Jillser Nic Amhlaoibh

Having played a Rochelle for a fortnight when I first started playing I found it hard work and couldn't get rid of it quick enough - it served a purpose in that it helped me know that 1) I wanted to keep playing the concertina and 2) I didn't want that concertina to be a Rochelle! I would agree with those suggesting that you save up a wee bit more to get a 26 button or 30 button Anglo if you want a C#.

delete post, misread

I find it easier to learn and remember tunes that I'm familiar with, so if I'm learning a tune that I haven't heard before I'll always source a recording/video of it that I like and listen to that over and over - if I can hum it to meself in the car then I won't have any bother learning/remembering it. You could also try "back chaining" when learning a tune - that's where you start off learning the last couple of bars/measures of it and then work your way backwards - it results in you always playing towards "familiarity". I sometimes do this if I'm learning a 3 or 4 part reel and having difficulty remembering the last part.

Irish traditional music is a dance music, so the time signatures for the tunes reflect that - also just a heads up that "songs" have words, and tunes don't. In Frank's book he is likely talking about "tunes", not "songs".

What genre/genres of music are you learning? If this was an irish traditional music session you went to there wouldn't be improvisation happening really so that wouldn't be something to worry about - folks just play the tunes though there may be slight differences in how each player plays due to choice and placement of ornaments in the tune and/or subtle variations. Certainly at only 4 months into playing with no past musical background you shouldn't be beating yourself up over struggling to keep up. Again, you don't say what type of music your learning but playing along to tunes at a speed you can manage (using slow down software, or playing along to YouTube videos and using the slow down option in settings for example) is a good way to get used to playing along with other instruments and not getting knocked out of your stride, it allows you to confidently play at speeds you can manage and then over time to incrementally increase the speed. If you're playing any irish traditional tunes then the old Wellington Sessions tune archive is a great resource - loads of commonly played tunes available and the ability to slow them down and loop certain parts as well: https://irish.session.nz/ Committing tunes to memory vs. depending on the sheet music can also help as when playing along with others you'll have more bandwidth to respond to how others are playing in the group rather than having most of your bandwidth taken up with focusing on the sheet music.

My experience differs from seanc's in that for me I learn tunes quicker and remember them better if I learn them by ear. I also don't go back to the start of the tune if I make a mistake, rather I isolate what part was tripping me up and try to figure out what the problem is - am I rushing the notes in that part? Would it be more fluent and easier to play if I use an alternate fingering for it? etc. If I just go back to the top of the tune and start again without ferreting out what tripped me up then I'm likely to just replicate that mistake again - not saying my way is the right way, just that it's the way that works for me.

Evangeline, if you were to go for a Kensington you wouldn't need to pay the full cost up front as Dana would be building it for you, so you'd pay a deposit, with the rest due upon completion - depending on the build time and whether or how long Dana's wait list is for a build that could be months away, which would give time to save up however much over budget the cost is and in the meantime the build process would already be in motion.

While I was waiting for my Edgley to arrive I spent the time memorising the Jeffries button layout, playing around with the Concertina XL app (and driving everyone in the house demented!), and watching videos - OAIM has some free introductory lesson vids up on YouTube and I also watched some of the Caitlín vids in her Beginner course to familiarise myself with them in preparation of having a concertina in my hands to actually sit down and learn those tunes. I had already played tenor banjo for years and was familiar with all the tunes already which also helped. Congratulations on soon being a Kensington owner, what a lovely instrument to be starting out with!

I started out playing guitar and drums in bands for years. Then I picked up the tenor banjo, mandolin and tenor guitar when I got into irish trad music, and then I succumbed to a long time fascination with the concertina and finally bought one. Still play all of the other instruments listed as well!

@Leah, Frank would be the best person obviously to confirm when your Edgley was built, but going by the serial number I'd say it's may be from about 2015.

- Rented a Rochelle from the Button Box for about a fortnight (I was working in the States at the time), enough time to let me know that 1) I wanted to keep playing the anglo concertina and 2) I didn't want to keep playing the Rochelle. - Bought a second hand Tedrow C/G, massive improvement from the Rochelle, lovely to play and beautifully made. - Bought a second hand Edgley Heritage C/G, which I'm still playing and enjoying

Ah sad to hear the doors will be closing, another connection to the past gone.

I remember when I was waiting for my concertina to arrive I found it really helpful to download a keyboard layout chart (do you know whether your concertina has Jeffries or Wheatstone layout?) so that I could get familiar with where the notes were.

@mike_s, you may already be aware of it but Caitlín has two websites for lessons, her original Irish Concertina Lessons one, and also her more recent one that focuses on teaching session tunes, with the ability to slow sections down, loop parts etc.: https://learnirishtunes.com/ @Notemaker, surely it wouldn't be too difficult for you to have the courtesy to spell Caitlín's name correctly?

Cheers Peter! I was just wondering today when registration would open for the 2024 programme, just sent mine in now!

Just a heads up that you're replying to a ten year old "for sale" listing....

Oh, well done! I had a Tedrow that I picked up second hand when I first attempted to start learning the concertina and I always regretted selling it.

The original post is from over two years ago so I'd reckon that the mandolin in question may have sold by now.

There were three adult specific classes, so not sure if the remaining classes (I think someone mentioned during the week that there were 23 concertina classes) were kids only or a mix of kids/adults but it sure seemed like every other child I walked by during the week was carrying a concertina case!

Forgive my ignorance here but are you affiliated with the Irish Concertina Company? That was the impression I got from older posts you've made.

Caitlín is doing a bellows roll in the video - she plays the note, then jerks the bellows to sound it again, and then plays the note again if that makes sense, not a great description on my part, maybe someone else familiar with the technique can describe it more clearly?

It has concertina reeds and from everything I've heard about them I would think it would be categorised as an advanced instrument.

There was an advert on DoneDeal for a Thomas C/G 30b anglo, it was still up the last time I did a search for concertinas there (the day before yesterday) If I recall correctly the ad said that the concertina is at Custy's in Ennis being sold on consignment.

OP posted that they've purchased an Edgley and are awaiting it's arrival.

Sadly the Button Box closed - only their repair department remains open, so the rentals from them are no more.