mikenielsen Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 I am a newcomer to the concertina. I only have a Stagi 20 button right now but I have a 30 key Morse on order. I am headed up to a rather remote part of Cape Breton for a few months shortly and I want to get some tutorial stuff before I leave. I have the DVD by John Williams and the tutorial by Bertram Levy (though I don't think that one will help me all that much in my quest for learning Irish session tunes). If you have finished using concertina book/CD or CD-ROM stuff and want to sell it, let me know via email at mikeindover@hotmail.com I am mainly an aural learner so books with no tapes/CDs are not much use to me. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthatcher61 Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 If you are an aural learner then I would reccomend getting fiddle tutorial's. I have been having a great time with Peter Cooper's Mel Bay's Complete Irish Fiddler book/CD, and any of the Kevin Burke books/CD's/DVD's. It's the tunes you want and as for the techniques like cuts, roll's, cran's, the idiosyncracy's of different rythyms like Jigs, Polka's, Reel's, Mazurka's, Slide's etc you can get them all from there. Great repertois builders too. I would imagine that some of the Tin Whistle tutor's would be pretty easy as well. For some reason it is easier for me to copy a different instrument on the concertina than it is to copy another concertina. The thing about the tutorial cd's is they play them slower, Kevin Burke really breaks the tunes down phrase by phrase. If there are things that are applicable ony to fiddle, discard it like the chaff it is and just move on with the tune. Good luck in your trip to the Cape. That's God's country for trad music. A remote part? An old lighthouse on Cape Breton would be heaven for me. As a matter of fact they have Cranford Publishing up there that puts out lots of good trad music and books. No matter how remote you should find some really good players to have fun with. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Brook Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 "Irish Concertina" by Mick Bramich gives an good overview of what is possible on 30 key anglo and also includes about 50 mainly irish tunes. It does have an accompaning CD as well. Only issue I found is that the concertina he used for his recordings is not concert pitch (or not a C/G) so it is not easy to play along to the CD! In my opinion he doesn't really teach "irish style" but it is a very well written and easy to understand tutor, and helped me enormously at the beginning. I still dip in so I'm not in the market for selling but I would have thought you can get it from button box or hobgolin america or some such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike averill Posted May 2, 2007 Share Posted May 2, 2007 Only issue I found is that the concertina he used for his recordings is not concert pitch (or not a C/G) so it is not easy to play along to the CD! You might want to check your CD player , and the CD sleeve. Its states he's playing a G/C Jeffries, and on my CD player its spot on concert pitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I am a newcomer to the concertina. I only have a Stagi 20 button right now but I have a 30 key Morse on order. I am headed up to a rather remote part of Cape Breton for a few months shortly and I want to get some tutorial stuff before I leave. I have the DVD by John Williams and the tutorial by Bertram Levy (though I don't think that one will help me all that much in my quest for learning Irish session tunes). If you have finished using concertina book/CD or CD-ROM stuff and want to sell it, let me know via email at mikeindover@hotmail.com I am mainly an aural learner so books with no tapes/CDs are not much use to me. Thanks. The Mad for Trad CD-ROM Tutorial is pretty good if you'll have a PC with you. You get a video tutorial plus textual explanations and written music. It covers techniques from a beginners level to advanced & if you ever get over confident there's video of Nial Vallely playing at full pace There's enough on there to keep you going a long time. See the Mad for Trad site for more. - W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenielsen Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 Thanks guys. I just sort of want to clarify that I have already researched what the good tutorial stuff is. I am just fishing for people who want to part with used tutorials on Irish style playing that they have burned out on. I see myself spening about $150 on al the good stuff and I am looking to get them a little cheaper. I know that when I was learning harp, I used a fair number of tapes, books and DVDs and that I eventually sold this stuff to others. From the perspective of the cost of postage, this probably only makes sense for people living here in the US. BTW, a concertina is a strangely rare commodity up in Cape Breton (as is a harp!) I get to sit in on Acadian singing sessions on Tuesday nights and Cape Breton fiddle sessions in a garage on Saturday afternoons--I play accompaniment on bouzouki. Yes, it is trad music heaven. Mike Nielsen Dover, DE USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 "In my opinion he doesn't really teach "irish style" Could you explain what you mean by this please? I am slowly working my way through this tutor and finding it very good indeed. I thought at first that the emphasis on taking one key at a time and practising the scales for that key would be a bit irrelevant ( after all, all the notes are there, you've just got to find them!) but I have found it very useful. You do get a feel for a key, if you see what I mean. I think Mick Bramich claims to teach melody style, yet he names his tutor The Irish Concertina. So what is Irish Style? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Brook Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Don't get me wrong it is an excellent tutor, and I am still going back to it after 4 years. He gives you a thorough grounding in melody style in a range of useful keys, opens out what is possible, and he gives you the basics for Irish playing. One of the best things I bought to help me understand how the anglo works and what is possible. I found that the Nial Vallely (Mad for Trad) tutor was then useful for getting me further along in the Irish style, especially ornamentation, runs, rolls etc. I have also listened to a lot of music by Noel Hill, Tim Collins, Chris Sherburn, Mary McNamara, Nomos etc, and I think you need this kind of material in addition to start to understand Irish style. This is only my opinion, others might have had a different experience, unfortunately I don't know anyone in person that plays Irish style that I could play along with, although I have spoken to Chris Sherburn several times after gigs and asked him about technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Old Leaky Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 (edited) Only issue I found is that the concertina he used for his recordings is not concert pitch (or not a C/G) so it is not easy to play along to the CD! You might want to check your CD player , and the CD sleeve. Its states he's playing a G/C Jeffries, and on my CD player its spot on concert pitch. I agree - my CD is spot on (unlike the off-pitch CD that accompanies David Hanrahan's Irish Button Accordion tutor "The Box", I know I digress here!) As for the Bramich CD, I have a spare sealed copy (courtesy of Mick himself after an order mix-up). Happy to pass it on to you Mike (Neilsen). Send me a PM with address details if you want it. I'm sure Mick won't mind - it'll encourage you to buy his book(s)! Edited May 4, 2007 by Old Leaky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Edgley Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I have a new DVD coming out soon. I'm just waiting for the graphics for the cover label, and insert to be done. Hopefully, it will be ready in a month or so. From the basics to playing with embellishments & chords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delbert Blackketter Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 I have a new DVD coming out soon. I'm just waiting for the graphics for the cover label, and insert to be done. Hopefully, it will be ready in a month or so. From the basics to playing with embellishments & chords. Frank Hows does one say 'Whoo Hoo!' in Canadian? Tell me a price, and I am ordering one, Thanks Del Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asdormire Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Common, Delbert, its Ontario, borders New York. Windsor is more or less a Detroit suburb. Not like on the other coast, like British Columbia, or way to the South like New Mexico. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mthatcher61 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 I'll second that Wo Hoo! Put me down for one as well please Frank. Frank's book with accompanying CD is great, can't wait to see the DVD. Is it a Homespun Tapes production or are you doing it yourself? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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