A New Anglo Tutor from Bertram Levy

[BertramLevy]

Audio Samples for Bertram Levy’s new Tutor

 

The audio samples for the first 8 lessons are now on my web site bertramlevy.com. More material will follow in the ensuing weeks. Those of you with the book can follow along with the written arrangements. All the information is contained in the written arrangements including direction of bellows, rows, fingerings, and choice of left or right side. The initial eight arrangements, while simple, contain many of the basic skills necessary to progress on to the full development of the style. The first few explore fluid phrasing positions in both directions that are essential to the later application of chords, doubles-stops and counterpoint. The latter 2 studies introduce the alternating-string bowing techniques emblematic of Southern fiddling.

 

A word of note. The most important study is the first one. It is a very simple tune and anyone can play it by ear with a minimum of experience on the instrument. However that is not the point of the exercise. As carefully outlined stepwise in the book, it is presented as a vehicle to learn the technique of visualization and preparation of the hand. I hope that people won’t skip over this first lesson, anxious to get on to more complex tunes and not get that it is the most difficult concept to incorporate yet is the magic door to learning the instrument.

 

 

After listening to the 8 studies, you might want to listen to the trio audio samples in which you will hear the concertina color the tunes using multiple techniques including accompaniment, middle voice arpeggios, harmony, rhythmic figures and of course melody. This approach utilizes the great potential that the concertina offers to ensemble playing. While I am using my Dipper in the lessons, I purposely chose to use my Stagi in the ensemble to reproduce the 1920s sound in the old 78 recordings.