The Journey Begins or Me and My Concertina

[Jeff C]

Hello All,

 

I've loved the concertina for many years but somehow I put off trying to play on until now. About a month ago, my wife (susanpc on this forum) decided she wanted to play the concertina. This is a little unusual not because she plays the trombone but because she plays only the trombone. In our family I am the one constantly dragging new (old) instruments in the house and learning to play them. Be that as it may, I was quickly on board and we both decided that the Anglo was what we wanted to try.

 

Bob Tedrow sent us a Rochelle a few weeks ago. It had a button (G/A) that wouldn't consistently pop back up so we sent it back and he sent us out a new one that I got on Friday. Since my wife is away for 7 weeks, I get first crack at it. I thought it might be fun to document my progress for the first few months. Fun for me and hopefully useful for other beginners.

 

About me (musically speaking). I have a music performance degree from Shenandoah Conservatory (1981) as a bass trombonist though its been years since I played a trombone. I play clawhammer banjo regularly, some old time guitar, very little fiddle and I used to be a fair recorder player but that time has passed.

[Jeff C]

Day 1. Maybe three weeks ago. Received defective concertina and played with it for a few days. Frustration. Sent it back

 

Day 2: Friday 10/22/2010

Got the new box. Works fine. I worked through the first half dozen examples in the book that came with the Rochelle and switched over to the Bertram Levy book. It is much better for me. It advances faster and starts working in accompaniment right away. Over the next few days I put in maybe two or three hours of practice and it all came together rather suddenly on Sunday evening when I could play through "Tommy Don't Go" at a moderate tempo reading the music. At that point I set the book aside and played through the tune over and over until it sounded pretty even.

 

This is me:

 

It was very difficult at first to coordinate both hands but it started to work when I relaxed. For me the key is working from the music to learn the tune and working without the music to get the feel of the tune.

Edited October 25, 2010 by Jeff C

[PeterT]

 

This is me:

 

 

Impressed!

 

P.S. - Welcome!

[Dieppe]

Two hours into it, huh? That's pretty good!

 

Patrick

[Jeff C]

And after another hour this evening I am worse than I was yesterday. That's learning I guess.

[jdms]

Hello All,

 

... I have a music performance degree from Shenandoah Conservatory (1981)...

 

 

Are you still anywhere near Winchester?

 

I grew up a few miles away and took piano lessons through the Conservatory's CAP (first Creative Arts Program, later Community Arts Program) for several years. If I'd still been in Virginia when I took up the concertina...well, I doubt the CAP has any concertina teachers, but it might have been worth asking.

 

Joshua Mackay-Smith

[Jeff C]

 

Are you still anywhere near Winchester?

 

Joshua Mackay-Smith

 

I live on the other side of DC now but I grew up between Stephens City and Middletown. James Wood HS Class of 76. Hmmm. When I say it now it makes me sound old.

[jdms]

 

Are you still anywhere near Winchester?

 

Joshua Mackay-Smith

 

I live on the other side of DC now but I grew up between Stephens City and Middletown. James Wood HS Class of 76. Hmmm. When I say it now it makes me sound old.

 

Well, you're older than I am (in 1981 I was twelve and not practicing the piano nearly enough--we might have passed one another in the halls of Shenandoah Conservatory, if you were wandering about in the late afternoon), but you're not in contention for the oldest person here...nor am I in contention for the youngest. Now I should stop contributing to thread drift. Good on you with the Rochelle, and keep it up.

 

jdms

[sallott]

My father played the concertina when I was a child and I used to play around with it from tine to time but I mainly played the recorder, various sizes while my brother played mandolin. Move forward many years, growing up, becoming a nurse, marrying, having children. Meanwhile dad has become elderly and frail, and we helped him clean his place out and he moved into a retirement village. I found his concertina and out it away carefully, vowing to play it when I had time - kids at university, husband and myself working. Dad became seriously ill and passed away and once the funeral was over I decided to finally play his concertina seriously ... and it was missing. I was really sad. Dad was an Englishman so I presumed he played and English concertina. I looked at ebay, bought an English jackie being sold locally and bought it. Great excitement when it arrived and I opened it - lovingly packed by its seller .... but it was nothing like the one dad had played - it made the same note pushing and drawing the bellows and it had a funny little strap that only my thumb would fit in. This was the beginning of my education and love affair with concertinas. I learnt as much as I could about concertinas, learnt that dad had played an anglo, learnt to play what I had bought, bought a larger stagi English, a treble and went to Celtic Southern Cross Summer School and had a great time. I now also have a stagi bass and I am buying a hayden. I have in the meantime found and anglo but I found I far prefer the English.

