So Far So Good

[Gary]

Hello, I thought I'd let you know how I'm getting on with the concertina from a complete beginners point of view.

 

Firstly after trying the Anglo and the English out I decided to go for the English because I really wanted to learn how to read music and to me personally the English seemed the right choice.

 

I went for a Jackie from The Music Room and found the staff there very helpful indeed, because I live on Skye I couldn't pop in to see them so the time they spent answering questions on the phone was much appreciated.( A big public thank you to Jill !! )

 

Because I was new to the instrument and also new to the concept of practise I decided that scales seemed the way forward first of all. It also struck me that one of the problems learning any instrument was being familiar with tunes.Tutor books may have tunes to learn that you are unfamiliar with but a scale is very familiar and forces you to read music and works the fingers. So when it comes to learning a song in say G for example at least your fingers are used to the patterns.

I put in half an hour each night seven days a week anymore and I get tired and loose concentration. I find if you walk away after half an hour feeling happy and not frustrated you feel confident to go back the next day.

I also keep a small note book of my progress and so after a week of playing I can play two scales up and down, the tune London Bridge and I'm working at Good King Wenceslas.

I'm very pleased with my progress and hope other people who have a yearning to learn this wonderful instrument will take the plunge.

Can I also say that this forum is very supportive to all beginners and the help is much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Gary.

[Tom C]

Hello, I thought I'd let you know how I'm getting on with the concertina from a complete beginners point of view.

 

Great stuff Gary. The Jackie is a fine instrument to learn from - I started off on a Jackie after a long break, and found it very reliable and responsive.

 

Scales are great - I agree. Another very useful variation which adds interest to scale playing (which you may already know) is to play the scales like this (C used as an example)

 

going up: CDE DEF EFG FGA GAB ABC BCD C

then going down: DBA BAG AGF GFE FED EDC CDB C

 

When you get to a scale like A with three sharps, this exercise is really useful in limbering up

 

Tom

[michael stutesman]

Hello, I thought I'd let you know how I'm getting on with the concertina from a complete beginners point of view.

 

Firstly after trying the Anglo and the English out I decided to go for the English because I really wanted to learn how to read music and to me personally the English seemed the right choice.

 

I went for a Jackie from The Music Room and found the staff there very helpful indeed, because I live on Skye I couldn't pop in to see them so the time they spent answering questions on the phone was much appreciated.( A big public thank you to Jill !! )

 

Because I was new to the instrument and also new to the concept of practise I decided that scales seemed the way forward first of all. It also struck me that one of the problems learning any instrument was being familiar with tunes.Tutor books may have tunes to learn that you are unfamiliar with but a scale is very familiar and forces you to read music and works the fingers. So when it comes to learning a song in say G for example at least your fingers are used to the patterns.

I put in half an hour each night seven days a week anymore and I get tired and loose concentration. I find if you walk away after half an hour feeling happy and not frustrated you feel confident to go back the next day.

I also keep a small note book of my progress and so after a week of playing I can play two scales up and down, the tune London Bridge and I'm working at Good King Wenceslas.

I'm very pleased with my progress and hope other people who have a yearning to learn this wonderful instrument will take the plunge.

Can I also say that this forum is very supportive to all beginners and the help is much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Gary.

 

 

I've had my Jackie a little over a year now. Like you I wanted to improve my reading. I am particularly fond of waltzes which I sometimes play for dancers. They work very well on the english concertina. Might I suggest 'The Waltz Book' by Bill Matthiesen as a nice source of melodies for your practice. The slow tempo and relatively simple melodies make good pieces for learning.

 

regards,

Michael

[Woody]

Hello, I thought I'd let you know how I'm getting on with the concertina from a complete beginners point of view.

 

Firstly after trying the Anglo and the English out I decided to go for the English because I really wanted to learn how to read music and to me personally the English seemed the right choice.

 

I went for a Jackie from The Music Room and found the staff there very helpful indeed, because I live on Skye I couldn't pop in to see them so the time they spent answering questions on the phone was much appreciated.( A big public thank you to Jill !! )

 

Because I was new to the instrument and also new to the concept of practise I decided that scales seemed the way forward first of all. It also struck me that one of the problems learning any instrument was being familiar with tunes.Tutor books may have tunes to learn that you are unfamiliar with but a scale is very familiar and forces you to read music and works the fingers. So when it comes to learning a song in say G for example at least your fingers are used to the patterns.

I put in half an hour each night seven days a week anymore and I get tired and loose concentration. I find if you walk away after half an hour feeling happy and not frustrated you feel confident to go back the next day.

I also keep a small note book of my progress and so after a week of playing I can play two scales up and down, the tune London Bridge and I'm working at Good King Wenceslas.

I'm very pleased with my progress and hope other people who have a yearning to learn this wonderful instrument will take the plunge.

Can I also say that this forum is very supportive to all beginners and the help is much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

Gary.

Sounds like you're going about it in a very sensible way. I don't know if it's possible for you but I find that trying to have a very quick practise in the morning - literally just a couple of minutes - on top of practising in the evening really seems to yield bonus results. I know that most thinking on how we learn suggests that little and often is better than long sustained practise sessions.

 

The best bit of advice which I received from this site on first starting, an approach it seems you're already taking, was something along the lines of "always finish wanting to do more", i.e. stop while you're enjoying it. I found that this approach really helps to avoid practise becomming a bore.

 

Good luck

 

- W

 

 

Edittod for slepping

Edited December 19, 2006 by Woody