Terence

Many thanks for this muchly detailed reply, Alex ! I will search for this gear on the Net and see if it's OK with family's money 🙂

Hello, I would like to post new videos of my playing during weeks and months to come. Until now I used my old laptop integrated webcam and mic, or more recently my IPhone (without any accessory), but I would like to know what king of gear do you use (if you post some videos of course !). I think quality of image is somewhat important, but stereo sound seem to me very important with our "double sided" instrument. Thank you in advance for your advices ! Terence

Hello, just wanted to share "The Rights of Man" video I made a few days ago, with my smartphone. Have a nice day !

As it was something important for me, what about considering a vintage one with "real" concertina reeds and not a hybrid ? Some at barleycorn concertinas are sold for this kind of price.

Hello, is 700 GBP your maximum price ?

Hello, here are two pictures of my 26 key Lachenal, made with a Minolta X-700 (MD Rokkor 50mm f:1.7) and a Kodak T-Max P3200 film.

At least this one is dedicated to Irish music. Or do you mean his choice of fingering is not convenient for "Irish style" ? (there is no irony in my question, as I'm a beginner)

Hi ! As I just posted on the FB "Concertina are cool" group, I was about to subscribe to the OAIM website when I saw your announcement. I'm a beginner from France (in an area where Irish sessions are very rare), have a decent Internet connection, and wish to learn a little more "by ear" as well as vary learning sources (for now I use excellent Gary Coover books exclusively). Your video system seems to me more "modern" compared to the OAIM one. What's more, I don't want to learn another Irish instrument. Conclusion : I see no reasons to not subscribe to your course instead of the OAIM one. ? Advices are nevertheless very welcome ! Hoping to be your "student" soon !

Hi, As a beginner I can recommend the Gary Coover books. I find them very clear and of progressive difficulty.

Very good news ! Can't wait to listen to this album too.

Only my laptop with its integrated webcam and mics. Far from perfect, but someday I'll browse the C.net forum to find some video capture material :-) And for recording, I use an online utility (https://webcamera.io/fr/), and then edit a little and add fadings with OpenShot video editor (https://www.openshot.org/).

Thanks ! I exclusively use for now the Gary Coover books. Yes for harmonic style there are many tunes with suggested or fingered chords. The Carol comes from the Christmas concertina book. The Eleanor Plunkett , coming from the Irish session tunes book, has also a harmonized version, but I don't play it good enough for now. Next time I hope ! I love this air.

Hello, I humbly post here the link to my Youtube beginner videos. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlQHBXOFQbAnA6tiJ1aZKg I had posted some firsts in last posts of a thread dedicated to the choice to make before buying an instrument (here), but I dare now to create this thread only for my video attempts to play the anglo ! Any advices and comments will be greatly appreciated. I know it's for now very simple, but I hope to keep this Youtube chain live, and I wanted to share. Have a good day, Terence

So true !

I like this topic and all these useful informations ! I am also a newbie player of anglo. Terence

Hi, Thinking about other tunes book which could be made with a "theme", I wonder if a "world war one tunes" could be of interest ? I listened to these songs and find them probably suited to a tune book : "It's a long way to Tipperary" (1912, popular since 1914 with United Kingdom expeditionary forces coming to Boulogne-sur-Mer in France) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVM-tFAdADg "Waltzing Matilda" (1895, Australia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfE "Danny Boy" (on Londonderry Air, irish tune) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lj8Zg_PiN4 "Keep the home fires burning" (Ivor Novello, 1914) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P8UokgVqWs "Pack up your troubles on your old kit-bag" (1915) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXcs1Vv3YlE "Over there" (1917, when US declared war) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6hRDS3LvQQ "Farewell to Slavianka" (1912 for Balkanic wars, but popular during WW1 among russian soldiers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJt_JdFwLw0 "Der Gute Kamerad" (Ich hatt' einen Kameraden, 1809 but very popular among german troops) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN-vN_zJvwE "Lili Marleen" (1938 but from the poem Lied eines jungen Wachtpostens from 1915) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4qe0Hp6RU "Quand Madelon" (1917) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS2ML_0Ky0M "There's a long long trail" (1914) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WdCCNXL6Uc "Roses of Picardy" (1916) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ87ICmR-2k "I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier" (1915, anti war song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C2qOAgMCl4 "It's time for every boy to be a soldier" (1917, lyrics from the same author of previous song !!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RX3SuMQJQLY ..... There are surely more of popular songs to add ! See here this tracklist. Here is an interesting article of UCSB Cylinder archive. Another (french) source (National library recordings) Some other popular "tunes" of that time, such as from Debussy, Ravel or Holst are probably less suited to a tune book, I guess. What do you think of it ? Gary Coover, after the Cowboy concertina, perhaps ?

