Just Ordered My First Concertina, How Can I Start Off On The Right Foo

[jdubs]

What is the best way to start learning? Should I bother about learning musical theory or just start off with just learning some songs via the fingering? Would love to be pointed to some great online resources. Thanks!

[Łukasz Martynowicz]

That heavily depends on the exact type of concertina that you'll be playing and your overall musical background.

Edited December 9, 2014 by Łukasz Martynowicz

[jdubs]

That heavily depends on the exact type of concertina that you'll be playing and your overall musical background.

I bought the Rochelle 30-key anglo concertina. My musical background was mostly vocal when I was younger, with a bit of guitar and drums.

[Wolf Molkentin]

Why don't you do both in parallel? However, good luck and

 

Best wishes - Wolf

[jdubs]

Why don't you do both in parallel? However, good luck and Best wishes - Wolf

Any suggested readings for the musical theory behind concertina play?

[Jim Besser]

What is the best way to start learning? Should I bother about learning musical theory or just start off with just learning some songs via the fingering? Would love to be pointed to some great online resources. Thanks!

 

Depends on the musical direction you want to take. If it's Irish, there are excellent books and tutorials out there, including one by c.netter Frank Edgley. If it's English harmonic style, Alan Day's online tutorial could help. Or Bertram Levy's excellent Anglo Concertina Demystified. Or Gary Coover's Anglo Concertina in Harmonic Style. For a full, versatile harmonic style, our own Jody Kruskal offers skype lessons. If it's some other musical style you're after, you may have to cobble something together from bits and pieces.

[Daniel Hersh]

Why don't you do both in parallel? However, good luck and Best wishes - Wolf

Any suggested readings for the musical theory behind concertina play?

 

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "theory" here, but I believe the Rochelle comes with an instruction manual that I've heard is pretty good. If you're talking about music theory in the traditional sense, you might want to start by learning which notes are in the major and minor chords that are easiest to find on a C/G Anglo like the Rochelle.

[Anglo-Irishman]

 

My musical background was mostly vocal when I was younger, with a bit of guitar and drums.

jdubs,

As a singer, you'll know what a melody is, and as a guitarist, you'll probably know what chords and chord sequences are, and what chords "belong" to what keys. I guess that's music theory - at any rate you'll need that if you want to play without sheet music or tablature (which is what the Anglo was invented for!).

 

The other half is learning to play the scales, so that you can eventually pick out a melody. The Operating Instructions of your Rochelle should show you what buttons to press, probably using fingering tablature. In the process, you will discover that some chords come automatically, and those that don't should be in the Operating Instructions. Even the less obvious chords are no more difficult to finger than on the guitar.

 

So blue eyed sailor is right - try both theory and fingering instructions!

 

Cheers,

John

[maki]

Welcome!

Do you read music?

As Jim asked, what kind of music did you want to play?

[jdubs]

Welcome!

Do you read music?

As Jim asked, what kind of music did you want to play?

 

Unfortunately I don't really read music...I used to be able to read enough for singing in choir but that was many years ago. I want to primarily play irish tunes, I'd like to be able to play barn dances. Also, I want to learn some hymns and some songs like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eH9f7Y-1q0

 

I'm very excited to learn, I can't wait for my concertina to arrive!

 

Oh and I love noel hill

Edited December 9, 2014 by jdubs

[maki]

It's a great time to be an adult learner of Irish music!

We have sooo many choices, most of them great.

 

http://www.oaim.ie/us

Great place to start learning Irish Trad on line.

You can start with the free lessons.

 

There are lots of good book/cd tutorial.

My favorite of many is The Concertina Diaries.

http://www.irishtunebook.com/the-concertina-diaries.php

This one has tabs that allow you to use the right button without learning

to read music. But I think that relearning would be very valuable.

Good luck!!

[maki]

One more thing.

Coovers tutorials also have a tab system that is easy to use

for a non music reader.

The Christmas book of tunes is very nice and with

the added benefit of being intimately familiar and seasonally

appropriate.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Concertina-Gary-Coover/dp/0615909663

[RAc]

.

Edited March 4, 2016 by RAc

[Bruce McCaskey]

Certainly it's not an online resource, but since you mentioned Noel Hill, you might want to look into the week-long workshops he offers in the US each summer. He accepts all levels of players.

[Dana Johnson]

As you mention Noel, his class is a great way to start. If you are just starting, he likes to have people come in at the ground level. He is a good teacher with more experience than most and knows what he is doing from the basics to the pinnacle of the profession. I've been going for 17 of the last 19 years and still find new levels of his playing to strive for. There are a lot of great concertina players out there, but I have yet to hear any with his level of mastery, both of the instrument and the music. If you go that route, reacquaint yourself with the basics of treble clef music reading. ( what note names go with which line or space from the G two spaces below the bottom line up to the B two spaces above the top line. You don't have to sight read, but he gives out sheet music of the tunes which you'll also record to help people remember the tune. He is just as happy to have you learn by ear, and the advanced class is generally expected to learn the tune by ear. The sheet music just helps sort out the trickier bits. He offers three classes East, Midwest and West coast, starting around the end of July into August ( east to west). All of my students go pretty much every year. The week long format allows in depth instruction, not just of the tunes, but ergonomics and proper playing habits, ornaments and rhythms. Classes are fun, but you'll work hard and be rewarded for your efforts. Noel is a patient teacher who tries to meet you where you are at. I don't remember the west coast venue, but if you are in the Bay Area, it should be fairly close.

Dana

[Bruce McCaskey]

Noel's west coast workshop Is held at the George Fox University Tilikum Retreat near Newberg, Oregon. That's about a 45 minute drive south/southwest of Portland.

[LindaHarmony]

I also just purchased the 30-boutton Rochelle. I've been playing recorder and flute for decades and read music easlily. The Rochelle tutorial gives some instructions for how to read music, and while I did not need this information, I was impressed with how simple and useful it was.

 

It will help to learn to read music, but I wouldn't worry too much about "theory" at this point, if you mean learning about tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords and that kind of thing.

[maki]

And a warm welcome to you as well Linda.