Mardie

Hi I played a PA when I was young, many many years ago and didn’t pick up an instrument again until it was in my late 40’s when not knowing anything about concertina’s my husband bought me a 30 key Hohner Anglo. I learnt to play Anglo in a fashion over the next year and wanted to upgrade to something better and was very lucky to got hold of a 58 key Maccann Duet, but this meant I had to learn all over again. All I can say and different people have their own personal preferences and each find different styles of concertina easier to play is that I don’t think I would have ever managed to play the Anglo as well as I do the Duet and once you get the hang of it it is much more like a piano layout and chords are easy to play with the bass being on the left hand and treble on the right. I did get hold of a 72 key PA and played this for a while but very quickly went back to the Concertina. Hope this helps.

Hi Helen I try to get to the WCCP whenever I can and concertina players come from absolutely miles around. They run workshops for very new players both in the Anglo style (yours) and English. The next meeting is their New Year’s Party on the 7th January where you bring along a plate of something to share. Its nearly a whole day of playing and if at the end of the day you feel up to it you can do a ‘party’ piece. Certainly be worth your while to come along if you can make it. New players are made very welcome - Marion

Hi, mine was the 58 button with wooden ends, I was just looking to recoup what I paid and spent on it, it did almost reach the reserve. Bought it a couple of years ago as a spare instrument and only played it a few times. I now have three a 1929 Rosewood and my new (to me) 61 Edeophone (naughty me for being so gready from reading one of the recent forums ). If anyone is interested and would like a play they would be more than welcome, but I am in no great hurry to sell.

A very good friend of mine moved to live in France, while he was renting a property in a village he sat outside his house one evening and got out his accordion and started playing. The next thing he knew people came out of their houses carrying their chairs and sat down to listen. He later brought a property in a very small village (only a few houses) when I visited we both sat outside one evening playing and some people drove past spoke to us and came back within a short time with others to listen. Bit different there isn't it. In this country my husband and I caravan and I sit in the awning to play, I think in about 5 years only a couple of people have ever said anything to me normally I'm just ignored. I don't think I play that badly!!!!

Hi Nigel I get together with a variety of musicians some brilliant players others not so, it doesn’t make a difference we all just enjoy playing and all had to start somewhere. Some tunes I can play well, others I manage to pick up half way through or have just managed to pick up when the tune if finishing which is really disappointing as you then want to keep going, I do usually manage to finish on the right note. Have been playing sometimes and thought I was playing the wrong notes only to find later it wasn’t me it was someone else, you know something isn’t right but are not sure what. Another suggestion is to sit next to a PA player then no one will be able to hear what you are playing. When I started playing I joined a local folk orchestra and was lumped in with the ‘boxes’, my little concertina was surrounded by about six huge accordions I was playing an Anglo at the time and played a whole tune on the wrong row, no one knew as I was drowned out, I do try to keep well away from them now.

My first posting on C.net although have been reading forums with great interest. Thought you might be interested in my story, or not as the case may be. I bought my first concertina after seeing two in a little music shop in Ryde on the Isle of Wight around 20 years ago (no longer there) when my husband and I were moored in the Marina. Unfortunately the shop was closed Tuesdays the day we were there and for several years after it was just a dream until hubby said how about getting one and off we went to Hobgoblin at Crawley. Not knowing anything about ‘tinas’ I took the advice of the staff there and bought a Hohner 30 key Anglo. After about a year I decided I needed something a little better and began the search, without much luck. WCCP advised I advertise in the local shops and lo and behold I received a telephone call from someone saying they had one that had been in its box for many years. Later that day saw me sitting in the lounge of a very large grand house with my arms cuddling a box inside which was a wonderful Maccann Duet frightened by how much they were going to ask me for it. I won’t get you all green with envy so I won’t tell you how much I bought it for (I did say it was worth more) but was told they just wanted to see it played. Couldn’t let them down so now had to learn Duet, actually very shortly found this suited me better than the Anglo. My concertina went with me everywhere and I even played sea shanties as we sailed along (surprising how far a concertina will sound on the open sea, could also come in handy as a fog horn!!). Unfortunately had to give up sailing three years ago, but still have wonderful memories of playing whilst sitting on a mooring with the sound of the sea and seagulls all around me - Mardie