Playing Anglo Concertina

[Susanne]

Hi everyone!!

 

I got this idea in my head to find an anglo concertina to start learning some, I think I got the idea at the Irish session last month when I met a lady who just recently had found one at auction, and I thought it would be cool to learn together. In addition, I realized that my Wheatstone EC is not tuned with most other instruments, and that I need to fix some reeds to give it a nicer sound. And what should I play while the Wheatstone is in pieces? Can't be totally concertina-less even if i also can play mandolin, fiddle and bouzouki..... I'm too hooked on bellows instruments!!

 

Anyway, I got myself a Rochelle, which is probably not great, but I don't care, it is playable and I can learn on it.

So now, what is the easiest way to learn to play anglo concertina? The tutor that came with the instrument is like most other beginner tutors, just a lot of "holding the instrument" and beginner music theory, no technique or any idea of what is the best way to actually learn the instrument....

 

Seems like sheet music is taboo, so i thought I'd try learning totally by ear, the problem is I will have no idea what notes are where on the concertina. On the EC, I started with a "map" on the two sides of buttons, and using sheet music to play the right notes to play a tune. In that way i learned where the notes are. The anglo doesn't seem to be as logical, if you can call the EC logical.... The notes on the anglo seem to be spread out here and there, half of a scale here and the other half somewhere else...

I can play a few simple tunes slowly but with a few mistakes, but it's not too bad after a week anyway..

 

How do you think i should do to practice?

Also, I wonder, are there tunes that are not suited for the anglo concertina? Or is it just a matter of pushing-pulling more in some tunes, less in some tunes? What are good beginner tunes in Irish music?

 

Thank you and HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!

[Susanne]

Maybe this should be on the learning/teaching board. Move it if you like.

[mike averill]

Practice from sheet music - at least until you've got the feel of the instrument, its one less think to worry about.

 

Mick Bramich's book "The irish concertina" would give you a good starting point

[John Sylte]

I recommend you learn simple tunes that you already know on fiddle and mandolin. Jigs are a nice starting speed. I'd stick with the G row at first, the row closest to your palms. Ignore the others for now. I'd start with a couple tunes in the major mode then move on to the other modes. All these can be played on just the G row of your concertina.

 

G Major tunes = Old Favorite, Over the Ocean, Willie Colemans, Saddle the Pony, Con Cassidys

E Minor tunes = Gallaghers Frolics, Morrisons, Road to Lisdoonvarna

A Dorian tunes = Lilting Banshee, Pipe on the Hob, Hardimann the Fiddler

D Mixolydian tunes = I Buried My Wife..., Tatter Jack Walsh, Blarney Pilgrim

 

Through the note charts on your tutorials you should be able to figure out how to play a G major scale on your concertina (starts with hole #3 push on left hand side, or hole #1 push on right hand side), E minor scale starts with hole #1 pull on left hand side, A Dorian starts with hole #3 pull on left hand side, D Mixolydian starts with hole #1 push left hand side.

 

From there, expand to the C row with C Major tunes, A minor tunes, D Dorian tunes, and G Mixolydian tunes.

 

I should offer my disclaimer that this may not be how others would tell you to learn the concertina as this sets the foundation for learning how to play "in the rows". Personally, I made the decision when I began that this was how I wanted to play. It is very simple and intuitive. I learned new tunes quickly and have always been eager for the next. I play diatonic harmonicas too, so I'd rather play "in the rows", which allows me to play all the same tunes I know on concertina on a diatonic harmonica of the same key. I also have an A/D concertina which I use for the other keys that can't be played out of the G or C rows. That's my solution. However, John Williams appears (on his instructional video) to play everything out of the C row, even G tunes. Too much work for me, but a system that I'm sure pays off when you want to start playing D tunes on your C/G 30 button. So... I'd recommend you ignore this last paragraph and dive in to playing "in the rows". You can always learn the other methods later. Just be aware that there are other paths, and that you may go to a session someday with another concertina player and be absolutely baffled by their fingering.

 

And don't forget the most important part...

 

Have fun!

 

P.S. - It ocurred to me after posting this that my response was a little "Irish centric". Perhaps you don't play any irish tunes. If that's the case, I'd suggest that you learn tunes that are familiar to your ear in those recommended keys and modes... Any tune/song that is in the key of G (one sharp) can be played on the G row of your concertina. Any accidentals can be picked up on the second or third row of your concertina.

Edited January 2, 2007 by John Sylte

[Susanne]

That's ok, Irish music is what I want to play on the anglo. I play everything else on other instruments. I'm not so good at Irish music but I know a few tunes. If those you mentioned are good to start with, I'll try them, and the easier of the tunes I already know.

[Tootler]

If you only have a C/G Anglo, then you will have to go across the rows at some point.

 

If you play in G on the G row, you have to go to the C row for low E. If you play in D then you have to go to the accidental row for C#

 

Although I play English rather than Irish music I still tend to play melodically rather than chordally. I used the Bramich tutor and he starts off by playing in G out of the C row. You need to go to the G row for your F# which takes practice initially, but I find it easier than going from the G row to the C row for low E - though you will still have to do this at some point, so it is swings and roundabouts which you do.

 

I do think playing across the rows gives you more choices and allows more control over bellows reversal and enables you to play without too much use of the air button.

 

For accompanying singing, I do find it easier to play in the rows initially to find a suitable accompaniment, but again it is often necessary to go across the rows to make the accompaniment work.

 

In fact I started playing across the rows at a very early stage (I am still really only a beginner) and I am glad I did as I was able to build it into my playing virtually from the beginning.

 

As I understand it for many players of Irish music, and this is based on the impression I got from the Bramich tutor, you treat the C row as a home row and go to the other rows as needed to enable you to play the tune in the most effective way. It's rather like touch typing where you rest your fingers on the middle row (A S D F etc. on a QWERTY keyboard) and that keeps them located. You then move your fingers as needed to find the keys, bringing them back to the home position each time. In the long run you make fewer mistakes that way.

 

I can recommend the Bramich tutor which I found very straightforward and easy to follow.

 

Geoff

[mike averill]

I think in reality you need to learn to play both in and out of the row. SOme tunes suit one style better and other the other.

 

Learning G off the C row is similar to playing D of the G row so its all good practice.

[Frank Edgley]

Personally, I use the G row as my "home" row, but cross over whenever it is advantageous to do so. I personally know of someone who took the C row advice very seriously and plays everthing on the C row. The problem he is having is the tunes in D are giving him a great deal of trouble as he plays the draw B, and draw D on the C row, but must play the C# on the third row of the same hand while changing direction and rows, using the same finger as he uses for the B. In other words, he plays a DRAW B(with his right index finger), then skips up to the PRESS C# (with the same finger), and the reverses direction again to play the DRAW D. This makes D tunes like the slide "Connie Walsh" very, very difficult, and awkward sounding. There are many Irish players who use the C row, but who use the PRESS B (on the G row) when they play the B-C#-D triplet. There are a few notable Irish players who rarely, if ever cross over from the G row, (except when the note is not available on the G row,) like Jacqueline McCarthy, and Chris Droney. Most use a combination---whatever works best for that particular tune. Look at the recent Utube recording of Nial Vallely. Mostly, for this tune, he seems to be using the G row.

Edited January 4, 2007 by Frank Edgley