Anglo Or English (or Duet?) - Coming From Pa

[Dieppe]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but here's a simple question following my "blah blah blah"...

 

I've played piano accordion for most of my life (well off and on) and as people here know it's the same note on draw and push. (Yeah, there are diatonic button accordions but that's not what I play. )

 

I thought it might be nice to have a smaller and more portable instrument than a 120 key bass accordion so I picked up a cheap 20 button Anglo concertina and the Del Rey book. It's pretty good book, and the instrument isn't too bad (one of those cheap Chinese ones I'm sure) but other than slightly sticky keys now and then I'm not "getting it" as easily as I would like.

 

So my question is: At this point in my concertina learning would I be best served by sticking with the 20 Anglo until I "get it" or would I be better served getting a 30 button English or Duet concertina with same-note-push-pull? I can handle the "push button, push/pull bellows, single note comes out" and maybe I'd be better not messing with that?

 

No, I don't have any particular style in mind. It'd be cool to play Irish jigs, but not necessary for example. I'd like to be able to best play with the skills I have or develop skills that won't conflict with the skills I do have.

 

Any thoughts would be welcome! (Except for "Buy a $3,000 concertina if you really want to play"... heh. )

[m3838]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but here's a simple question following my "blah blah blah"...

 

I've played piano accordion for most of my life (well off and on) and as people here know it's the same note on draw and push. (Yeah, there are diatonic button accordions but that's not what I play. )

 

I thought it might be nice to have a smaller and more portable instrument than a 120 key bass accordion so I picked up a cheap 20 button Anglo concertina and the Del Rey book. It's pretty good book, and the instrument isn't too bad (one of those cheap Chinese ones I'm sure) but other than slightly sticky keys now and then I'm not "getting it" as easily as I would like.

 

So my question is: At this point in my concertina learning would I be best served by sticking with the 20 Anglo until I "get it" or would I be better served getting a 30 button English or Duet concertina with same-note-push-pull? I can handle the "push button, push/pull bellows, single note comes out" and maybe I'd be better not messing with that?

 

No, I don't have any particular style in mind. It'd be cool to play Irish jigs, but not necessary for example. I'd like to be able to best play with the skills I have or develop skills that won't conflict with the skills I do have.

 

Any thoughts would be welcome! (Except for "Buy a $3,000 concertina if you really want to play"... heh. )

 

You're coming my way.

I spent 5 years studying Button Chromatic (its Russian B system, with single copper plates), but the realitites of my life demanded small and portable, light and chromatic instrument. I love diatonic boxes, I'm natural with them, I "got it" the moment I put my hands on cheap chinese Parrot 2 row accordion. But another reality is that when you pick the music and your instrument is 30 button fully chromatic Anglo concertina, you will have to transpose it, wrap the melody around, or jump the chords, so they start making little sense. If you are not looking for certain style, get chromatic unisonoric. Probably a Duet, so you can play all the pieces you have almost from the score. But to match PA, you need pretty darn good duet.

Also, keep in mind, that ingenious Stradella system has very low basses and chords two octaves higher. Duet's low chords may sound strange to you.

You'll have to make adjustments. Higher notes on Duet will be very squeaky, compared to PA.

An English alternates between sides, it may boggle you even more than push/pull.

Looks like the most regular and available duet will be Crane system.

Also, the bigger the Duet is, the more regular, PA-like, it's keyboard.

Smaller Duets shuffle notes at the extremities of the keyboard and "regularity" is gone.

[Mardie]

Hi

 

I played a PA when I was young, many many years ago and didn’t pick up an instrument again until it was in my late 40’s when not knowing anything about concertina’s my husband bought me a 30 key Hohner Anglo. I learnt to play Anglo in a fashion over the next year and wanted to upgrade to something better and was very lucky to got hold of a 58 key Maccann Duet, but this meant I had to learn all over again.

 

All I can say and different people have their own personal preferences and each find different styles of concertina easier to play is that I don’t think I would have ever managed to play the Anglo as well as I do the Duet and once you get the hang of it it is much more like a piano layout and chords are easy to play with the bass being on the left hand and treble on the right.

 

I did get hold of a 72 key PA and played this for a while but very quickly went back to the Concertina. Hope this helps.

[ragtimer]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but here's a simple question following my "blah blah blah"...

 

I've played piano accordion for most of my life (well off and on) and as people here know it's the same note on draw and push. (Yeah, there are diatonic button accordions but that's not what I play. )

 

I thought it might be nice to have a smaller and more portable instrument than a 120 key bass accordion so I picked up a cheap 20 button Anglo concertina and the Del Rey book. It's pretty good book, and the instrument isn't too bad (one of those cheap Chinese ones I'm sure) but other than slightly sticky keys now and then I'm not "getting it" as easily as I would like.

 

So my question is: At this point in my concertina learning would I be best served by sticking with the 20 Anglo until I "get it" or would I be better served getting a 30 button English or Duet concertina with same-note-push-pull? I can handle the "push button, push/pull bellows, single note comes out" and maybe I'd be better not messing with that?

 

No, I don't have any particular style in mind. It'd be cool to play Irish jigs, but not necessary for example. I'd like to be able to best play with the skills I have or develop skills that won't conflict with the skills I do have.

If you want to play in "the style to which you're accustomed", the closest thing to Piano Acc. is a Duet concertina. The Englsih is great for fast melodies, especially with lots of sharps and flats, but to play bass, chords, and countermelody harmonies along with the melody, a Duet is the best way to go. It will let you do what you're used to doing.

 

Duets have a left side similar to the right side, but pitched (usually) an octave lower. So you can play tunes on the LH side as well. It's true that the bass notes won't be as deep as on a PA, and the chord notes will be lower, but on a Hayden Duet you can finger the bass notes on the bottom two LH rows, and the chords on the top two rows (there are 4 rows on the LH).

 

Of course you have to finger your own chords, but that gives you freedom to voice them the way you like for the tune at that moment. Hayden Duet chords are very regular in form -- a major or minor chord in one key is the same for most other keys.

 

In fact, the Hayden keyboard is like a Stradella bass row, with every other key pushed up into a new line. Very easy to learn to play, though minor scales are a stretch (literally).

Any thoughts would be welcome! (Except for "Buy a $3,000 concertina if you really want to play"... heh. )

A decent Stagi Hayden Duet sells new for $800 - $900; sometimes you can find one cheaper on eBay.

By the time you honestly think your instrument is holding you back, you'll have saved up for a pro-level one.

Best wishes -- Mike K.