Sue W

Thanks for all the suggestions. It does need to be a hard case. I'll look at vanity cases on ebay. As for the storm case it looked good but I couldn't work out how I might fit a strap to it. Any further info appreciated. Thanks again. Sue

I'm looking for a new hard case for my concertina. It must be light and have a long strap. I want this to take my concertina to festivals and Days of Dance so it needs to be as easy and light as possible if I'm to carry it ( and everything else) around all day. It has to be a hard case as I need to put my foot on it when standing to play for dance. Any suggestions? I'm based in the UK. Thanks Sue

Thanks. It's not that I'm worried about it being choppy, and I do like the bounce of the anglo especially playing dance tunes, but some runs which require a number of fast bellows reversal in succession are hard to play quick and crisp enough - at least for me. I'm not sure which way to go for the type of music I want to play. I'm not aiming to play fast Irish tunes. Sue

I'm learning to play a G/D anglo. I'm mostly playing English tunes and looking to play in a harmonic style with the melody mostly on the right hand and any harmony on the left. I'm also mostly self taught so it's a bit of a bumpy journey!! At the moment I am playing a few tunes OK and beginning to put in some chords or a simple base line. I am finding though that it is hard to play well a fast run up or down the scale that involves a number of quick bellows reversals. My question is whether I should be trying to play such runs across the rows, where this is possible. I have had a go at this. My attempts were not very fluent and it certainly feels different and I suspect will always sound a bit different, but is it what I should be aiming for? or should I just work at improving the bellows reversal. I would love to know what experienced anglo plays of English music think, especially if you play a G/D. Thanks. Sue

I've read this thread with interest as I'm finding it quite frustrating not to be able to hear myself in sessions. I started playing (quite recently) with a melodeon which I enjoyed very much. I now have a concertina which I play much more, partly because I like it better and partly because of a shoulder injury. What prompted me to start playing anything was a very good session in my local pub and the encouragement I received from some very good players. Being part of a good session is still one of the great pleasures. The concertina is fine when playing with a few friends but in a larger session I can't hear it at all. I play an anglo so I'd like to ask any anglo players out there who play in sessions: Can you hear yourself play in sessions? If so, what instrument do you play? Any advice as to the type of concertina that would be best in a session setting would be appreciated. Thanks. Sue

Yes, that looks like the one. Thanks Sue

Hi, I seem to remember a post recently which mentioned some free software that will slow down a recorded tune. Sounded like a really useful tool but now I can't find the post! Could someone tell me how to find this software, please. Thanks Sue

Thanks for all your helpful replies; will be following them all up. Thanks again Sue

Hi Alan, Thanks for this. I've just looked at your site but I'm afraid I can't work out what I have to do to download your tutor. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. Sue

Hi everyone, I could do with a little help and advice. I'm teaching myself to play English traditional music on a G/D anglo. So far I can play several tunes (melody only) on the right hand. I would like to add some left hand harmony but I'm unsure where to begin. I should say that I've come to music playing quite late in life and I'm having to learn 'music' as well as the instrument. I've looked at various books, all written for c/g anglo, and had a go at translating them for my instrument, but I'm still not sure where to start. Should I try playing in parallel octaves? should I be putting a baseline in , rather than chords - and if so what? I really need to start with something simple; if it's too complicated I will only become frustrated at my inability to make it work. I also wondered if anyone had any suggestions for exercises to get the left hand working along with the right hand. I'm happy to work at stuff everyday but I don't know what to try. It can be quite hard to make progress when you don't know if what you are doing will end up being helpful or a journey up a blind alley. Look forward to your ideas. Thanks. Sue

Hi, PM sent. Sue

Hi, Thanks for all your replies, and sorry if I was a little vague. For reasons to tedious to rehearse I'm moving the playing of morris tunes from the melodeon to anglo concertina. I play a Andrew Norman Jubilee G/D which I like very much. Andrew also makes a double reeded 20 button anglo, this is made to order. I've talked to Andrew about it and he's been very helpful but I am undecided so I wondered if any of you have this concertina, or something similar. If so how does it compare with a similar but single reeded anglo in terms of sound and playability. If you don't have one have you heard one played, if you're a morris musician or dancer do you think it's a better option for morris than a single reeded anglo (bearing in mind that I'm not a very experienced anglo player). thanks Sue

Hi, Have any of you had any experience of double reeded anglo concertinas? I've had to stop playing my melodeon, at least for a while, as I've got a shoulder problem. I was thinking of playing my concertina for morris, but started wondering if a double reeded instrument might be a good long-term solution to the problem. What do you think? Sue

Thanks Repy sent Sue

I'm teaching myself to play G/D anglo, hopefully English style. While I'm enjoying it it is very slow; I have no real musical background and there is so much that I don't know. So far I haven't been able to find a teacher. I live in Oxfordshire but my time is fairly flexible so I could travel. Does anyone teach Anglo anywhere within reach of Oxfordshire, or know anyone who does? Sue

Thanks for your comments. They've been very helpful Sue

Sorry about that! It should read Marcus/Norman. I'm familiar with Marcus anglo but am looking at other options. I've recently played a Morse but now I'm looking with interest at a Norman anglo. I'd be interested in any comments from people who are familiar with these instruments. Sue

I know I'll have to play them for myself, but can anyone who's played them give me any idea how an A C Norman anglo compares with a Marcus anglo? Sound, playability, weight etc etc. 30 button G/D for English style. Thanks Sue

One of the fascinating aspects of the seventeenth century is the way it was a time of change, and any and every idea was open to questioning. I think there was a much wider range of opinion than we sometimes imagine. Within what we might describe as 'the puritians' there was a wide variety of views about dancing. Some certainly disapproved of dancing, others thought it was fine. I once read a piece written on dancing in the seventeenth century (a 16 point sermon really), the authors conclusion was that he couldn't disapprove of dancing as there was dancing in the bible, but he thought there should be no dancing between the sexes, so women could dance with women and men could dance with men. I assume that meant Morris dancing was OK. I think dancing was a normal activity and the extreme views were just that;the extremes of opinion and not the commonplace. Charles' republishing of 'Book of Sports' was a political move to bolster the Church of England, against the influence of both catholics and puritians. All the activities described were legal if you'd first attended the Parish church. Cromwell so often portrayed as a killjoy, couldn't imagine not drinking beer, loved his music and had dancing at his daughter's wedding.

Thanks that's very helpful. I have a Marcus which I like very much but the weight is a bit of a concern to me. I knew the Morse was lighter but I didn't know how they compared in other respects. Sue

Can someone who has experience of Morse and Marcus anglo concertinas give me some idea of how they compare. Mainly thinking of playing English music on a G/D. Thanks Sue

Thanks. This is what I am currently doing but it can be quite slow. I was hoping there was something that would help me along a little quicker. Sue

Hi, I've recently started playing a G/D anglo. This is my first concertina and I chose a G/D as I am primarily interested in playing English music. I really love it but it would be a great help if I could find a book/CD or DVD tutor written for the G/D. I have no music background but have taught myself to read the'dots'. I'm learning from assorted tutor books for C/G anglo, and by playing with friends (none of whom play G/D anglo). I'm sure a tutor written specifically for G/D would be a great help. Has anyone come across one? Sue