TonyRussell

Haven't posted in ages, but still alive! Can I strongly support the views already expresses but from a different angle. I am an English player and also play Cajun accordion, BCC# and BC predominently in English music but have also done TexMex on the BCC#! Get a D/G!!! That's the beast for your needs. A Cajun is tuned to play (at least mostly) a 5th off the base key - i.e. "G" on a "C" box. It can play English, but you're better off playing Cajun on the "wrong" box rather than the other way round. Just my thoughts. Tony.

You need to listen carefully to the sounds you like on those recordings. Concertina is essentially a single reed per note sound - think "classical" harmonica/guitar pitch pipe sounds. The names you mentioned, Cheryl Crow etc., are unlikely to be using a concertina - I would have expected accordion to be more their thing. That sound typically has two or more reeds per note giving a tremolo effect - think Cajun/Quebecois (McGarrigle's) TexMex music? You might also look at the sister site - http://forum.melodeon.net/ - for those "other" instruments. Maybe this will help your search?

A drone is a constantly sounded accompanying note, often in a lower register. F'rinstance, play a tune in G and keep your finger on a low G (drone) all the while. It's the bagpipe effect, as they have "drone" pipe(s) in addition to the melody (chanter) pipe. That's the musical definition - otherwise, it's a male bee.

You have many replies here that all say the same thing. And they're all absolutly right. You must keep on the beat, and that's not just for dancing. Even if you completely fall off the tune, pick up where the tune should have got to - not where you left off! Coming to concertina from a piping background, I remember Billy Pigg saying, when I was struggling to fit all the notes in a difficult piece, "play what you can, they'll hear the rest anyway"! T.

Welcome Tony. There are quite a few of us on both forums, so you'll see some familiar names crop up. Regards, Tony (Black Sheep Tone).

Yep, I guess so Randy. I've added some bio. here, it may be of some interest to you or others. Tom won some competitions at the annual International Concertina Association meetings around 1970 using the concertina he got from me. I sold that to him because his ability to use it was greater than mine at that time. Also he played so hard that the bellows on his "old" one used to collapse in on one side when he drew! I was bass with the Tyneside Concertina band and Tom (although he never came to rehearsals) used to join us at concerts and take over as leader, playing with his back to the audience and "conducting" the band with his concertina in his hands. He was a great player and a good guy. He also played for Benfieldsyde Sword dancers (that is, rapper sword dance - a North East England tradition) and continued to use his old 'tina for that. He lived at Consett, County Durham, once a small steelmaking town, in N.E.England - about 20 miles from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Nice getting to know you, all best, Tony.

I knew Tom (he even bought a Wheatstone 64 from me), was there anything you particularly wanted to find out? Tony.

Yes of course! Soprano, concert and baritone. Can't have too many ukes! Tony.

"... so I'll go off in secret to avoid The Wild Rovers Try here! www.thebuckinn.net Only about an hour away from Sheffield. (playing Morris tunes)

I agree with the last couple of posts (sorry Dirge) but the answer to your original question depends on which system is most intuitive for you. I play plenty classical pieces on EC despite acknowledging the greater range of most duets. Here's an anecdote that shows how your brain can overcome many limitations of the instrument; round about 1970 an American guy called Peter Persoff came to tour British Isles, bought an anglo and started to learn it, spending hours every day. In his travels he absorbed styles and tunes so when, after 6 months, he got to NE England (Tyneside) he was VERY good! He heard me play "Abide With Me" on a bass EC and two weeks later played virtually the same arrangement on his anglo - including the counterpoints. So, if you get on with EC it'll do what you want, if duet is your thing - same applies. Best wishes, Tony

Interesting - I had expected my opinion to stir up more controversy! The mention of English hornpipes is apt - Scottish music having the strathspey as a reasonably similar form. Again, I find the EC suited very well to strathspey (and hornpipes for that matter - changing the bellows for the triplets at the start of "the Trumpet" is a prime example). Best wishes, Tony.

Add the actor (obvious non-player) wielding one in "A Christmas Carol", the bit where spirit of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a lighthousemen's party. Personally I preferred JK on the Victorian Farm show. Regards, Tony.

Here's my opinion, for what it's worth, based on my experience of the music you want to play and having played EC, some Anglo and BCC# accordion (the Jimmy Shand jobby) for many years. While you can sucessfully play Scottish music on any system of concertina I think you are right that the EC is probably the most suited. The fingering system is logical and potentially fast; Scottish style gracing is not difficult because of the placement of the buttons; it's easy to hold a drone in the bass to emulate pipes; and the keys of A, D, G and Bb (a Scott Skinner favourite) are well within a learner's reach. Your budget is modest for any kind of concertina, but it is possible to get a decent used instrument for that money if you search carefully, particularly with help if you can get it. Maybe other members might have more knowledge of models in current production - I've seen some advertised but have no experience of them. Good luck, Tony.

So have fun on melodeon for a while - after a bit you'll want to try something you've heard on concertina again! Honest. Don't worry, I hardly touched EC for years and recently found the drive to play again. Tony.

If you imagine, that to make an "F" EC you will only have to swap B for Bb, you are mistaken. You also rearrange the reeds, so whereever you had C, now you will have F. It means extending the range downward. Not only you can use "C fingering" and play automatically in "F", you will also be able to play full (or fuller) range in F, without been cut half way down. Lowest note on standard treble is G below middle C. Lowest note on Tenor in F is D above bass cleff C. The whole range is shifted 5 notes down. You can't play this low on treble. Hi there m. Read again what I said (particularly in the light of the quote from "conzertino" above it) and you'll see that's exactly my point It's him not me that's mistaken . What was said in the quote I posted would not do what you have above - he mentioned only changing B/Bb. Your system will extend the range downwards - although not as far as a "regular" tenor-treble. But even so; like Larry and Juergen, I still can't figure out why you can't play Bb on the outer row and nobody has explained that yet Regards, Tony .