Angie Burn Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 Hi All I'm 58 and always wanted to play an instrument, but was never taught how to read music at school. Anyway for some reason I felt drawn to the concertina, so bought a cheapo chinese Stephanelli 30 with my Christmas money. I realise the Stephanelli is not a good instrument, but to be honest it's good enough for me at the moment. I've only had it a fortnight, and bought a book called Handbook for the Anglo Chromatic Concertina by Roger Watson. I Love the concertina and am completely hooked. However I realise I am probably going to have to learn to read music before I get very far, so I will do my best to take it in! Anyway the reason for my posting is this....I wish to buy a decent tutor book. On these forums two books are mentioned, the De Ville Concertina and How to Play It, and Bertram Levy's book and CD. Does anybody know, of these two books - which would be best for me, bearing in mind my inability to read music? Would it be a good idea to buy both, or would that cause confusion? Or if anybody has any advice of any kind I am all ears. I want to be able to play like thisby the time I retire. Cheers everyone, and I am enjoying the forums, Angie Burn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted March 21, 2007 Share Posted March 21, 2007 (edited) Hi Angie & welcome so bought a cheapo chinese Stephanelli 30 with my Christmas money. I realise the Stephanelli is not a good instrumentThey're not great but I've got one and it seems to be a lot better than most of the Chinese boxes at this price. I got a good year of practice out of mine without problems, though if you get hooked I'd recommend you upgrade to at least a Rochelle from Concertina Connection as soon as you are able - you'll quickly feel the benefit. On these forums two books are mentioned, the De Ville Concertina and How to Play It, and Bertram Levy's book and CD. Does anybody know, of these two books - which would be best for me, bearing in mind my inability to read music?I've been playing for the best part of two years and can't really read music, yet I've had no problem making progress. Levy's book & CD is really good and I'd recommend it but, to a certain extent what type of tutor you buy will depend on what type of music you are looking to play. Edited March 21, 2007 by Woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 For studying by yourself and away from the crowds and teachers Levy's book and CD (or tapes) is very good. If you want to buy several books and CDs, I'd recommend one tutor for each style: Berthram Levy's for playing with accompaniments, Frank Edgley's for (I heard) melody. Then, in a few years from now, you'll find great abundance of material in French button accordion books - they are thick, plenty of notes and diagrams suitable for the Anglo, in the keys of C/G, most are in Aminor - home keys of your instrument, and totally different music. Learning to read is not difficult, especially with the Anglo Concertina. Remember, relax. Always. Just keep your hands relaxed - it's quintessential!!! And the key to hands' relaxation is in ... your forhead. Try to relax your forhead, smooth those wrinkles - and your entire body will droop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Barnert Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 I would strongly reccommend Alan Day's "tutor" which isn't a book but a series of sound files. He originally issued it as a CD for just the cost of postage, but the individual tracks are now available free on the web in mp3 format here: http://www.etanbenami.com/Anglo%20Concertina%20Tutor/ The course is designed to get you playing in the "English" style (melody in the right hand, chords in the left) without referrence to written music. Soon after it became available, many folks requested music notation for the tunes he uses for examples, and I volunteered (with Alan's approval) to produce a pdf of the printed music which you can download here: http://www.filmsonglass.co.uk/images2/AlanDay.pdf Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 (edited) I would strongly reccommend Alan Day's "tutor" which isn't a book but a series of sound files. He originally issued it as a CD for just the cost of postage, but the individual tracks are now available free on the web in mp3 format here: http://www.etanbenami.com/Anglo%20Concertina%20Tutor/ The course is designed to get you playing in the "English" style (melody in the right hand, chords in the left) without referrence to written music. Soon after it became available, many folks requested music notation for the tunes he uses for examples, and I volunteered (with Alan's approval) to produce a pdf of the printed music which you can download here: http://www.filmsonglass.co.uk/images2/AlanDay.pdf How could I forget to mention that <doh!> - also there's a couple of old tutors online at http://www.concertina.com/instruction/index.htm (see the sections for Anglos halfway down the page), plus Roger Digby's excellent "faking it" for chords at the same place. Also have a read of John Kirkpatrick's website at http://www.johnkirkpatrick.co.uk/wr_Anglo1.htm. Edited March 22, 2007 by Woody Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Burn Posted March 25, 2007 Author Share Posted March 25, 2007 Many thanks for your help everyone, I have sent off for the Bertram Levy book. I'm really hooked on the concertina already and am determined to master it, with or without music. Best wishes all Angie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I'm really hooked on the concertina already and am determined to master it, with or without music. Don't you mean "with or without written music"? I'm sure it will be with music. With lots of music! