The Importance Of Choosing The Right Instrument...

[Bruce McCaskey]

I attended the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle this last weekend (May 26th to 29th). Details are on my website but I'll warn in advance that the concertina presence at the festival was very slight.

 

The point of this posting is to provide a link to a photo I took of one of the many buskers at the festival. Clearly they picked the wrong free-reed instrument if they peaked so young, I'm certain that had they played concertinas their best days would still be ahead of them.

 

Bruce

 

Click the image to see the full sized version

 

 

I had a working link at one time, but thanks to Ratface for catching the hole - I've edited it to include the link this time (I hope).

Edited May 30, 2006 by Bruce McCaskey

[RatFace]

Here is the full-size version

[catty]

The instrument I chose has its shortcomings too: it's an old wooden 3 row button box with bellows held together with bandage tape. It looks (and sounds) funky. But, being unable to afford a decent concertina, it was (and is) the right instrument for me!

 

What, pray tell, does a person do when one wants to play duet concertina...?

[Bruce McCaskey]

I'm not sure just what to suggest.

 

Maybe find someone that has a duet, become their best friend and then visit them often?

[catty]

So, um...do you got one?...

[JimLucas]

So, um...do you got one?...

I have more than one, but I live in Denmark. Catty, where do you live?

[Dirge]

You start saving and do a lot of diligent asking and digging until something comes out of the woodwork. There are a lot of different opinions as to value though, some of the higher ones from otherwise thoroughly reputable people so do your homework. What about going to one of the concertina jamborees? They often have dealers there I believe?

[catty]

I live in Montana, USA. Thanks for asking Jim.

 

Here're my issues; I think it somewhat germaine to this topic:

 

I'm a life-long musician who has come to the concertina only about four months ago. I began doing music therapy work full-time about nine months ago. After the first month I grew bored with playing so much guitar and banjo, so I started playing mandolin and now use it primarily as it is such a portable and verstatile instrument. Since developing my "chops" on anglo concertina, I'm able to entertain with it for 1-2 hours, and I find that my clients respond particularly well to "accordian" music--that is, reed and bellows instruments. Now, I travel about primarily with fiddle, concertina and mandolin. Being rather poor, I obtained an old 3 row button accordian with steel reeds, which assuages my need for a "real" instrument. I haven't used it in work yet because it is so darn cumbersome (compared with concertina..). So, if I had had opportunity to start with duet concertina, which I feel is about as perfect an instrument as exists, I believe much of my problem would be solved: I have a roomful of stringed instruments, that I believe is compensation for never having studied piano.