How did you find your way to concertina?

[Capitanya]

On 1/6/2024 at 2:35 PM, Allen Garvin said:

video from 2022

That's wonderful. I'm so jealous. I want a group to play with. 

[Dimble]

Last year I decided to try my hand at playing Irish traditional music. Since my Jazz trumpet timber and volume wouldn't be welcome at a session, I started listening to ITM recordings with as many instruments as possible. I loved the sound and versatility of the concertin in those recordings.  I tried playing the first anglo I could lay my hands on, and promptly ordered a Hayden duet. Love the concertina, hate how many rules the Anglo key layout nearly follows. Hayden just makes sense to me. I'm waiting on a Jay concertina now. 

[Leah Velleman]

11 hours ago, Dimble said:

hate how many rules the Anglo key layout nearly follows

Well put! (I do play the Anglo, but the near-consistency in cases where full consistency would have been possible is still maddening to me.)

[David Barnert]

3 minutes ago, Leah Velleman said:

Well put! (I do play the Anglo, but the near-consistency in cases where full consistency would have been possible is still maddening to me.)

 

May I suggest the Hayden? (One rule to rule them all)

[Leah Velleman]

Nah, I'm having too much fun being maddened.

[Clive Thorne]

Took up morris dancing when I was around 17 (1975 ish), which was, as far as I recall, the first time that I encountered concertinas/melodeons. Bought myself a trusty Hohner pokerwork about 4 years later, and a 20 key Lachenal about 4 years after that.  Then, being single and without cares and woes, bought my current 36 key anglo. Then got married and kids came along so the concertina was sidelined while I concentrated on the melodeon, which I was better at, and played for morris dancing (when not dancing).  Kids have now lefty home &  I am retired, so now taking the concertina more seriously, having lessons etc.

 

Hoping to get back into a Morris team this year (As a musician - my knees are shot) to get into playing out again.

 

[Syncopepper]

Many years ago I was walking with my wife past a pawnship in the Washington DC area when she caught me giving lascivious looks at a red, mother-of-toilet seat, German anglo concertina. Low and behold a short time later it turned up as a going-a-way present when I left a job.

I fooled around with it and learned maybe a dozen tunes but the magic had gone out of our union. Too much sucking and blowing. I didn't do much harmonica playing for the same reason.

In those days I regularly attended a local english-style folk club - The Reston - Herndon Folk Club. Alistair Anderson was touring and did a concert at the club. I had the luck to sit with Alistair for dinner and discuss concertinas. He convinced me that the EC was the one for me.

I traded Red in for a 48 key Trinity College tenor EC and never looked back.

[Fanie]

I played harmonica since the age of 12 and later, when I grew up, I played bugle and trumpet in a military band. But here in South Africa the concertina and banjo are king in Boere music and I always wanted to play concertina and banjo. When the Covid 19 lockdown started I decided "now is the time". I ordered one of those cheap red Chinese 20 button Anglo concertinas and a banjo ukulele from China. It took nine months to be delivered. And then it was me and Youtube to learn to play.

[Roo boy]

After playing the banjo for 20 years, it no longer challenged my brain. 

I wanted another instrument that 1) was challenging, 2) could concurrently play melody and accompaniment.

The anglo being a typical early Australian instrument helped sway me, along with the relatively affordable starter instrument prices. 

Listening to Comac Begley sealed the deal

Edited January 28 by Roo boy

[Nick Oliver]

I was learning Morris Dancing rather than studying at London University, and borrowed a G/D Melodeon from the foreman, Hugh Rippon in 1963/4. I didn't get on on with the left hand and could read music (on a recorder as a kid) so Hugh suggested a concertina. I bought a second-hand 20 button German/Italian Anglo job through Exchange & Mart for £4 four days before I sat for Finals at University, got a Pass degree, and learnt to play it alongside the regular musicians at Hammersmith Morris, Hugh, John Kirkpatrick (playing his G/D/A diatonic Jimmy Shand box), Howard Gorringe (later of Wessex Morris) and others.

A year or two later, at home at my parents in Leicester I went round all the music shops in Leicester in Yellow Pages asking for metal ended concertinas (I assumed all Old instruments were metal-ended!), and was shown several more Stagis, until at the last one the girl asked her mate there 'What's that in the loft?', brought it down and I bought a 1890's vintage 30 button Lachenal anglo in C/G for. I think, £8. It was playable but well worn so I played , (and started using chords!) then took it to Crab's shop in Liverpool Road in Islington, Harry Crabb (I assume) restored it, new  straps, valves, bellows, box all for, I think, £12 and I played it for Morris for the next thirty-five years with Hammersmith, Thames Valley, Faithful City (Worcester) and Ilmington Morris sides.

By then I had a Jeffries, two Dippers, a single action 36 button English system baritone and some English trebles which my wife learnt and plays.

We have now moved to near Thornbury, in the North Bristol area, so I am looking for a Morris side to play for (Too old and unfit to dance now)

 

Nick Oliver

[Clive Thorne]

3 hours ago, Nick Oliver said:

 John Kirkpatrick (playing his G/D/A diatonic Jimmy Shand box),

 

 

Pedant alert/ I suspect that JK's a three row 'Jimmy Shand' box would have been B/C/C#  / Pedant alert

Edited January 28 by Clive Thorne

[Nick Oliver]

Yes, of course it is B/C/C# - he was still playing the same one a couple of years ago.

Nick