Just Started Learning

[Gary]

Hello all, I have been learning for 1 week now on a borrowed Hohner 20 button Anglo, and I just have a few questions about practice time and structure.

 

I have two books I'm using, Melbay's book by Frank J. Converse, which seems to represent the 20 button Anglo I'm using very well. Also a book by Roger Watson but I think this is more for the 30 key Anglo.

I have also got John Williams DVD which on first inspection seems good but may need me to use the pause button on the remote a lot.

 

My question is about practice, what to practice, how much time to practice and the content of that practice.

Are there any warm up exercises I should do as a start to a practice session, scales for example. learning

tunes in the books are difficult when I don't know what they sound like, although this does push you to learn to read music notation properly from scratch, but a resource of tunes in mp3 or wav would be great.

Is 1 hour a night enough and how do I structure my time properly.

 

Your help in this matter will be gratefully appreciated.

 

Apart from the initial frustrations of anything new I'm really looking forward to progressing with this instrument, I'm actually having great fun learning.

 

Kind regards

Gary.

[stevejay]

Hello all, I have been learning for 1 week now on a borrowed Hohner 20 button Anglo, and I just have a few questions about practice time and structure.

 

I have two books I'm using, Melbay's book by Frank J. Converse, which seems to represent the 20 button Anglo I'm using very well. Also a book by Roger Watson but I think this is more for the 30 key Anglo.

I have also got John Williams DVD which on first inspection seems good but may need me to use the pause button on the remote a lot.

 

My question is about practice, what to practice, how much time to practice and the content of that practice.

Are there any warm up exercises I should do as a start to a practice session, scales for example. learning

tunes in the books are difficult when I don't know what they sound like, although this does push you to learn to read music notation properly from scratch, but a resource of tunes in mp3 or wav would be great.

Is 1 hour a night enough and how do I structure my time properly.

 

Your help in this matter will be gratefully appreciated.

 

Apart from the initial frustrations of anything new I'm really looking forward to progressing with this instrument, I'm actually having great fun learning.

 

Kind regards

Gary.

 

Hi Gary,

 

In short, it is better to practice slowly, then build speed gradually every day at least 20 minutes a day rather than a marathon session on a Sunday. This is how the mind retains best. I need to remind myself of this as well...

 

The Frank Edgely book will be ok for a 20 button, and has a CD of the tunes. The book will be somewhat limited until you get a 30 button, but many of the tunes will be playable on a 20 button. When you can afford it, consider a 30 button Rochelle, it will open up some musical horizons and available teaching materials. I had a twenty button, now have a 30, and would never consider 20 buttons again. I hope I don't sound harsh, but I've been there.

 

Steve

Edited November 20, 2006 by stevejay

[PeterT]

learning tunes in the books are difficult when I don't know what they sound like, although this does push you to learn to read music notation properly from scratch, but a resource of tunes in mp3 or wav would be great.

Is 1 hour a night enough and how do I structure my time properly.

Hi Gary,

 

Good luck with your adventure. I happened to notice someone reading a posting from Lester Bailey, and bookmarked this site:

 

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/goldfrog/lester/music.html

 

Music and mp3

 

Don't know whether it's the type of tunes which you like, but the mp3 recordings are played at a slow tempo.

 

Regards,

Peter.