jlfinkels

My favorites are Kitty Hayes playing on "A Touch of Clare" and with Peter Laban on "They'll be good yet", and John Kelly playing on "Irish Traditional Concertina and Fiddle Music". Both Kitty Hayes and John Kelly were great musicians, not flashy like others, but incredibly musical and lyrical in their playing.

The 20-button hLachenal as been sold, but the 30-button Tedrow is still available. --jeff

I'm was coming off a 3 month sabbatical when it flared up again. After endoscopic surgery I was good for about 6 months, then had to go back for open release. This time it will take a longer time to recover, so I've given up on repetitive instruments for now. Sorry all, I don't want this to go down a "poor me" thread. I'll keep playing at sessions even if I have to *shudder* play the bodhran.

My right hand is the one affected, so I'm looking at alternatives with the help of a physical therapist who happens to be a bodhran player. As long as I avoid making repetitive movements with the right hand I'm okay. The current thought is a fiddle or mandolin would work, but only time will tell. Thanks for asking --jeff

Two more poor quality pictures of the Tedrow.

Update: Both concertinas have been sold. After my last carpal tunnel surgery, I no longer can play without pain so I need to sell my collection. I have a 30-button Tedrow G/D with Lachenal fretwork and papers, and a 20-button Lachenal G/D in need of having the high G reed tuned. I am asking $1500 for the Tedrow and $600 for the Lachenal, but all honest offers will be considered. If you are interested and would like more information, please PM. --jeff

Hello Bernie and welcome. I'm a newbie so please forgive any errors that others may need to correct. Playing in the rows means you play up and down the rows, not crossing between them. For example, on a G/D 20-button the upper row is in G and the lower row is in D. So, to play in G you go up the G row using push-pull to play the different notes. To play in D you would do the same on the lower row. If you look at the G/D layout at http://www.concertina.net/ms_finger_layouts.html this will make more sense. To cross-finger you cross between the rows to accomplish the same notes, but you get a larger possibility of note availability. Again, look at the button layout and this should make more sense. Cross fingering, while slightly more complex to learn, gives you the option to play more legato or with bounce depending on what you are trying to accomplish. I personally made the decision to go with a G/D since I listen to Jody Kruskal and try to emulate his style of playing. Like you I enjoy Kitty's style but found I can emulate her on my G/D, particularly the octave playing style. My own advice is if you're goal is to take lessons or attend workshops go with a 30-button C/G. If you don't mind learning on your own and like the more accompaniment style, then a G/D may be a good choice. As someone who has learned a lot from Peter I recommend listening closely to his advice. -jeff

Peter, please pass along my best wishes for Kitty on her 80th birthday. Let her know she is an inspiration for all us late bloomers on concertina. Of all my CD's the most played are her solo CD and the one you did with her. Her music has made a significant impact on my life (and pocketbook, oy vey!). Thanks Kitty. Be well. -jeff

Thanks, I forgot about that page. I had an interesting discussion with Bob Tedrow recently regarding how useful a Jeffries G/D layout is in comparison to the Wheatstone/Lachenal configuration. There are obvious reasons for the differences in the C/G Jeffries and Lachenal, but the reasoning behind the same changes in a G/D setup didn't seem as important. What are your thoughts?

A fairly standard G/D layout is at http://www.concertina.net/ms_finger_layouts.html. -jeff

Welcome! Like you I played pennywhistle and Irish flute for years before I switched to concertina. You'll be surprised by how much knowledge actually carries over to a new instrument. After you learn the instrument itself, you may find that the tunes you already know transfer fairly easily. I can't explain it, but I found that once I had the right notes under my fingers muscle memory took over and many tunes were there. Now the fingerings were rarely right since there are so many possibilities on concertina, but I could play the music. To me that was the hardest part of learning concertina. On whistle/flute there are rarely alternative fingerings, but on concertina there are different variations based on push/pull and what you want to emphasize in the music. It takes a while to learn them and a good teacher is well worth the money. As far as instruments go, there is a definite sticker shock on concertina, but no worse than WHOA. I had a nice collection of whistles and flutes that I had collected over the years and sold. I found I had enough for a starter Lachenal and a new Tedrow. The difference of course is the addiction on concertina is quite a bit more expensive than whistles. Others have already suggested possible starter instruments and good websites/books. All I can add is once you start give yourself a chance to learn the instrument and enjoy yourself. Things won't happen quickly but once you catch on you should have a great time. -jeff

I play 20- and 30-button G/D as well in what you would call the "English" style as you described. BTW Jody Kruskal does this on a 38-button, but I bet he started on a 30-button and could likely chime in. Get his "Naked Concertina" CD to hear examples of this style being done beautifully. The main difference I find between the 20- and 30-button is the fullness of the chords you'll use for accompaning the melody. On a 30-button you'll have 5 more buttons (10 more notes) that you could possibly use to fill out the chord, but in reality most of those are accidentals and won't be used most of the time. You'll have to work hard to get a good bass line, but with compromises it can be done. The best thing is sticking to keys you can easily chord. G, D, C, Em, Bm and Am all work well. -jeff

