[Alistair Anderson's Diamond Dazzler]

I don't know if it has already had a mention here in the forum but English concertina virtuoso Alistair Anderson celebrated his 60th birthday on March 18th this year. And, in recognition of this milestone, The Sage, Gateshead held a concert in his honour on wednesday 14th of May last week. Called Alistair Anderson's Diamond Dazzler, it featured Alistair himself plus special guests including Richard Thompson, Martin Simpson, Katie Doherty and more. Below is an excert from the programme.

 

World renowned folk musician and Folkworks Artistic Director Alistair Anderson is turning sixty. An inspiration himself, Alistair has collaborated with – and been inspired by – an extraordinarily diverse range of amazing musicians, some of whom join him tonight: already confirmed are the great singer/songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson; award-winning folk guitarist Martin Simpson; jazz trombonist Annie Whithead plus guitarist Jennifer Maidman; members of Northern Sinfonia including leader, Bradley Creswick; 422, The Farne Islands Band, Katie Doherty, Newcastle Kingsmen Rapper, plus star clog dancers and special surprise guests. This unmissable event gives audiences a chance to celebrate the contribution Alistair has made to the musical life of the region and beyond.

 

My partner Rosie, who now lives in Newcastle, went to it and told me afterwards that it was an absolutely superb evening. Congratulations Alistair. You have been an inspiration to many aspiring concertina players, including myself. Long may you continue.

 

Chris

 

If only geography permitted - it would have been great to be there. Congratulations to Alistair. Do you think he might come to my 60th next year?? :rolleyes:

 

-John Wild

 

 

I dunno about that, but I had my 60th last week, and guess what - Theo from these forums performed with his Ceilidh band!

 

We had a great time!

[Learning Scales]

Aw Heck, I didn't mean to call you M8! I must have been thinking about traffic jams Sorry M3838!

[Learning Scales]

Oh dear! An uninteresting mush? I'd better get cracking with this staccato and legatto business now!

 

Cheers M38 and thanks for the advice

Angie

 

Hmm.

maryhadalittlelamblittlelamblittlelamb - thats just reading the dots or picking buttons.

Then we go into:

mary had a little lamb little lamb little lamb

Then:

Mary had a little lamb

little lamb

little lamb

Then:

Mary had a little Lamb

little Lamb

Little Lamb

Then:

mary had a little lamb

little lamb

little lamb

After you are done with this, you'll be sweating, but not profusely.

But after on top of this you'll work in stacatto and legato, you'll be sweating profusely, I guarantee. Personal experience.

Some people are naturally born with the feel - talent.

Not me.

Wow! Forget Mary and the Lamb, I'm feeling better already!

 

I try to play like this anyway, it adds to the fun Thanks for the demo M8

 

Cheers Angie

[Learning Scales]

Thanks David......I think it will be a while before I get the hang of all this, but it's great fun trying!

 

Oh no! You have to start now. It's not that complex, only smooth playing, when you release one button while depressing another (legato), or depressing buttons very quickly and releasing them (stacatto).

It's better to try your tunes both ways, then vary them. Otherwise your music will be a mush, uninteresting to listen to. And even if you are a raw beginner, nobody said your playing should be un-interesting from the day 1.

The alternative, unfortuantely, is learning to play un-interestingly, and keep it up to the day you depart this world.

 

Oh dear! An uninteresting mush? I'd better get cracking with this staccato and legatto business now!

 

Cheers M38 and thanks for the advice

Angie

[Learning Scales]

Oh dear....all this talk about staccato and legatto and I have no idea what that means! I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said Quote "Legato, like staccato, is a kind of articulation. There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non - legato.

 

Well that's cleared it up for me then

Staccato and legato are two ways to play a series of consecutive notes. Staccato (Italian: detached) means you play them clipped, each individually, with space between them. Legato (Italian: tied) means you play them flowing, each note following the previous without space between them. A violinist would (ordinarily) play stacatto notes with seperate short bow strokes and play legato notes on one continuous bow stroke. On the concertina, the difference is usually made by finger control rather than bellows work.

 

Thanks David......I think it will be a while before I get the hang of all this, but it's great fun trying!

[Learning Scales]

Oh dear....all this talk about staccato and legatto and I have no idea what that means! I looked it up on Wikipedia and it said Quote "Legato, like staccato, is a kind of articulation. There is an intermediate articulation called either mezzo staccato or non - legato.

 

Well that's cleared it up for me then

[Anglo Concertina - Tablature.]

Hi Peter

 

Many thanks for taking the time to do this, especially if you haven't been feeling too good. I'm sorry to learn that you have problems with your hearing, what a terrible blow for a musician like yourself.

 

The video is great, because I can see what your left hand is doing, so it will be very useful to me. Also I've printed out the tablature and your post about the scales so I can concentrate on what you are saying. I'm 60 and never played any instrument in my life, but always wanted to try so I decided the Anglo Concertina was the instrument for me.

 

The trouble is when you get older it isn't as easy to learn things but determination will get me there in the end!

 

Thanks again,

 

Angie

[Anglo Concertina - Tablature.]

All I can offer to do is show the type of accompaniment which I use for a particular tune. It might then be interesting to see whether other C.net members might post recordings of their playing of the same, or similar, tune.

Thanks Peter,

That would be very useful...just to hear the type of accompaniment which you use for a particular tune. I feel that I just need a couple of ideas to start me off, as I realise that everyone has their own style. Who knows, somebody else might take up your suggestion and record their version of the same tune.