[Jeff C]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

 

Jeff

[Rod]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

 

Jeff

 

You might find it difficult enouqh to find anyone out there who can play just one of them to perfection.

[PeterT]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

 

 

Well; we are talking about a rather special talent, and a very rare instrument.

 

There are musicians who can play both systems (and more), but generally favour one over the other, when it comes to performing. In the UK, I can think of Keith Kendrick who seems equally at ease with both systems; however, he seems to favour the Anglo for tunes, and English for song accompaniment. I've not seen Keith for a number of years, but I'm guessing that my comment still holds true.

 

Regards,

Peter.

[JimLucas]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

You might find it difficult enouqh to find anyone out there who can play just one of them to perfection.

• "Perfection" is a matter of personal taste, not a measurable, invariant quality.
  
• Perfection is like infinity; you can pursue it forever without getting any closer.

[Daniel Hersh]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

 

Well; we are talking about a rather special talent, and a very rare instrument.

 

There are musicians who can play both systems (and more), but generally favour one over the other, when it comes to performing. In the UK, I can think of Keith Kendrick who seems equally at ease with both systems; however, he seems to favour the Anglo for tunes, and English for song accompaniment. I've not seen Keith for a number of years, but I'm guessing that my comment still holds true.

Juliette is indeed a special case.

 

In my area Riggy Rackin and Peter Persoff both play Anglo and English well. Riggy rarely plays Anglo nowadays. I don't know if Peter has a preference, but I think I've heard him play more Anglo than English.

 

And don't forget the duet systems, in addition to Anglo and English...

[Rod]

I really like both Anglo and English but definitely lean toward Anglo. But when I see something like this:

 

 

I have to wonder whether I made the right choice. Are there folks out there who play both well?

You might find it difficult enouqh to find anyone out there who can play just one of them to perfection.

• "Perfection" is a matter of personal taste, not a measurable, invariant quality.
  
• Perfection is like infinity; you can pursue it forever without getting any closer.

 

'Perfection' is still not a bad thing to aim for.

[JimLucas]

You might find it difficult enouqh to find anyone out there who can play just one of them to perfection.

• "Perfection" is a matter of personal taste, not a measurable, invariant quality.
  
• Perfection is like infinity; you can pursue it forever without getting any closer.

'Perfection' is still not a bad thing to aim for.

I prefer to aim for

excellence

.

I think it's more realistic and -- for me at least -- more than adequate.

[Rod]

You might find it difficult enouqh to find anyone out there who can play just one of them to perfection.

• "Perfection" is a matter of personal taste, not a measurable, invariant quality.
  
• Perfection is like infinity; you can pursue it forever without getting any closer.

'Perfection' is still not a bad thing to aim for.

I prefer to aim for

excellence

.

I think it's more realistic and -- for me at least -- more than adequate.

 

No harm in aiming !

[sallott]

My father played the concertina when I was a child and I used to play around with it from tine to time but I mainly played the recorder, various sizes while my brother played mandolin. Move forward many years, growing up, becoming a nurse, marrying, having children. Meanwhile dad has become elderly and frail, and we helped him clean his place out and he moved into a retirement village. I found his concertina and out it away carefully, vowing to play it when I had time - kids at university, husband and myself working. Dad became seriously ill and passed away and once the funeral was over I decided to finally play his concertina seriously ... and it was missing. I was really sad. Dad was an Englishman so I presumed he played and English concertina. I looked at ebay, bought an English jackie being sold locally and bought it. Great excitement when it arrived and I opened it - lovingly packed by its seller .... but it was nothing like the one dad had played - it made the same note pushing and drawing the bellows and it had a funny little strap that only my thumb would fit in. This was the beginning of my education and love affair with concertinas. I learnt as much as I could about concertinas, learnt that dad had played an anglo, learnt to play what I had bought, bought a larger stagi English, a treble and went to Celtic Southern Cross Summer School and had a great time. I now also have a stagi bass and I am buying a hayden. I have in the meantime found and anglo but I found I far prefer the English.