advice please - ease of transition from piano - which concertina?

[Gail_Smith]

I play EC. For me the  difficulties currently arise when trying to sight-read  dots that suddenly hit you with an A# or a Db. Because they are not where I want them to be.  I suspect this is something i will get better at in future and eventually it won't be a problem... but it is at the moment. I have no idea if this is also a problem with the various duet systems. 

[Pianist]

10 hours ago, Gail_Smith said:

I play EC. For me the  difficulties currently arise when trying to sight-read  dots that suddenly hit you with an A# or a Db. Because they are not where I want them to be.  I suspect this is something i will get better at in future and eventually it won't be a problem... but it is at the moment. I have no idea if this is also a problem with the various duet systems. 

 

If you're sight reading, you should scan the piece for "fun" bits e.g. B to E  on the same side or A# / Db then it becomes a bit easier.

[Anglo-Irishman]

Easiest concertina for a pianist to learn? Crane duet!

I base this statement on an anecdote ...

At my company's summer fête, I ran a stall for children to try out musical instruments. Guitar, banjo, mandolin, of course, but also Autoharp and Waldzither. And my two concertinas, an Anglo and a Crane.

One little girl - perhaps 11 or 12 years old - wanted to try a concertina. She said she had piano lessons, so I gave her the Crane, and explained that the middle 3 columns were her "white" piano keys, and showed her middle C and told her how to play the next notes in the scale of C major. By the time she'd reached the C above middle C, she seemed quite comfortable with it, so I said, "Just keep on going," and she made it through the next octave without a mistake. "Great!" I said, "Now do the same with your left hand!" - and she did! 

 

As I say, just an anecdote ...

 

Cheers,

John