Help Please.

[Shaun Edwards]

Hi,

[Shaun Edwards]

Sorry, bad start pressed the wrong key.

 

I am looking to buy my first concertina, I have looked around for advice but would like to ask people who know.....

 

My favourate music is Irish Folk Music, ballards (Streets of New York, Wild Rover, Red is the rose etc) not reels or jigs and am looking for the right concertina to play this type.

 

Any suggestions, makes or possibly where I can buy the right concertina and how much should I be paying.

 

Thanks

 

Shaun.

[StuartEstell]

I'll answer with some more questions:

• Do you want to accompany your own singing, or mainly play the tunes of these songs?
• What other instruments do you play already, if any?
• Do you read music / play largely by ear / both / neither?

There's no "right" answer but the more we know, the more we can help you to focus your search for the right instrument for you.

[Patrick McMahon]

Sorry, bad start pressed the wrong key.

 

I am looking to buy my first concertina, I have looked around for advice but would like to ask people who know.....

 

My favourate music is Irish Folk Music, ballards (Streets of New York, Wild Rover, Red is the rose etc) not reels or jigs and am looking for the right concertina to play this type.

 

Any suggestions, makes or possibly where I can buy the right concertina and how much should I be paying.

 

Thanks

 

Shaun.

Going by what you've said, any of the concertina types would be ok. But given that you like Irish Folk Music, I would go for an anglo in the keys of C and G. Because even though you don't want to play jigs and reels, you will find that most players of the Irish style play one of those.

So if you ever want to play with other concertina players who play Irish music, the chances are, that's what they'll be playing.

The same applies if you were to take lessons from someone who plays mainly Irish. They will probably be playing an anglo C/G.

 

As far as prices go, how long is a piece of string? You can go from £100 to £5,000+

Depends on age, quality and condition.

 

For £300 to £500 you can get a real concertina that sounds like the real thing and plays well, has a history, and keeps it's value over the years.

But you can get some bargains for a fair bit less too, if you know what to look for.

[Shaun Edwards]

I'll answer with some more questions:

 

• Do you want to accompany your own singing, or mainly play the tunes of these songs?
• What other instruments do you play already, if any?
• Do you read music / play largely by ear / both / neither?

There's no "right" answer but the more we know, the more we can help you to focus your search for the right instrument for you.

Hi, mainly playing the tunes to these songs, I am at the minute learning the piano and can only play by reading music, again I am still a beginner at reading the sheet music.

[Stephen Chambers]

From what I recall, folk singers who have sung to a concertina in an Irish context have generally done so with an English system instrument.

 

I'm thinking especially of Frank Harte's records with Alf Edwards on concertina, Liam Clancy (Clancy Brothers) and Terry Woods (Pogues).

 

And it's much easier to play an English from sheet music...

[Shaun Edwards]

From what I recall, folk singers who have sung to a concertina in an Irish context have generally done so with an English system instrument.

 

I'm thinking especially of Frank Harte's records with Alf Edwards on concertina, Liam Clancy (Clancy Brothers) and Terry Woods (Pogues).

 

And it's much easier to play an English from sheet music...

Thanks for that. I've bought a Wheatstone English. Thanks for your comments.