Thanks for this site ! Great recordings, with a good sound quality. Why do they put videos with flash, however ??

Hi Gary, I have no "cowboy song" to submit, but I'm longing to buy this book when ready. Between gifts and personal boughts, I have now all of your anglo tutors. I find them very clear, "sober" (I mean without many "disturbing" pics or anecdotes). There are plenty of tunes ; I find them accurately chosen and sorted. Congratulations for this well-done work. So ! When this book will be ready, I would be glad to know it.

Mike, I understand ; thanks for detailed explanation. I totally agree : I have to improve this, among many other things. By the way, I have difficulties to play on the left hand the middle finger for E/F (fourth button in Gary Coover tab system) at the same time with the ring finger for B/C (ninth button). Does anyone have some advice ? I guess it would help me to have handrests higher than the default ones ; I have quite long fingers. Didier Jaffrédo in his tutor tells one can adapt tubular pipe insulation material on handrests if I remember well.

Hi everyone, thanks Jody, Peter and Mike for your messages. I'm indeed happy to play this concertina ; I even started to upload some beginner videos on Youtube, mainly for family relatives who were curious to hear my recent gift. I put the link here only for those who wish to hear it, please forgive my beginner playing (with already some errors in the middle...). https://youtu.be/zbXjsJyPjPw

Hi Frank, Peter and Craftydab. Thanks for the advice. I'm now a happy owner of the Lachenal - Murdoch 26 button shown above (bought from Chris at Barleycorn). I know it would perhaps need some "repair" or so in next years whereas a "well-made" hybrid such as yours would not. But I am so confident now to have stuck with vintage instead of hybrid, because of the sound. I am playing a very good (tipo a mano reeds) Castagnari melodeon, and I am very very happy to start playing a "real concertina reeds" instrument in parallel. I know, even Wheastone used accordion reeds during the 20th century, and accordion reeds concertinas are not "low end" or "not real" concertinas. But I personnaly needed an instrument with different reeds for my ears and heart. Something very personal. And since last week when I started playing, the house and the family members find the sound I emit rather nice to hear :-) I'm personnaly loving the sound of this vintage concertina.

I can't reach website http://hmi.homewood.net/ Any advice ?

It's there. In this "just received" cardboard package. Chris from Barleycorn has taken all precautions for the shipment, from "Fragile" tape outside to polystyrene chips inside. When opening, a small smell of antique things... or probably more likely shoe polish, perhaps because of new straps. The concertina is comfortably but tightly installed in its hexagonal wooden box. I dream of this since a year ! What a beautiful instrument. So tiny ! I must say I never held a concertina before, and am surprised by the size, the delicate fretwork, the small but protuding buttons. I carefully respect a warm up time of half an hour, "tasting" this moment, admiring the object without hearing it yet. I let it breathe a few times with the air button, and try some strap adjusting with these small flat screws. A bit afraid of any possible damage due to delivery conditions (not related to Barleycorn), I hesitate before pushing any "singing" button.... but wow ! What a sound ! "Clear", "bright", "without artifice yet so lovely and true" are some of the things which come up to my mind when playing a little. So close yet so different from my Castagnari 3 voices melodeon. I'm so happy to have chosen a vintage instrument with its "true" reeds (no offense meant here), helping me to clearly put a place in my heart "side by side" with my melodeon (but again that's personal). I'm surprised to find very fast a way to handle the air button (the right thumb can have its revenge on the left one), and already note that I must be careful about "bad habits" (well some that I guess, such as helping the push movement of a right hand melody with left fingers pushing the left end instead of resting on buttons). C/G melodeon playing helps sometimes, like the diatonic scale on right hand. But for the left hand used to "prepared" bass chords, it's another story. Well I am happy to already have a "strong" left little finger. The notes "spreading" among both sides is truly new and I'm loving it. Left and right ears are equally happy :-) Makes me think a little about the church organ. I've "played" concertina for half an hour so far, but I am truly happy with this instrument, and wrote this post to tell it to you :-) Good day to you all !

Yes, these "already made for you" bass chords are so easy and boring... ;-)

I will not be the same man anymore. I watched the Final recital video. I have never seen anything like this. Truly amazing.