Don Halter

[Don H]

I have a question as a newby. I have ever seen a concertina in real life. I am 90 years old and was wondering if I can learn the concertina..

I have many more questions, but I don’t want to be a pest.

Please just answer if it is feasible for me to continue with my questions?

 

Thanks,

Don Halter

from Houston,Tx, uSA

 

 

 

[arti]

Yes

[richard]

Hi Don

 

I've been playing concertina for about 20 years and it is one the best things in my life. It is a great project to take on.

 

I have recently become a senior citizen too and I have worked with elders for 25 years with my main focus on working with folks with dementia so I appreciate keeping our minds stimulated and growing!

 

For myself aside from the great pleasure and gratification I know playing the concertina is profoundly good for my brain. By learning to play the instrument in general, learning new tunes(by ear), and keeping those tunes in my head it is invaluable.

Each day something that was troublesome to learn or achieve the day before gets a bit better. 

 

I recommend taking the leap and get one and maybe a teacher to get you off to a good start.

 

Richard

 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by richard

[mandojoe]

I'm days away from age 71.  I've just taken up concertina (Maccann duet) and bandoneón and guitar.  I  am hoping that by age 90 I'll find the time to add arch-lute and pipe organ to my schedule.  But until then, I anticipate no problems asking questions here ... or anywhere else.  Musicians are kind.  Good luck!

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

You are never too old to learn [ an old saying goes] and its true.  There's nothing better at keeping the brain cells buzzing than by trying out new experiences; and don't let people put you off either.

Concertinas are great for all ages; and there's one to suit every individual.  There's several type of system you would have to consider; the anglo, or english [or maybe duet].. They have different ways of producing notes, but are all part of the free reed family of instruments.  Maybe you can find someone who will let you try one out?  Have a go and best of luck.

 

[Randy Stein]

If you start today think how good you'll be in 10 years

[Mike Franch]

I started learning the concertina after I retired, at almost 69. I realize that is quite younger than you are, but I think my thinking holds. I didn't know if I'd be any good at it, but I thought that even if I were bad at it, it would be better than not being able to play at all. I'm not a great player, but neither am I a bad player, and I've gotten tremendous enjoyment out of it. And, to my surprise, some people even seem to enjoy my playing! So go for it!

[Don H]

Thanks all for the replies. 

 

I have no experience with any type of musical instruments and have always wanted to enjoy the mental benefits.

 

I am looking around the area  where I live to find a person or store that has a concertina that I can put my hands on one.

 

I am reading all I can. To learn about concertinas and have somewhat settled on a Anglo, 20 button. I am confused on the 

difference between Diatonic or Chromatic?

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Hello, you will find that Anglo concertinas are generally termed as being Diatonic; and the rows of buttons are set in a particular range of key tone eg; one row may be in. C and another row in G. 

English concertinas are chromatic.  But Anglo concertinas have a chromatic choice within them never the less.. that can allow quite a wide range of music to be played .

Anglo (20 key ) usually have a choice of a couple of natural and sharp within them,( but not as many as 30 key models), but they are very popular and accessible ( in my mind) also as introduction to concertina world.

Keep in mind you have two notes on one button on Anglo .. eg; you push in and get one note, and pull out and get another note.

 

If you listen to others playing you will be amazed at how good 20 key type of concertina can sound; we have one particular member on this net. Who is uniquely skilled on 20 key Anglo concertina. 

I started on 20 key Anglo and played it for years before changing to more buttons. ..

 

 

[David Barnert]

7 hours ago, Don H said:

I am confused on the difference between Diatonic or Chromatic?

 

That’s because the two words are used confusingly in the concertina world.

 

Music is called diatonic if the notes in a given melody or piece are restricted to the notes of a scale, for instance, the white noted on a piano. If you play nothing but white notes, you are playing diatonic music. Chromatic music is music that includes the notes in between (the black notes, or accidentals). It’s not just a white notes/black notes thing. The same holds for scales that include some black notes, where some white notes become the “in between” notes. For instance, if you are limited to D E F# G A B C# then F natural and C natural become the accidentals, and including them would turn diatonic music into chromatic music.

 

So what does this have to do with concertinas?

 

Some concertinas can play every note, white and black, over a wide range. These concertinas are called chromatic concertinas, because they can play chromatic music. They also generally are concertinas where each button plays the same note whether you are squeezing or stretching the bellows.

 

Some concertinas are limited in the notes they can play. Usually they are limited to the notes not of one scale, but to two, and often the missing notes are provided in an extra row of buttons, but most of the buttons are arranged in scales, diatonically. These concertinas are referred to (you guessed it) as diatonic concertinas. They are more commonly called anglo concertinas. Each button plays two different notes depending on whether you are squeezing or stretching the bellows.

 

Because there is a correlation between diatonic <-> different notes on squeeze/draw and chromatic <-> same note on squeeze/draw, many concertina players think the definition of diatonic vs. chromatic is whether each button plays the same notes or different notes on squeeze/draw, so you will often see concertinas described as diatonic or chromatic based on that distinction, even if the word doesn’t really describe whether the music they play is diatonic or chromatic.

 

I hope this isn’t too confusing, but as we both have said, it’s a confusing subject. Bottom line is that if a concertina is described as diatonic, it is probably an anglo that plays different notes on the squeeze and the draw and if a concertina is described as chromatic, it is probably an English or duet concertina that plays the same notes on the squeeze and the draw.