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie Burn Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 LOTS of music....which brings me to another subject! I had no idea how loud the concertina was until I bought it. we live in a small bungalow and my poor hubby has to turn up the TV loud to drown out the sound of my practising. What do other people do if they have a small house I wonder, do you all go out into the countryside and practise in the middle of nowhere? I'm having to practise quietly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilby Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I know the feeling all to well but don't have a solution. Fortunately I don't disturb the neighbours as the previous owners of the house built a somewhat strange addition which doesn't have a connecting wall to next door. But my wife, who is perfect in all other respects, likes to watch tv in bed while I after a couple of ( purely medicinal) libations like nothing more than half an hour of enthusiastic ( musical) exercise. Let me tell you, sighs have been exchanged! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 (edited) Hi perhaps one of these electronic concertinas with headphones chris Edited March 27, 2007 by chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes williams Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 .. do you all go out into the countryside and practise in the middle of nowhere? ... Don't you dare! Some of us have to live there. Weekends are getting like a Disney theme park, with weekend drivers and wobbly cyclists refusing to move over in the lanes. And now you want to subject us to beginners anglos? In the country we've always been very caring about noise pollution; all the cottages have two foot thick stone walls to stop the music leaking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 LOTS of music....which brings me to another subject! I had no idea how loud the concertina was until I bought it. we live in a small bungalow and my poor hubby has to turn up the TV loud to drown out the sound of my practising. What do other people do if they have a small house I wonder, do you all go out into the countryside and practise in the middle of nowhere? I'm having to practise quietly Solution no1. Practice in your car. I do. I have a garage with soundproof ceiling, but it still not helping. So I park my car in the garage, go inside and play there. Excellent sealing! Dence glass and metal have good soundproof quality. Another solution: pracitce in some room, that have heavy curtains all over the walls and a carpet. Heavy curtains will dumpen the sound and prevent it from bouncing off the walls. They will also weaken the sound waves. Yet another solution: wait till I get some time to finish my "Concertina Silencer". I have the materials, and only need some time (which is a big problem). Or cover ends of your concertine with some heavy dence material, like several layers of thick leather, or thick vynil. Vynil is good, it's heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Has anyone tried masking tape over the sound holes? Easy to remove providing you do not leave it there for weeks.Any glue deposits will come off with a little bit of white spirit on a cloth.I hasten to add I have not tried this but in theory I should think it would work. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilby Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 I know the wife may go on a bit but I think that may be a bit extreme ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Day Posted March 27, 2007 Share Posted March 27, 2007 Two men talking in a pub. "I am getting fed up with my wife nagging about the decorating. "Buy yourself a concertina". Will that stop her Nagging? "No ,but she will forget about the decorating". Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUTT Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 I live in a small apartment building and I, too, get a little self concious about practicing, especially at odd hours. If I'm practicing during normal, non-sleeping hours, I usually figure the neighbors are just going to have to bear with it. If I feel the need to practice later at night (or if I'm practicing the same passage over and over and over), I've begun to use a comforter thrown over my lap and instrument as an impromptu muffler. Actually, I cover myself from my shoulders to my shins with the quilt. It doesn't interfere with playing as much as you'd think, although you do have to stop and re-hang things from time to time. The neighbors haven't complained. Yet. Actually, this is a pretty new strategy for me; I've haven't tried it in the summertime, so it may be unbearable, then, but it's working now. Concerning the strategy of playing in the car, I'd advise against it. Maybe it's because I find myself going deaf as I pass through middle age, but I think it's best to avoid high decibles in restricted spaces, especially if you want to enjoy playing music for the rest of your life. If you do the car thing, wear earplugs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Stout Posted March 29, 2007 Share Posted March 29, 2007 (edited) The fact that my 1851 era Wheatstone tutor EC with brass reeds and spruce baffles intact is extremely quiet is a real plus-- I can play it at night without bothering others in the house (at least if I close the study door). I have a second instrument which is much louder which I use for sessions and dances. Most concertinas are quite loud (particularly before one learns the bellows control to play softly), so perhaps the quiet instrument is a viable solution. On the other hand, there aren't that many of the brass reeded, spruce baffled, really old instruments around. Are there similar quiet anglos? Edited March 29, 2007 by Larry Stout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tootler Posted March 30, 2007 Share Posted March 30, 2007 For studying by yourself and away from the crowds and teachers Levy's book and CD (or tapes) is very good. If you want to buy several books and CDs, I'd recommend one tutor for each style: Berthram Levy's for playing with accompaniments, Frank Edgley's for (I heard) melody. I used Mick Bramich's book for melody style playing and I can recommend it. It's title refers to "Irish" music, but you don't have to play Irish music to play melody style. I also have the Bertram Levy Book and it seems a very good book, but I prefer to play melody style. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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