It seems this is much more of a niche than i assumed it would be. There are very few YouTube videos on this instrument so don't knock me for asking ChatGPT, . It recommends i NOT start with a 20-button, but go right to a 30-button Angola. Is that advisable? because I see a lot of people using the 20-button on YouTube and the price difference is very substantial. 

Also any recommendation on where i can get a reasonable Stragi? either 20 or 30? or other recommendations that wont break the bank.

I am very excited to get started. Thanks everyone for the help. 

When playing for contra dancers, the tunes have to go at a right proper clip. Speedy, but not too fast and certainly not too slow. Just right. The Goldilocks Tempo. At a dance, I am always playing Anglo concertina with a good fiddler and some solid rhythm section, with a combination of bass, piano and guitar.

However, when there are no dancers around... I can play these same traditional tunes by myself, as fast or as slow as I like. For this project, I’ve decided that SLOW IS MORE. I’m going to slow the tempo way down and even stretch the extremes of tasty slowness... all in a solo concertina recording. Stay tuned.

 - How fast/frequent can you realistically make the bellows changes?  Presumably not as fast as bowing patterns by an actual violinist?  Or can you?

 - How do you manage the problem of running out of air in one direction or the other?  (Of my two main session concertinas, one has an air lever, but it's slow and awkward to reach while playing; the other lacks an air lever/button entirely.)

 - Are there any videos you can recommend of this technique in practice?

I find great satisfaction on using the hand skills [ perhaps also appropriate for the current chat here on lost or "endangered" skills topic]..

Regardless, the process of using the ink and pen, and paper, is very satisfying to try out, and to me, and extension of my art side as it is, in drawing using nibs regularly.

A couple of years ago I sent for those fork shaped metal nibs [ Rastrum nibs ] they are called - just like a miniature fork, with five prongs [ the nibs] that catch the ink.

I use calligraphy ink [ not Indian ink] as Indian ink has too thick a consistency, and would clog the metal nibs too easily, whereas the calligraphy is more fluid, and gives smoother line work.

A ruler, pen, and paper, and Blotting paper [ to dab the surface] to reduce smudging; and that is really all you need. The end tip goes into the ink, and then with careful glding movement, and even pressure, with the ruler giding  [for straight lines] onto the page the lines appear.

The occassional inconsistency , or smudge, is simple to overcome [ or retouch afterwards if need be].  But, with practice, application and accuarcy greatly improves.

Right or left handed [ I am left in the art side] works for anyone, with the angle to the paper being essential and even [ but not overly hard] pressure applied.

The results give a nice black medium thickness line on the page, and leaves the paper, after writing, slightly crisp in texture afterwards.

With my printed manuscript pad rapidly being used up - I am literally glad to actually rule new pages when I can; by hand!

I have selection of the special nibs, and the antique smaller one in its own little box.

The  video demonstration on my Channel [ Youtube] is really geared towards the layman [ those who are just curious in learning about lesser known skills] so, I know you will all know, already so very much,  about the technique as it stands. But it seems appropriate for 'Teaching and Learning' section of C.net.The demo ends with a brief performance of my tune, written by hand, using the inks and nibs shown.. [ called: 'the Swish of energy'.]

Have a go yourselves again? Buy some nibs - and write away [none technologically] it is very satisfying [ and not plugged into the mains!].

I typed out the chords & arpeggio patterns I've been playing. I am aware that the notation is cumbersome, but the idea is to start on the fundamental, arpeggiate all the way up and back down until you land on the lowest 3rd that leads to the next fundamental (one semitone up).

The cycle is:

C - F -Bb - Eb - Ab - C# - F# - B - E - A - D - G ↺

The music never resolves, so, if you play it right, you'll never play another piece of music again (or do anything at all, for that matter).

unlimited_V7.pdf

Can anyone recommend lessons and/or books that take a more theory-forward approach? For instance, I've seen a lot of discussions about Noel Hill's methods for playing across rows, and I would love to take something like that into consideration while developing familiarity with my scales. But I feel like every resource I find boils down to "everyone develops their own unique method. Go figure out your own!" I appreciate that style is unique to each musician, but I would love to at least start with a resource that breaks down "here are a few common approaches and why they developed this way."

This forum seems to be the best resource I've found so far, with wonderful discussions and and articulate input from many experts. But I would love something a little more centralized and purposefully curated in it's delivery to a learner. Thanks for any help you can provide!

http://mickbramich.co.uk/

seems to have disappeared. Does anyone here know anything about this - I'd like to recommend his excellent introductory books to a new player.

Thanks.

Having just switched to playing in the English style (after 7 months of playing in the Irish style) I have a novice's question regarding learning to play with both hands. .

When approaching new tunes is it advisable to tackle the task full on by trying right from the start to learn both the melody and accompaniment at the same time, or is it advisable for a beginner to learn the melody first until one can play it fluently, before adding the left hand accompaniment?

