Jackie Concertina

[Fiddlehead Fern]

Hello,

I was recently at a living history event, where I brought both the fiddle and concertina and played both quite often.

We were camping with some friends, and their 10 year old niece was very interested in the concertina, and went from knowing nothing about music to being able to match sung pitches, play a C Major scale, Hot Cross Buns and Mary Had A Little Lamb in only a few days. She absolutely loved it, and a bargan was made that if she did chores and earned money to save up she could buys herself a concertina, the plan was greeted with much enthusiasm on her part, and I think she'll follow it through.

 

Anyway, she was playing with my 48 button Stagi, and found it pretty easy to handle, I was wondering if the Jackie would be a good one for a little kid like that. I think I remember someone saying they were a bit large and/or heavy? I doubt that she'll need all the buttons since she'll be learning about music as she goes along. (I opted for the 48 because I already play music, she'll probably have a slower go of it and not need to upgrade to more buttons soon.)

If anyone has any ideas on that, I'd like to hear them.

In any case, it was a fun to corrupt someone else into concertinas and music in general!

[Stephen Chambers]

... she was playing with my 48 button Stagi, and found it pretty easy to handle, I was wondering if the Jackie would be a good one for a little kid like that. I think I remember someone saying they were a bit large and/or heavy?

Both the Stagi and the Jackie are larger than English concertinas of traditional construction, but the Jackie is no larger than your 48-key Stagi, and lighter in weight too, so she should have no problem managing one.

 

So corrupt away...

[m3838]

I was wondering if the Jackie would be a good one for a little kid like that.

Jackie doesn't have any shortage of necessary buttons, except for high C#. But guess what? My $3000 Tenor in F also doesn't have any notes higher than second C (I guess it'll be F then). No problem at all!

However:

I just think that for a kid, who is learning music, a piano, or any "established" in mainstream instrument, would be more appropriate, because she can learn about the harmony easier, it's more clear, plenty of teachers, materials, instruments. Rare novelties, like concertina, button accordion, xylophone, slide guitar etc. are good as second instruments. I'd recomment to her parents to make different agreement: that she'll receive concertina only if she'll study piano for at least two years. You see, a used $300 Spinet is better instrument than buttom end Jackie.

I understand if a kid lives in folk music enviroment and wants to become part of it, like learning a language, but music generalist shouldn't play with his/her life.

I've played with mine, I know. There will be time when you look at your pals, and many are better off, having started properly.

10 year old doesn't need specialisation, she needs doors to be open. I'm afraid she'll play with it for a little while and forget.

Just my opinion, been the party pooper, that I am.

But I wish her all the luck with going through the "cool" years without dropping off.

[Fiddlehead Fern]

Yes, good points to be sure, but if she has the interest enough to follow through with earning the money and actually paying for the thing herself, I think she'll stick with it.

I'm not sure that she'll make a big career of music or anything, but I think for a kid who probably won't get many chances at music if she's interested, okay at doing it, and really wants to learn, it can't be bad. I do thank you for your input though, and it is good advice. However, I'm not sure how well that would work in her situation (it really needs to be transportable for her, going from one parent to the other).

(Just from my own experience, I found the piano an infuriating instrument to play.....but that's just me and my finicky string player side coming out...... )

 

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) Or just hand the kid a concertina, that seems to work too. Ooh, corrupting little children is such fun!

[fiddlerjoebob]

Good Job!

 

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