left handed concertina's

[Marien]

I was wondering if there are lachenal, wheatstone, jeffries or other english or anglo concertina's that specially have been constructed for left handers. Does anyone know whether they exist?

Marien

[PeterT]

I was wondering if there are lachenal, wheatstone, jeffries or other english or anglo concertina's that specially have been constructed for left handers. Does anyone know whether they exist?

Marien

Yes; they were made by all the major manufacturers. Those of us who are right-handed, have to struggle with them!

 

Duet players have an advantage, since the Maccann can be played quite happily upside down. So, the melody can be played on the left hand. Alternatively, the right hand could play the melody an octave lower; very handy if you only need a single-line melody (i.e. group environment).

[Jack Bradshaw]

Duet players have an advantage, since the Maccann can be played quite happily upside down. So, the melody can be played on the left hand. Alternatively, the right hand could play the melody an octave lower; very handy if you only need a single-line melody (i.e. group environment).

 

Well, I'll be ! Learn something new here every day !

[Dirge]

Duet players have an advantage, since the Maccann can be played quite happily upside down. So, the melody can be played on the left hand. Alternatively, the right hand could play the melody an octave lower; very handy if you only need a single-line melody (i.e. group environment).

 

Well, I'll be ! Learn something new here every day !

 

Well you'd still have to take the thing apart to turn the handrests over, then the keyboards would be upside down. Surely you could say exactly the same for an Anglo?

 

I think my left hand often does more, and more complex, work than my right hand anyway. I'd already wondered if the instrument wasn't particular suited to a sinister type.

[John Wild]

Duet players have an advantage, since the Maccann can be played quite happily upside down.

 

That facility applies to the Hayden system. I once played a tune in unison with left/right reversed unintentionally, because it was lying the 'wrong' way when I picked it up.

 

- John Wild

[Dirge]

Duet players have an advantage, since the Maccann can be played quite happily upside down.

 

That facility applies to the Hayden system. I once played a tune in unison with left/right reversed unintentionally, because it was lying the 'wrong' way when I picked it up.

 

- John Wild

 

Actually having had a quick fiddle on the Maccan, a partial apology to you Peter, I see what you mean, it comes close to working. But the irregularities in the keyboard, the different sizes of the keyboards and having the handles upside down mean that I would still dispute the word 'happily'.

[Mark Davies]

One well known anglo player in Yorkshire played(and probably still does play)the concertina by playing the the right hand side of the instrument with his left hand and obviously the left hand side with his right hand using his lttle finger to play the air and drone buttons.I have not heard him play for over thirty years but from memory he was very good.I think he also played the melodeon the same way.I also recollect that he had Crabb's make him an anglo where the fingering remained reversed but the air button(still played with his left hand)and the drone button(still played by his right hand)were placed to be used by the thumbs.I understand he was entirely self taught and learnt to play in this way before he had met another anglo concertina player so just carried on.

[Larry Stout]

English concertinas don't have a ''handedness'' because of the way the notes alternate sides of the instrument. They are more symmetric that way than any other instrument I can think of. There would be no reason to make a left handed EC-- they're all ambidextrous.

[PeterT]

That facility applies to the Hayden system.

I thought so, John, but was not going to "tempt fate" by posting it. I've only ever had a Hayden Duet in my hands for a few minutes.

[PeterT]

Actually having had a quick fiddle on the Maccan, a partial apology to you Peter, I see what you mean ....

Partial apology accepted, Dirge. I did not respond earlier, since I was sure you would go off and try it!

 

Bear in mind that I'm really only a part-time Maccann player, and can accept the slightly odd feeling of the handrails in the reversed/upside down position.

[Dirge]

Actually having had a quick fiddle on the Maccan, a partial apology to you Peter, I see what you mean ....

Partial apology accepted, Dirge. I did not respond earlier, since I was sure you would go off and try it!

 

Bear in mind that I'm really only a part-time Maccann player, and can accept the slightly odd feeling of the handrails in the reversed/upside down position.

 

 

Yer all right, that was a bit grudging. I apologise!

[LangoLee]

English concertinas don't have a ''handedness'' because of the way the notes alternate sides of the instrument. They are more symmetric that way than any other instrument I can think of. There would be no reason to make a left handed EC-- they're all ambidextrous.

 

That's one of the things that appeals to me, as a left-hander, about the (English) concertina. Most stringed instruments, by comparison, have a right-hand bias (although I suppose they can be restrung).