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. I've decided against trying to tune the reed myself, largely due to my lack of mechanical skills and poor eyesight. I'm going to send it to a professional and have it done right. This is a great instrument and I plan to play it for a long time. I'm very fortunate to have Bob Tedrow about 2 hours away and already owning one of his instruments I'm well acquainted with his skills. I'd rather wait for him to have time to get around to working on it than messing it up myself and having a large repair bill. Thanks again. -jeff

Thanks very much for that clear, concise explanation and steps. I've taken the top end off and pulled out the reed frame, but haven't developed the courage to actually take a nail file to it as yet. My eyes aren't what they used to be and I don't want to risk damaging the reed given the age and minute tolerances. Maybe someday. Of course, I may just chicken out and see if a professional can do the actual work. -jeff

I have an interesting problem with my 20-button Lachenal G/D. It's been playing beautifully for the 6 months I've had it, but I picked it up today and noticed that the right side G draw (3rd button on the D row) is now sounding flat. It was fine last night, but today, blech. Is there some simple thing I can do to help get it back in tune? I've never taken it apart and am not particularly mechanically adept, but I'm sure I can do something basic if I need to. -jeff

Last weekend I had the opportunity to play this exact model concertina and a Boorinwood 30-button. My comments are my opinion and others likely will have had different experiences. The Chinese concertina had soft and inconsistent action with buttons at different heights in addition to having problems with tuning. The bellows were tight. The sound was muffled and had no dynamic range, but in my opinion the sound was not bad. My biggest concern is that due to the inconsistencies someone who was just starting out may easily become disappointed in how they are progressing. It also felt very flimsy in my hands and I would be worried about damaging it with typical use. The Boorinwood had a much fuller sound with a limited dynamic range, but it was possible to make it play soft or loud. The bellows were tight. The action was consistent across all rows and buttons felt solid and tight. The tuning was adequate, but there were noticable problems with the lowest and highest notes. I think it would be a fine starter instrument. The instrument felt solid but the bellows were cheaply constructed and if not kept up would likely develop leaks. In general I would say that if there is any way possible you can spend $279 USD on a Rochelle, it would be a much better choice. Not only would it likely last you for years, but you can trade it in for full price on a much better instrument if you go back to the Concertina Connection. If you just cannot swing the extra cost for the Rochelle, then go into purchasing the Chinese model with your eyes open. Hopefully you will get a better one than the person brought to our session. -jeff

Wow. Very nice indeed.

I assume from the Rochelle reference that you are looking for an Anglo, so my comments are on that subject. My advice would be get as much concertina as you can afford. My opinion is moving up from a Rochelle at $300 the next step would be a used Tedrow, Edgely, Morse at around $1200 or so. Maybe even a vintage Lachenal in decent shape. From there a new concertina (e.g. Tedrow, Edgely, Morse) would put you into the $1800 range. Next would be a Wakker, Suttner or refurbished Lachenal or other vintage concertina in the $2500-$3500 range. From there (drool) you have a lot of beautiful instruments (many with long waiting periods) to choose from. The question is, how long are you willing to wait for the next step up? If you get the Rochelle now you can be practicing for a year while you save for the next instrument, rather than waiting another 6-12 months before buying it. Best of luck and keep squeezing! -jeff

I've got the Mick Bramich book, "Absolute Beginners' Concertina - a new guide to playing the twenty key Anglo concertina" and am not using it. If you want it PM me. I'm in Alpharetta so you could just swing by and pick it up sometime. -jeff

Bill makes a very good point here, one I've learned through experience. While I love my G/D, I've found that going to workshops is very difficult as I'm usually the only G/D. Some workshop teachers are willing to work with you, but when the classes are full they can't always give the time needed for a differently keyed instrument. So, if you plan on attending workshops or taking lessons, you should listen to Bill and get a C/G. If you don't mind learning on your own or with minimal guidance, a G/D may be the right one for you. -jeff

For an Anglo at least 30 buttons would be best. I can't comment on English or Duet. -jeff

I play a lot of Irish and American tunes myself and play a G/D Anglo. You could of course play the tunes equally as well on an English or Duet, but the G/D Anglo was a compromise for playing both styles and with my wallet One thing with the Anglo is that it is very similar to harmonica when it comes to the notes. Its like 2 harmonicas duct-taped together with an extra row of accidentals on the 30+ button Anglo's. If you like early American style tunes, check out Jody Kruskal's recordings. His "Naked Concertina" CD has Contra-dance tunes that fit this catergory. Sorta has an American, French, Canadian, Old-Timey thing. -jeff

I travel weekly and take my concertina as carry-on every time. I keep it in a padded soft case meant for a picnic lunch. I've never had a problem, but have gotten a chance to play in the most interesting places. -jeff

C'mon Ken, you gotta finish the joke now. Don't leave us hanging like that. -jeff

And here... -jeff