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Hiatus From Playing Concertina


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Wow Alan, my story is sooo similar,

 

I was playing very seriously as a "professional" (read broke and itenerant) musician in a couple of bands in California in the 1970's. We toured and worked every weekend. After one tour I just chucked it in. I didn't play for a number of months, and after that have never played for money. I would and will sit in with other bands but I don't want to ever again think of music as anything but pleasure.

 

I can say for certain that because of this I have become a much better player. I also know that if I were to ever have reunion with any of my old groups, I would still be able to pick up right where we left off. In fact I would have more to add.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hiatus From Playing Concertina, Ever taken a break of a year or more?

 

Yes. My Hohner 30-button concertina became too decrepit to play a year ago. Since then I have happily been playing my D/G melodeon but I'm afraid the concertina still has an attraction for me. (Although I couldn't really say what the attraction is. I suppose it's the different style - I like to think of it as a fiddle.)

 

I'm waiting for enough money to fork out for a Norman Anglo then I shall be able to return to the concertina.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I've even had the experience more than once of discovering that my playing -- of one instrument or another -- had improved after a long lapse, as if I had actually been practicing during the pause.  The brain continuing the process of making neural connections even in the absence of outward effort?  I wonder. :unsure:

 

I've found that my playing has improved after enforced absences from the instrument, and for me the improvement comes from my fingers being more prepared to try unfamiliar patterns when all the usual patterns I use haven't been reinforced day in, day out.

 

I started playing C/G anglo by going along the rows. Then I read about playing across the rows and thought, "this is great. This is how I want to play." :) But it was so confusing that I could only do with the book sat in front of me. :unsure: So I gave up playing for over a year and wasn't as confused when I started again.

 

The move to G/D is going a lot more smoothly. B)

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I have just read this topic and found it very interesting. When the topic was started I opted out of reading the replies because at the time it didn't interest me.

 

One of the problems/delights of these forums is topic drift. Sometimes its hard to find the time to read everything, particularly after an absence of a few days. I see that my reply is drifting from the topic.

 

I took a hiatus from playing the concertina see here, but I don't remember having the experiences that others seem to have had. I did eventually get better though after much practice

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I think that the longest I have gone without a concertina to play has been 4 weeks, some years ago, when my wife and I walked the Pennine Way. I didn't notice any effects of the deprevation, positive or negative. Perhaps 4 weeks isn't long enough!

I wonder whether I could plan a repeat journey, stopping at folk clubs each night?

 

Robin Madge

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