Sharon Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Good evening ladies and gents. Just introducing myself to you now that I'm finally about to embark on my concertina adventure. As a complete beginner, I don't expect to be making any useful contributions to the forums for some time yet, but I'm very excited for this new challenge and I really want to tell people. You've drawn the short straw! The English system appeals to me, for it's logicality of layout and versatility as I'm not looking to become fluent in any particular musical style......in fact I'm not expecting to become very capable at all! That's not false modesty, btw, it's realism - piano lessons as a kid and years attempting to master the folk harp (along with a hopeless go at the ukulele which is best not talked about ) have taught me that my interest in music far outstrips my ability. What I'm hoping for (eventually) is a low-level proficiency just for my own enjoyment, and hopefully without driving my husband insane (again - ukulele!). He's being very brave about the impending ear-assault, even to the extent that he's ordered me the Jackie for Christmas. I've gathered from my researches that the Jackie is more 'cheap and cheerful' than 'cheap and nasty'. I hope I've interpreted that rightly. I shall begin by working from the tutor that comes with the Jackie, along with some YouTube tutorials I've found by a chap called Martyn (his YT channel is nytram1309), but if anyone can recommend other resources I'd be very grateful. Anyhoo, that's all for now. Sharon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Scannell Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Welcome to the forum and welcome to the fun. I started with a Jackie and Martyn's YT lessons. It is a great beginning. You'll do fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maki Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Welcome to the forum. "a low-level proficiency just for my own enjoyment" Me too. Keep at it and you'll probably exceed your expectations. English is a great all around system and an added benefit is that good vintage instruments are more affordable than old anglos. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcoover Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 Sharon, welcome to the EC! I cannot recommend the Frank Butler tutor too highly, and it's available online for free. It's a great way to get started and teach some great tunes too. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 >English is a great all around system and an added benefit is>that good vintage instruments are more affordable than old anglos. Now why is that, I wonder? Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thank you very much for the warm welcome. @Patrick: "I started with a Jackie and Martyn's YT lessons. It is a great beginning." Marvellous, looks like my understanding was right then - that's a relief! @Maki: "Keep at it and you'll probably exceed your expectations." I shall certainly be giving it my best shot! @Gary: "I cannot recommend the Frank Butler tutor too highly" Thank you very much for that - I've found and downloaded it. I also downloaded the scan of the Salvation Army book that a member kindly shared on this site. Plenty of materials for me to be going on with - between them they should be able to get through the ....er.....'natural resistance' that is,,,well,,,me! @Roger: I'm going to guess that the higher desirability, and hence prices, of the Anglos, is due to the popularity of specifically Irish music. It certainly does seem that's why many turn their gaze to the concertina in the first place, with a particular wish to focus on that style. For those of us who don't, the happy effect is we might save a few £ or $. Again, thank you all for the responses. Happy squeezings! Sharon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Stein Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 The EC is a wonderful instrument and will bring you great joy. But you should not be so self deprecating about what level of proficiency you will play. I have a friend who started playing guitar 11 years ago having never previously any musical experience or played any instrument . Now we jam and he is quite good. Stay with it and enjoy. rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share Posted December 22, 2014 Thank you Randy for the encouragement! My ukulele fiasco was a physical one - my fingers simply couldn't get into the right shapes and positions. I couldn't get them to play a single chord, cleanly, after a whole year before I gave it up. I have a reasonably good ear and a basic grasp of theory - I just don't work well with strings. So, I certainly intend to be giving the EC my all - I've always been diligent about devoting time for practice and I'm old enough and experienced enough to forbear any frustration before 'the penny drops', so to speak, when learning new things. Patience with oneself (usually) rewards. Sharon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Wooff Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) Sharon, welcome to Cnet and good luck with learning the Concertina. I have tried several of the other keyboards but still come back to the English as the most versatile if one enjoys many different types of music. My advice is that although these starter model concertinas, like the Jackie, are a boon to those who wish to ease into the world of concertina... certainly nothing like it existed when many of us started... I suggest that as soon as you feel that you are going to get somewhere with the EC it will be time to start looking for an upgrade. Good luck, Geoff. Edited December 22, 2014 by Geoff Wooff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted December 22, 2014 Share Posted December 22, 2014 The English system appeals to me, for it's logicality of layout... That's quite a good point to start from (which is not everybody's apparently)! Diatonic center + accicentals adjacent, fiths and triads at hand, ornamentations spreading over the two sides - guess you'll love all that like I do... A warm welcome to the EC from me as well, best wishes - Wolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Hare Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 (edited) @Roger: I'm going to guess that the higher desirability, and hence prices, of the Anglos, is due to the popularity of specifically Irish music. It certainly does seem that's why many turn their gaze to the concertina in the first place, with a particular wish to focus on that style. For those of us who don't, the happy effect is we might save a few £ or $. Interesting. My take on this was that English instruments were more expensive than Anglos when the instruments were actually produced (I get the impression that English were 'middle-class', Anglos were 'working-class'). Simple extrapolation down the years would tend to make one think that the price differential would be maintained. Apparently not - and a perfecty sensible reason why not. Thank you. Personally I don't intend to do Irish. I shall be concentrating on English music with some nautical stuff and a few Breton 'fest-noz' tunes thrown in when I can track ,em down. Roger Edited December 23, 2014 by lachenal74693 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 You can play anything on an Anglo until the instrument proves otherwise ! My Anglo is not ' class-conscious' ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Molkentin Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My Anglo is not ' class-conscious' ! ...nor is my English! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 Interesting. My take on this was that English instruments were more expensive than Anglos when the instruments were actually produced (I get the impression that English were 'middle-class', Anglos were 'working-class'). You could carry that a step or two further: The EC was more expensive because it had two reeds for each note and reeds are expensive. And it was its relative affordability that made the AC so popular in Ireland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maccannic Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 My ukulele fiasco was a physical one - my fingers simply couldn't get into the right shapes and positions. I couldn't get them to play a single chord, cleanly This is not meant to be as unbelievably sexist as it might appear - but did you file your nails before trying to play the uke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.elliott Posted December 23, 2014 Share Posted December 23, 2014 (edited) >English is a great all around system and an added benefit is >that good vintage instruments are more affordable than old anglos. Now why is that, I wonder? Roger Edited December 23, 2014 by d.elliott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcolm clapp Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 My take on this was that English instruments were more expensive than Anglos when the instruments were actually produced And even in slightly more recent times, second-hand. My first concertina was a Jeffries 30 key anglo, purchased in 1967 from a dealer for 8 quid. The only reason I bought it was that I couldn't afford any of the English models he had for sale, so bought the best anglo he had. Too long ago to recall details of his English models, but I don't think they were anything fantastic, and started at around 50% more than the Jeffries. Around 50% more buttons may have been his justification :-) Dunno. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Wilson Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Hello Sharon, Welcome, welcome, welcome. I do hope you enjoy your journey with the english concertina. It is a great little instrument for all sorts of music styles. A couple of years ago I was talking to a musical friend, a very accomplished musician, and regarding myself as a plodder I said I'll never be a musician like you. I said you've got it in your bones whereas I have to really work at it. He said no,no I work at it, musicians like me work at it. I still don't agree, some people just have what it takes but I thought OK I'm gonna work at it and we'll see what happens. That was maybe two years ago and I've been working, some hours(2 -3) each (most) days. It does make a difference. Not everyone is or can be as motivated. Whatever, as long as it's enjoyable. But what what you get out will be proportional to what you put in. Seasons greetings to you and to all. Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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