Festive learning

[TinkerPhil]

I have tried a few online books and a couple of physical english concertina tutor books but my interest is waning because I just don't know most of the classic folk songs they want me to learn.

 

Is there a very basic christmas carol music book that would suit an absolute beginner with a 30 key "Jackie" english concertina?

 

If I buy that and crack on I might be useful on one or two carols by christmas!

 

Hahaha - my little fingers hurt!

[gcoover]

Although Christmas Concertina is written with tabs for the Anglo, it does have the melodies for 50 Christmas songs in standard musical notation along with chord symbols, so perhaps that might suit?

 

It's available from Red Cow Music in the UK as well as all the various Amazons.

 

Gary

[Don Taylor]

+1 on Gary's book which has the added advantage that Gary has a Youtube channel where he plays through all of the tunes:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDAFAr6LGkx00TCsStaX_TeJLAgvK0bgZ

 

Then there is Paul Hardy's Christmas Tunebook which is available as a PDF and as an ABC file:

https://pghardy.net/tunebooks/

 

Paul's site is well worth exploring, especially if you play EC, as he has recorded himself playing EC on most of the tunes in his tunebooks in both slow and normal speeds.  If you are not already a fluent reader of music then you might find that learning by ear from Paul's recordings to be a lot less frustrating than working through tutor books without a teacher to demonstrate tunes for you.

 

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

It's a good idea certainly to listen to someone playing and follow along [ with the music] as you learn. Don't give in with your enthusiasm, and between the academic attempts of learning the tunes  - just sit there and try your instrument out by pressing the buttons and 'letting go with the sound'.  And you will allow your free mind to guide your fingers in all kinds of ways; there's one thing for certain here, and it's that once you made a mistake, say a horrible discord, or the like - you will learn from that soon enough not to do it again! 😊

[TinkerPhil]

Thank you all for your quick responses!

 

I will add the book to my shopping list and take a look at the online options - I need to find a way get the music from them onto a bigger screen

 

As to shouting "discord"s - LOL

 

Surprisingly it does not make me that angry - I rarely make more than a Grrrr sound - maybe I will progress to discords 😉

 

[TinkerPhil]

I bought the book (and a music stand) - hopefully the neighbours won't be too traumatised when I go carolling

[SIMON GABRIELOW]

We don't get any carol singers round my area these days! ...So I say you go ahead and let 'em all hear a good tune; you could get some pocket money also for the effort!🙂