JimNewGuy

Incredible. This is getting difficult. I'm beginning to think an English beginner model is right for me. I would mind jumping into a 'beginner' duet, but $900 for a beginner is just to much for me. I like what people say about the Anglo, but have one button play 2 notes seems difficult to me. I'm one of those simple people that needs simple solutions. Of course, I may change my mind. But the idea of playing Pink Floyd on something called an English has some karmic charm to it.

Oh no, a duet? Just when I thought it was narrrowed to 2 choices, a 3rd pops up. So a duet isn't just for duets? Time to go look up what a duet is and see if it's for a soloist to be.

LOL. I have asthma and a smaller lung capacity because of it. I don't think breathing while playing a concertina will kill me, though it might severely harm any listener.

OK, I saw an ad for a MIDI concertina. As near as I can figure out, the outside is the same, but the inside is electronic. I know Yamaha has done just wonderful thing in the realm of electronic pianos. Are electronic concertinas becoming popular at all? And how does an electric concertina deal with the subtle changes of sound that the bellows and air control buttons give the original concertinas? I am here to tell you, an electric concertina speaks to the hitech geek in me.

Thanks for the input so far. As for where I am, I'm in Ames, Iowa, United States. Pretty close to the center of the contiguous 48 states of the U.S., for those of you outside of America.

Hello, yet another new person here, asking the same old questions. Hello all. I'm 55 and I don't have much experience with music. I played clarinet 45 years ago for a few years, thats about it. I have decrease lung function so I can't play instruments that require me supplying the air supply. I've decided I want to learn something that isn't physically challenging, is pretty portable, and is fun to play and listen to. After giving it some thought, the best instrument I could come up with was a concertina. That, plus when I've seen them in movies I've loved the songs and sound of it, has lead me to here. After looking around on the web, this seemed to be the best place to ask some questions. 1. I don't imagine there is anyone I can find close to me to take lessons from. Is it possible and practicle to think I can learn to play on my own? 2. Of course, there is always the question of what type of concertina to get. I was hoping to play celtic and/or irish music, with a little bit of Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd here and there. So, I really don't want to spend tons of money on my first instrument, so should I get an Anglo or an English, 20 or 30 key type. I think I would prefer the 30, since I don't want to learn a set of fingering and then relearn them by changing types later if I decide to get a better instrument. 3. I've read where people have had to unlearn some bad fingerings when they did find a place to get lessons. So how will I know what is the correct fingerings when I'm self teaching? 4. Anyone out there that has successfully self-taught them selves? What worked best for you? What DVDs, books, tapes were most useful to you? I guess that's all for now. Thanks for any help you can send my way.