popular for Irish music. As I said previously, at least one well-known Irish musician played a G/D as her main instrument for many years (but then switched to a C/G).

By the way, just in case you decide not to go with either the two instruments you mention, with a G/D 20 buttons(keys) is ok, but with a C/G you need more. As a minimum, assuming you want to play in D, you will need C# in addition to the two main rows. The "standard C/G" is 30-key, but, for example, a 26-key has all the buttons you will need and can generally be bought at a lower price than a 30-key.

The above relates only to Irish music, the situation might be different for other forms of Celtic music.

As someone else already mentioned in your last thread, concertina maker and member of this forum, Frank Edgley, also lives in Canada and if/when you decide to upgrade, it would be worthwhile to contact him.

This post has been edited by Gan Ainm: 03 May 2009 - 04:50 AM