 

Thanks all,

 

Angie

[Anglo Concertina - Tablature.]

Also Peter, I find your Youtube videos really useful, many thanks

Hi Angie,

 

Thanks! It's nice to know that I have my uses. I've not made any concertina videos since the start of this year, but I'm happy to record some more if there are aspects of playing technique which other players think could be clarified by a video.

 

Regards,

Peter.

Thanks Peter,

 

I would like to have a think about this...Videos are really helpful. I can listen to a tune then and play it by ear easily, with one hand! Like a person playing the piano with one hand it's just no good at all. I watch your videos to try to see what the accompanying hand is doing, and this is the hard part because it seems that everyone just makes up their own accompanyment - is this the case? and if so would it be possible to make a video of a typical accompanyment? Oh dear I bet you are all laughing now, sorry if this is a daft question

 

Cheers

Angie

[Anglo Concertina - Tablature.]

Well I'm still learning...trying to learn to read music at the same time as learning the 'tina; so thank you Peter, I will find this useful as I am working my way slowly through the Bertram Levy book.

 

Of course tablature is not ideal and no substitute for reading music, but anything that helps beginners has to be a good thing, and I am sure most people will just use it as a stepping stone to help them progress....that's my plan anyway.

 

Also Peter, I find your Youtube videos really useful, many thanks

 

Angie

[Frank Edgley Book Query]

Thanks for that info Lucy.

 

I did try, but was put off by shipping charges to the UK and dollar conversions, so I changed my mind about it and bought The Irish Concertina by Mick Bramich instead.....

 

Sorry Frank, nothing personal mate

[Chinese Concertinas]

I am a complete beginner and have a cheapo chinese anglo exactly like the one mentioned above. I have never played an instrument before, and have no idea how I will progress, I only bought it in March.

 

I am enjoying every minute of learning, and feel that because it is a cheap instrument I cannot do it any harm, I feel confident with it. I have to say that it has a splendid sound, everybody thinks it sounds great. (I'm sorry if you all groan at this as I know you are experts)

 

Anyway it makes sense to me to start out with a cheap instrument, then hopefully move onto a better one as I progress, by then I will be in a better position to understand the difference in sound and quality, It's guaranteed for a year and didn't cost me much to start with, so for me the chinese anglo was a perfect choice.

 

Cheers All

Angie

[Concertina Revival?]

There is a definite revival in the Newcastle area, as Newcastle University is now offering some sort of new folk music degree, and many students are choosing concertinas as their preferred instrument.

 

My local music shop owner is able to sell every concertina he can get his hands on, and he often has a waiting list for them.......So who knows, we might soon have a whole new generation of concertina enthusiasts!

[Frank Edgley Book Query]

Hi All

 

Following everyone's advice on here, and as a keen beginner, I have purchased the Bertram Levy book and would like to also buy the one by Frank Edgley.....A handbook of Tunes and Methods for the Irish Concertina.

 

However I cannot find anyone on the internet who sells the Frank Edgley one in the UK. I have tried Hobgoblin, The Music Room etc but to no avail. Can anyone on here tell me where they bought theirs from in the UK?

 

Many thanks

 

Angie

[Hello, Any Advice On Tutor Books?]

Thanks mate, will do.

[Hello, Any Advice On Tutor Books?]

Thanks for all the advice everybody!

 

By the way Tootler and Theo, as you both live near my neck of the woods in the canny North East of England, are there ever any workshops in this area apart from the Whitby Folk week? I was really excited on here to read about a workshop in Sunderland in April.......... then realized it was Sunderland USA

[Hello, Any Advice On Tutor Books?]

LOTS of music....which brings me to another subject!

 

I had no idea how loud the concertina was until I bought it. we live in a small bungalow and my poor hubby has to turn up the TV loud to drown out the sound of my practising. What do other people do if they have a small house I wonder, do you all go out into the countryside and practise in the middle of nowhere? I'm having to practise quietly

[Hello, Any Advice On Tutor Books?]

Many thanks for your help everyone, I have sent off for the Bertram Levy book. I'm really hooked on the concertina already and am determined to master it, with or without music.

 

Best wishes all

Angie

[Hello, Any Advice On Tutor Books?]

Hi All

 

I'm 58 and always wanted to play an instrument, but was never taught how to read music at school. Anyway for some reason I felt drawn to the concertina, so bought a cheapo chinese Stephanelli 30 with my Christmas money. I realise the Stephanelli is not a good instrument, but to be honest it's good enough for me at the moment. I've only had it a fortnight, and bought a book called Handbook for the Anglo Chromatic Concertina by Roger Watson.

 

I Love the concertina and am completely hooked. However I realise I am probably going to have to learn to read music before I get very far, so I will do my best to take it in!

 

Anyway the reason for my posting is this....I wish to buy a decent tutor book. On these forums two books are mentioned, the De Ville Concertina and How to Play It, and Bertram Levy's book and CD. Does anybody know, of these two books - which would be best for me, bearing in mind my inability to read music?

 

Would it be a good idea to buy both, or would that cause confusion? Or if anybody has any advice of any kind I am all ears.

I want to be able to play like thisby the time I retire.

 

Cheers everyone, and I am enjoying the forums,

Angie Burn

[My Anglo Tutor Is Now On Line]

Wow! Thanks guys!

 

I've just joined the forums today and bought my first concertina last week. I'm a total beginner... so this tutorial will be a brilliant help to me.

 

Thanks again

Angie