20B Anglo Tutorial For Youtube? Anyone Up To Make?

[MatthewVanitas]

In the last few years I've fixed up a number of beater Italian 20b Anglo concertinas to sell cheap or gift to novices who aren't ready/able to put up $400 for an instrument. Lots of college kids and the like that I know from other forums; most want them for "nautical" song accompaniment, a few for Irish, etc. Given the sheer number of cheap 20bs floating around, I find it a bit surprising there isn't more online instructional info for the instrument. I know there are scans of old books on Concertina.com, and I've seen the Alan Day free online booklet, but most of those are really inclined to people who already read music, and are often very melodic-heavy without much info on the harmonic tendencies of the Anglo.

 

I was thinking that it might be of benefit to the noob community if there were a few clips on YouTube demonstrating, slowly, how to play some basic repertoire that fits the 20b. Whether those be a few "chanteys", some English folkdance, or some of the Irish tunes which don't require a C# and thus can be played on 20b.

 

Unfortunately I can't play Anglo (I'm a Duettist), but if anyone here happens to use a bit of a slow afternoon to make some clips of basic tunes, I will assuredly provide your links to the novices I know, and any future ones I pass a beater 20b off to. Anyone think they may be up to do a clip or two for posterity?

Edited March 10, 2014 by MatthewVanitas

[Don Taylor]

Alan Day's original tutorial was actually a collection of audio files - I think that he intended folks to learn to play by ear rather than from paper. Mostly for 20B Anglos in a harmonic style. Sometime later a transcription of the tutor was made by a member here, David Barnert.

 

Anyway, the original audio files are still available along with a pdf of the transcripts:

 

See: http://www.etanbenami.com/Anglo%20Concertina%20Tutor/

 

Note: the guy hosting these files has asked that folks copy them from his web-site and play them locally rather play them from his web-site.

[Janet Dows]

It sounds like an interesting project to me, after I finish a couple of other things. The only 20 button instrument I have is pretty unplayable, although cute to look at, so I'll try to find one to use. I think you're right, it would be useful to lots of people. Important to actually use a 20B concertina, not just avoid the 3rd row on a 30B, to make it more understandable on a video.

[Rod]

This topic leaves me to wonder just how many of us, like me, have learned to play our Concertinas entirely by ear and how many have taken the alternative approach and, as a result, have become dependent upon musical theory and 'dots on paper' in order achieve the same object.

 

I do not equate playing from memory (as a result of repetitive playing of a tune) with truly creative 'playing by ear'.

[Alan Day]

Alan Day's original tutorial was actually a collection of audio files - I think that he intended folks to learn to play by ear rather than from paper. Mostly for 20B Anglos in a harmonic style. Sometime later a transcription of the tutor was made by a member here, David Barnert.

 

Anyway, the original audio files are still available along with a pdf of the transcripts:

 

See: http://www.etanbenami.com/Anglo%20Concertina%20Tutor/

 

Note: the guy hosting these files has asked that folks copy them from his web-site and play them locally rather play them from his web-site.

Don the original idea was mainly to help players coordinate the left hand playing with the right.I rarely play the concertina to music as I realised in the early stages of concertina playing that when playing for Morris Dancing it would be almost impossible to control sheets of music outside in a pub car park.

I am happy for my tutor to be used anywhere and given out free of charge, but not resold for profit.

The tutor is an exact copy of my way of learning the concertina as a beginner and I hope it is a help to some of you starting to play this lovely instrument.

Al

[badwellmac]

Hi there,

 

Could anyone explain how to download these files

 

I can only seem to play them from the website ?

 

I am using a Mac

 

Kind regards

 

karl

[sqzbxr]

Right click or Option-click on a link and select "Download Linked File" to save to your Downloads folder. Selecting "Download Linked File As" will let you choose a different folder and/or rename the file.

[MatthewVanitas]

It sounds like an interesting project to me, after I finish a couple of other things. The only 20 button instrument I have is pretty unplayable, although cute to look at, so I'll try to find one to use. I think you're right, it would be useful to lots of people. Important to actually use a 20B concertina, not just avoid the 3rd row on a 30B, to make it more understandable on a video.

 

That'd certainly be awesome. There are a lot of good vintage 20bs around at great prices too; I chatted with Greg Jowaisas a few months back, and he had quite a list of really nice ones in the $400-700 range. Or if you're playing close with the budget, you could always get one of the old beater Bastaris or a serviceable modern Chinese red celluloid jobbie such as your audience likely has for $50ish.

 

I'm glancing around the forum to see if there are any good threads about how to video both sides of the concertina at once. My impression is it's easier than it sounds, just do a handclap or similar before you begin so you have a defined point you can synch the two footages up at, and once synched it's like dealing with just one video. Here's the thread: http://www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=15235

 

Not at all to press folks to that specifically, since at this stage really any 20b videos would be helpful.

 

 

For myself, I've been meaning for a while to get a decent microphone and headset so I can record multiple tracks, and if I get a second (and better) camera I can use my current one as the backup to record my other hand, and show both hands on the screen. My skill in in Hayden Duet, so at some point if I get fancy I'd like to learn how to put text/lines overlaid on the video, so I would show one end and overlay circles pointing out which buttons are used in which chord formations.

 

But for starters, anything is great!

 

 

Alan Day's original tutorial was actually a collection of audio files - I think that he intended folks to learn to play by ear rather than from paper. Mostly for 20B Anglos in a harmonic style. Sometime later a transcription of the tutor was made by a member here, David Barnert

Ah, that makes sense then. I'd referred some friends to the tutorial before, but in the future I'll make it clearer that the soundfiles are the crux, and the dots are a supplement for the dot-inclined.

Edited March 11, 2014 by MatthewVanitas

[Don Taylor]

Alan Day's Concertina Tutorial

 

This Dropbox folder contains a zip archive of all of the files of Alan Day's Concertina Tutorial that are hosted by Etan Ben-Ami.

I have provided the files in this form (a single .zip archive) simply to make it easier to download them to your own computer.

NB. The zip file is about 100mb. and will unpack into another 100mb.

[Animaterra]

Wow- Thanks, Don! (and Alan!)

 

After something of a concertina-hiatus while I focused on (sorry) piano accordion, I am playing my beloved Jeffries once again, and whaddya know, up jumps a new student! I have a feeling he only wants me to point him in the right direction, so I am going to hand him your link as well as Alan's web page.

 

Nice to see my old friends here!

[Alan Day]

Nice to see your rabbit has fully recovered from that dog bite.

Al

[Janet Dows]

OK, I have a list of tunes to record, and I'll use a 30 button concertina but ignore the 3rd row. Kind of stuck on the technicalities of actually making the videos. I experimented using my phone to record. It seems adequate. Also tried QuickTime, it's on my computer. I need to get a friend to help, too many pictures of me leaning in to turn it off, and then I move around and the instrument goes out of the picture. I don't think this will have pictures from both sides simultaneously. I did try turning back and forth so that whichever side is predominantly in use is visible - but I think it would be pretty confusing to watch. A view straight on doesn't show much of anything - not sure what is the most useful setup. Well, that's the update - haven't given up on the project, but not quite full speed ahead.

[gcoover]

Once I get the "Civil War Concertina" book out (in the next few days), I'll eventually have all 60 tunes on YouTube, and they're all for 20b Anglo, most are in the harmonic style.

 

I usually try to show a straight on view of both sides at once, and just try to remember to throw the wrists out a bit so both sides are reasonably visible. The only exception is if the bass chords would drown out the melody, then you only get to see the right side (since my cheap setup is just a single webcam with built-in mic).

 

Gary