[Chris Drinkwater]

English concertinas don't have a ''handedness'' because of the way the notes alternate sides of the instrument. They are more symmetric that way than any other instrument I can think of. There would be no reason to make a left handed EC-- they're all ambidextrous.

 

That's one of the things that appeals to me, as a left-hander, about the (English) concertina. Most stringed instruments, by comparison, have a right-hand bias (although I suppose they can be restrung).

 

Speaking as a left-hander, also, one of the reasons I took up playing the EC is because it did not need to be 're-strung'. And I can pick up and play anyone else's EC (with permission) and happily play it. Though I do get a bit confused when trying to play the lower notes on a tenor treble, which are reversed, unlike my baritone EC, which has the notes on the same side as the treble, just an octave lower. I once saw a left-handed Oakwood melodeon for sale on Ebay, with the bass buttons on the r/h side and the two treble rows on the left. As a virtually 100% left-hander (I hold my knife and fork the opposite way round!) and someone who admits to having had a go a learning to play the melodeon, I found this odd as it seems perfectly natural to me to have the rows of treble buttons on the r/h side. Can you imagine a left-handed piano keyboard? Wierd. BTW, I have had a go a holding my EC behind the back of my head and playing a tune on it, successfully, but not very fast admittedly, a bit like Jimi Hendrix used to sometimes do with his guitar - and he was left-handed but played a right-handed strung guitar upside down, so I believe, like Tom Brown of the West Country duo Tom and Barbara Brown, who, incidently also plays an EC.

 

Chris

[Jon C.]

English concertinas don't have a ''handedness'' because of the way the notes alternate sides of the instrument. They are more symmetric that way than any other instrument I can think of. There would be no reason to make a left handed EC-- they're all ambidextrous.

 

That's one of the things that appeals to me, as a left-hander, about the (English) concertina. Most stringed instruments, by comparison, have a right-hand bias (although I suppose they can be restrung).

 

Speaking as a left-hander, also, one of the reasons I took up playing the EC is because it did not need to be 're-strung'. And I can pick up and play anyone else's EC (with permission) and happily play it. Though I do get a bit confused when trying to play the lower notes on a tenor treble, which are reversed, unlike my baritone EC, which has the notes on the same side as the treble, just an octave lower. I once saw a left-handed Oakwood melodeon for sale on Ebay, with the bass buttons on the r/h side and the two treble rows on the left. As a virtually 100% left-hander (I hold my knife and fork the opposite way round!) and someone who admits to having had a go a learning to play the melodeon, I found this odd as it seems perfectly natural to me to have the rows of treble buttons on the r/h side. Can you imagine a left-handed piano keyboard? Wierd. BTW, I have had a go a holding my EC behind the back of my head and playing a tune on it, successfully, but not very fast admittedly, a bit like Jimi Hendrix used to sometimes do with his guitar - and he was left-handed but played a right-handed strung guitar upside down, so I believe, like Tom Brown of the West Country duo Tom and Barbara Brown, who, incidently also plays an EC.

 

Chris

Being a lefty myself, I was going to ask about left handed concertina's. So Chris you cna join the Left-handers club! They have lefty scissors, but sadly no conccertinas... http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/club.html

Lefty's rule!

Jon

Jon

[Chris Drinkwater]

Thanks for that, Jon. There is nothing sinister about being left-handed! Southpaws rule OKAY! Never mind about left-handed concertinas; what about left-handed mugs? I've had great trouble finding one of those. I always end up having to drink my cuppa right-handed. Perhaps I should try that link for all things left-handed you posted. Thanks.

 

Chris

[LDT]

I remeber at primary school they had left and right handed scissors....all the righthand ones used to go first so I'd have to use the left handed scissors even though I was right handed. No problems..just turned them upside down.

[RP3]

One of the reasons I took up the anglo concertina was that so much of the "action" seemed to take place on the left hand. As a leftie, I had fought for years with unfriendly guitars and banjos, so this was a breath of fresh air. My other main instrument is another that favored the leftie: hammer dulcimer. Only recently have I noticed important dulcimer makers realizing this fact and revising their stringing patterns to help out the righties in the crowd. I just hope they don't totally desert us of the sinistre persuasion.

 

Ross Schlabach

[MandolinRefugee]

"http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/club.html"

 

While working in a guitar factory, I sent a newbie employee to the storage area to get me some left handed strings. He came back mighty perplexed...

 

I didn't check the link above, but I bet they don't have the strings I was looking for, either