Tutorial for the 20-button Anglo

[Shas Cho]

When my in-laws visited The Old Country

they brought me back a Stagi 20 Button Anglo.

I had never touched a concertina before,

but after repairing the leaking air button

and a sticky note button or two

I was eager to give it a whirl.

 

Alas, music does not come easy to me

(it took me a year to learn to play the ukulele,

and my kids still flinch when I furtively pull out my penny whistle),

so I needed a start-at-the-bottom tutorial.

I wondered for a while if I had the only 20-button box in captivity

as I had quite a time even finding a 20-circle fingering chart,

let alone a decent tutorial.

 

Last week I hit the jack pot with Alan Day's generous offering.

Alan assumes, as Newton said to Einstein, infinite ignorance and unlimited intelligence.

With refreshing economy he provides the most basic information

without beating the student over the head.

It's like having a trusted friend inviting one to join the fun.

 

I've made more progress in the past week

than in the previous six years,

and I'm having a blast!

 

I give this tutorial my highest recommendation,

and to Alan my sincere, enthusiastic thanks.

 

Actually, I seem to have hit the jack pot twice in the same week-

concertina.net is a fun, friendly, and enormously helpful community!

Thanks for the open door!

 

Shas

[Leo]

Hi Shas

 

Yes, Alan has a really nice tutor. He's a member here, and plays a mean concertina, one of my favorites. On another helpful site, from another member, there is a good picture showing where those 20 buttons fit into a larger concertina. So your learning won't be lost "WHEN" the time comes to upgrade.

http://petertrimming.webs.com/teachyourselfanglo.htm

 

Thanks

Leo

[michael sam wild]

Hi glad you found your way to Alan's tutorial.

I thought your post was a piece of MacGonagle blank verse it was so readable . Enjoy. You can get a long way on a 2 row!

Mike

[PeterG]

Dear Shas and Leo

Thanks so much for these links. I have just bought my first Anglo and couldn't find a tutor that actually told you where to put your fingers - and thumb!

These two tutors seem to cover all bases (as you say over there)

So onwards and upwards

Thanks again

Pete

[Alan Day]

I have not had a good day today (a bit of bad news), but I go to bed happy after reading these postings.

Thank you Shas for your comments and you are following the exact road I took years ago and thought I would record it to help a good friend, many friends have followed the same path.

Al

[Shas Cho]

It's a good path, Al,

and evidently an inspirational one.

 

Speaking of inspiration,

your rendition of "Summertime"

(yes, yes, I know I haven't gotten that far yet)

had me grinning from the first evocative bar.

I couldn't resist, and didn't move on until I had it down pat.

What fun.

 

You said

"I ... thought I would record it to help a good friend"

 

My description of your tutorial as

" like having a trusted friend inviting one to join the fun"

was bang on.

It's nice to hit the bull's eye now and then.

 

Thanks again, Alan, for this gift.

With it, you've done more to promote peace and happiness

than any politician I can think of.

 

And good luck, Pete!

The more people there are playing un-electrified music,

the better world we all live in.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Shas Cho

[judyhawkins]

I was having trouble finding the above mentioned tutorial -- here's the current link.

Edited April 5, 2013 by judyhawkins

[Ondrej]

Because I come from the Czech Republic, where the concertina unknown musical instrument. Was a tutor good for introduction with the game on the concertina.

Now publishes its own books for concertina. But I had to start somewhere.

Alan, thanks for tutor.

 

[Alan Day]

I was having trouble finding the above mentioned tutorial -- here's the current link.

Just to let you know that my tutor is still there as a free down load if anybody wants it.

It was recorded for Anglo beginners and is a help for twenty button playing.

It was the way I found to enable my left hand to accompany my right.

Al

[darticus]

I want to download it today. Does it show both hands and what buttons to play? I went to the site where he talks and plays the music. I also downloaded the PDF file of music.

Checking it further. Exercise 1 and two I think he has buttons marked differently than the picture sheets I have. My sheet shows. Left hand shows C row button 5 is a G PUSH Button and C row Button 1 is a PUSH C. Right hand C row button 1 push is C and C row button 5 push is a E. I think his numbering is reverse??? Am I wrong? Thanks Ron

Edited July 5, 2016 by darticus

[Alan Day]

Please can we do a check on your concertina.

On your left hand (assuming a twenty button Anglo) What note have you on the push on the top row middle button ( number 3 ) and the bottom row middle button.This will determine the tuning of your concertina. The notes should be C and G.(To match the tutor)

From the thumb on both hands I have numbered the notes 1 to 5.

Many thanks

Al

I have not allowed for the lady I met who had for two years been playing her concertina upside down.She wondered why she could not reach the air button.She could play lots of tunes quite well however.

[Alan Day]

 

I was having trouble finding the above mentioned tutorial -- here's the current link.

Just to let you know that my tutor is still there as a free down load if anybody wants it.

It was recorded for Anglo beginners and is a help for twenty button playing.

It was the way I found to enable my left hand to accompany my right.

Al

 

Still available as a free dowload..

The initial lessons are the key to understanding how to get the left hand in coordination with the right.

Jumping too quickly to the tunes is where most misunderstand what this tutor is about. Hours not a few minutes is the key.

Al

[mathhag]

 

I was having trouble finding the above mentioned tutorial -- here's the current link.

 

Just to let you know that my tutor is still there as a free down load if anybody wants it.

It was recorded for Anglo beginners and is a help for twenty button playing.

It was the way I found to enable my left hand to accompany my right.

Al

So isn’t still available somewhere? This link is not work8 g for me. Thank you for this

[Takayuki YAGI]

 

 

I was having trouble finding the above mentioned tutorial -- here's the current link.

Just to let you know that my tutor is still there as a free down load if anybody wants it.

It was recorded for Anglo beginners and is a help for twenty button playing.

It was the way I found to enable my left hand to accompany my right.

Al

So isn’t still available somewhere? This link is not work8 g for me. Thank you for this

 

Please see this post from Don. http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=19889&p=185774

[Gorwel]

Thanks for producing and sharing these!