I've been attempting to apply the first approach (both hands right from the beginning) and I'm making very slow progress - but if that's the best approach I'm prepared to stick with it. After switching from Irish style mainly because I wanted to play harmonically, it feels like 'cheating' to learn just the melody at first, parking the accompaniment until I have the melody nailed. But am I making life harder for myself than it needs to be by trying to learn both parts at the same time? Are there clear benefits to learning both parts simultaneously?

With a mixed musical background of piano, banjo, fiddle (not nice) melodeon and dulcimer I’ve always learned by following standard notation or tabs…….usually downloaded on my tablet which then stares at me from its stand whilst I’m playing.

Same for my anglo where everything is in tabs …. courtesy of Gary Coovers excellent books and his method has served me well on my squeezebox journey.

I currently have about 50 tunes that I play regularly, usually about an hour a day. Half of these are melody tunes and half are harmonised……some US folk, some ITM and some Morris tunes.

Recently I wondered how many of these I could play without reference to the tabs so I started to play some (firstly single note and then with harmony) tunes from memory. I could not believe the ability of the human mind to remember so much (and my mind is older than many others) because I could immediately play about a dozen tunes by ear and have now gone on to play upwards of 30 without reference to my ever glaring tabs.

But just remembering the tune is only a small part of it ……I am now listening to what I’m playing!

I can therefore adjust what has been missing in terms of bellows/volume control, emphasis, ornamentation etc and generally make the tune more enjoyable to listen to so that my anglo becomes more of a musical instrument and less of a note making machine. I can now be self critical and modify my playing accordingly.

I can also play quicker (read “less slowly) because I don’t have to observe and mentally process the tab……but above all I’m having a blast and enjoying playing to an extent I wouldn’t have believed possible.

Tabs have been an essential part of my progress….but now I’m starting to learn!
 

Brian

I’ve been looking around for some tango or Bach for anglo, all I found was some pieces from anna-magdalena Bach’s notebook (lots of fun!)have you got any references that would complement that (any Bach, even the sons, and any tangoish music)

I think I’m going to transcribe, but from what instrument?

any advice most welcome

I’ve transcribed many times before from/to piano violin cello

but I have no idea what is considered the best “source” instrument

many thanks

concertina away!

Since that video, I've integrated thesession.org tune and member search directly into the thesession.org Tune Settings Scraper.

Tune search also supports optional filtering by tune style and/or key/mode.
 

Hope some of you might find it useful...
 

Was fooling around with the ABC Tools, specifically inserting Gary Coover tabs..... 

Couldn't leave well enough alone. Simple enough to adjust fingerings.....then...

Decided to try and put in accompany and chords without really understanding what I was doing. 

Had to do some wacky things to account for the spacing .  Never could fix the "F" chord symbol in the 3rd measure (what ever I did for the "G" chord in the following measure worked when the fingerings were under staff.  Tried to copy and paste but didn't work.

Anyway would have sent you this in a message but no place to attach a file.

Have fun....

Anyway to make this easier? 

Not really necessary but you might enjoy the challenge.  

Thanks

Doug

Constant Billy14.abc

i put the left side of my anglo on my left knee and only move the right side.

I have no problem with my right wrist but if i play an hour my left wrist is painful. I noticed i have my hand in the “computer mouse holding” position (i mean my knuckles more left than my forearm which is the dangerous position for a wrist.

but if i want to hold my wrist with the knuckles in the same line as the forearm i have to move the concertina so the right hand is closer to me.

in short: at the moment i hold the concertina paralele to my big stomach, should i move it so the right hand is closer to me than the left so the left is not in that dangerous position?

any advice most welcome, i’m a newbie and i only have jack talty’s course for instructions.

ps: I LOVE THE CONCERTINA!!!!❤️❤️🪗🪗this is the beginning of a beautiful and long friendship i know it!

I've known it since forever... but never tried to sing it on concertina before. First, I got some lyrics from mudcat.org. 

Then I watched this:

WOW! What am I getting myself into?

I can read music tolerably well, can play the piano accordion some. My main interest, at least for now, is Irish traditional music. I also have interest in learning a bit of tin whistle or even the bodhran. Any help is much appreciated.

All the best,

Jim

{- - C - - - -}

{ - F G A B -}

{- - C D E - -}

The logical RH fingering for this, and that mentioned in the Gaskins article, is:

{- - 2 - - - -}

{ - 1 2 3 4 -}

{- - 2 3 4 - -}

where 1,2,3,4 are index, middle, ring and little fingers.

The trouble I find with this scheme is that the strong index finger plays only the IV note while the little finger plays both the III and VII notes (in the major Ionian mode). In fact, I find that on some tunes, my little finger is playing almost every other note over extended passages, while the index finger basically lays out. Now I've got pretty well trained little fingers, especially on the left hand, from 25 years of classical guitar, but this can hardly be ideal.

I have investigated some compromise solutions, but Hayden players, what do you do?