[alex_holden]

1 hour ago, David Barnert said:

I hope this isn’t too confusing, but as we both have said, it’s a confusing subject. Bottom line is that if a concertina is described as diatonic, it is probably an anglo that plays different notes on the squeeze and the draw and if a concertina is described as chromatic, it is probably an English or duet concertina that plays the same notes on the squeeze and the draw.

 

Except for the term "Anglo-chromatic" which typically refers to Anglos with three rows and at least 30 buttons. The third row contains the accidental notes that are missing from the (diatonic) 20 buttons of the first and second rows.

[hjcjones]

Don't get too confused by the diatonic/chromatic distinction. What is far more important is that there are three main types of concertina, and although they look similar they have very different keyboard layouts and are very different to play.

 

The English concertina is fully chromatic, and the buttons play the same note whether you are pulling or squeezing the bellows.  The scale alternates between left and right hands.  It can play both melody and chords, although it seems to be a bit more difficult to do both (at least, comparatively few players seem to do so). This may be a good choice if you already read music, since each button represents a single note on the stave.

 

The Anglo is based on the diatonic scale, but those with more buttons have the additional notes which make them chromatic.  The buttons play a different note on push and pull, like a harmonica.  The low notes are on the left and higher notes on the right.  Again it can play both melody and chords, and playing melody on the right hand and chords on the left is fairly straightforward.  There is also the Irish style which is largely melody with only occasional chords.  Many find the anglo is more intuitive and easier to play than other systems for someone with no previous musical experience. 

 

The Duet is fully chromatic and plays the same note in both directions, but with low notes on the left and high notes on the right.  This allows full accompaniment without the bellows changes of the Anglo. If you have previously played piano you might find this system relatable.  However there are several different duet keyboard layouts.

 

Your choice may also depend on the style of music you want to play.  For example, for Irish music the Anglo is the usual choice.  To play classical, English or Duet would probably be better.

 

The question which system to choose often comes up, and you should find plenty of answers on here.  Of course, the overriding factor may be what is available to you - I became an Anglo player simply because that was what was in the shop.

[David Barnert]

12 hours ago, Don H said:

I am looking around the area  where I live to find a person or store that has a concertina that I can put my hands on one.

 

If you tell us what part of the world you’re in, maybe we can point you in the right direction.

 

4 hours ago, David Barnert said:

I hope this isn’t too confusing, but as we both have said, it’s a confusing subject. Bottom line is that if a concertina is described as diatonic, it is probably an anglo that plays different notes on the squeeze and the draw and if a concertina is described as chromatic, it is probably an English or duet concertina that plays the same notes on the squeeze and the draw.

3 hours ago, alex_holden said:

Except for the term "Anglo-chromatic" which typically refers to Anglos with three rows and at least 30 buttons. The third row contains the accidental notes that are missing from the (diatonic) 20 buttons of the first and second rows.

 

Yes, that’s why I said “probably.”

[Don H]

I want to express a hearty thank you for the fantastic explanations. Thank You, Thank You.

 

In answer to an above question, I live just south of Houston, Texas. I spent 57 years in aerospace as an engineer.

 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

I hope you let everyone know how you get on, once you have decided on which concertina you acquire.

You will get lots of encouragement I am certain from everyone here on net.

[David Barnert]

2 hours ago, David Barnert said:

If you tell us what part of the world you’re in, maybe we can point you in the right direction.

1 hour ago, Don H said:

In answer to an above question, I live just south of Houston, Texas.

 

I can think of two concertina players in Texas: Dan Worrall I think is in your area, and Jim Bayliss is in Austin. Dan plays the anglo concertina (and has written books on the subject) and Jim plays the Hayden duet concertina. You can get in touch with either of them by clicking the links on their names and then clicking the “Message” link at the top of the page.

 

There is also an annual music festival in Palestine, TX that includes concertinas. It’s in March, and the web site still anticipates the 2022 festival.

[Mikefule]

Hi, Don.

 

The Anglo is designed to be intuitive. Each row is tuned like a harmonica (mouth organ) and it is simple to pick out familiar tunes by ear.

 

If you can whistle or hum a melody, you can pick out a tune on an Anglo. Easy starter tunes include When the Saints go Marching In, Red River Valley, Donkey Riding, Camptown Race Track, Oh Susannah,  and many more.

 

The tricky thing, at first, with an Anglo is that each button produces 2 different notes, one on the push, one on the pull.

 

A skilled player can get hundreds of tunes out of a simple 20 button Anglo. However, some tunes are easier with a 30 button.

 

The English is fully chromatic.  That means it has all the notes including the "black notes" on a piano. This makes it very versatile as you can play things like violin or flute tunes in almost any key.

 

The "simple" thing about the English concertina is that you get the same note whether you push or pull. However,  the "tricky" thing is that the scale alternates between left hand and right hand.

 

Starting late in life with limited musical experience,  you may find the Anglo is more accessible.

 

Whatever you decide, practise for a few minutes every day, and enjoy it. It is not a test or a competition; the only measure of success is that you enjoy it.

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

Do not be afraid of trying out very basic tunes at the beginning to get you started; and do not be put off if progress seems slow at the start.. as improvements in any skill come through trying methods out in the real world, along with a bit of theory as you go along.