New to the board and to the concertina

[Anglo-Irishman]

Thanks, all, for the great advice. I work from home (writer and editor) and find that I probably consume too much coffee in a day's time. It's so easy to toddle down the hall and whip up a cup. I may work on ratcheting back the amount I drink--less fuzzy headedness can't be a bad thing!

 

Matt,

 

I'm in the same work situation - as a translator - and I know what you mean.

 

Actually, since I got my "new" Crane duet some 2 months ago, my coffee consumption has dwindled. I often take a "concertina break" instead of a coffee break.

 

As to some people being able to play after several beers or a short or two: this is not for beginners!

You have to have the tunes in your muscle memory to be able to do that. When the notes come automatically, you can loosen up your expressiveness with alcohol, as you do when talking. If you're still consciously working out which button comes next - stay sober!

 

I'm the singer in an Irish folk band, so beer is more or less one of my "props". It does have the effect of relaxing your vocal chords, allowing you to sing at full pelt from 8 p.m. to midnight - and then a couple of encores - without strain!

 

Cheers,

John

[michael sam wild]

Before I gave up the demon drink in 2003 I used to find that 'mood related learning' meant I thought I could play better when I had the same amount in me as when I learnt or played the tunes.

 

I had many happy years playing that way but we took a music pub and it got the better of me ( too much Whisky in the Jar - or cornflakes bowl ) so I decided to give it up.

 

Now I find that , once I get moving, I can do much better with a coffee or two. half an hour and I'm away and it's much more productive.

 

Most of my druggie or boozy mates from the '60s, who survived, found the same thing applied. There aren't any real shortcuts. You may get flashes of 'inspiration' but it's all there anyway if you dig for it.

 

I think you'll find most great musicians have had their moments!

 

Mike

[Pamela]

 

>>>> I'm doing Skype lessons for 11 weeks (now in week 7) and they have been the answer to my isolation. First off, it will force you to practice, a lot, as you'll need to be ready for the next lesson. <<<<<<<

 

 

Rusty

 

I too don't have a lot of Concertina players in my area... Could you tell me more about the Skype Lessons? How much and how do you go about finding out more information?

 

Pam Howard

Brasstown, NC

[RustyH]

Sure Pam,

 

But the bad news first. I believe Alan is full up and when these lessons are done, he isn't planning to continue. His problem with teaching, as I've recently discussed with him, is the time it is taking away from his studies at university, so there is a limiting factor to what he can provide, which is unfortunate, as I'd love to continue on. That said, I'm sure other people might be enticed to teach via Skype, we just have to get them to supply their information, somewhere here.

 

The lessons, as Alan has set it up, goes as follows. I call at an agreed upon time (he's in Cardiff, so time zones must be taken into account). He then sends me an ABC of the week's tune, in MSWord. With the ABC opened in MSWord, we allocate a coloured block over various letters (notes), indicating I should use the note's alternate button. There may be some other things like brackets indicating a group or pair of notes that ought to be played fast together, etc., etc.

 

When that is done, I then print it off, on 120lb paper, the kind used for cards. I find this is useful as it stands up better because it's more rigid. I play my way through the tune, always clumsily, one note at a time as I fumble along. With that all accomplished, and discussions completed the hour is pretty well up. As I'm on the west coast and Alan is in a student dorm (noon here, 9pm there), he records the week's tune as a mp3 file and sends it the next morning (so other students won't be disturbed while studying).

 

There is then another meeting mid-week (we meet on Thursday and again on Sunday or Monday) which is just 10 minutes. This is to see how the tune is coming along, to get questions answered and advice given.

 

The cost was 400 Pounds ($800CDN), expensive? I thought so at first, but there was no alternative locally, and the idea of using Skype this way and helping a student financially towards his degree appealed to me. Once I made the decision and met with Alan, I had no qualms. I was paying for his expertise, experience, and talent. To be truthful, there is a modicum of "perceived value", in that, if I am spending this kind of money, I'll be sure to do the work to get the return I desire (it doesn't always work, as life has a way of interfering when you can least afford it). However, I keep plugging along regardless, and I've noticed several levels of substantive improvement, so I'm more than satisfied.

 

What are these levels? I have been able to discard my system of notation for Alan's preferred way, difficult at first, but so, so, much easier now. That was a remarkable transition, and relatively fast I might add, enough so, that I surprised myself. Being able to read the ABC and pick out the appropriate button and direction of bellows, albeit sloooowly, stuck a smile on my face. Each week the first run through gets faster as hunt and peck recedes to be replaced by my fingers just going to where they are supposed to (not perfect, lots of room for improvement here, but it's noticeable to me).

 

Another important, at least to me, activity is broadening the scope of my learning to play by d/l'ing ABC tune collections, purchasing CD's, watching and listening to Youtube extracts, spending untold hours here at concertina.net, all to immerse myself as best I can. I find the history captivating, all the different types of concertinas, and how they are made, really, really fascinates me. I'd love to build one, and have the tools and related experience to actually get the thing done, but sadly lack the whole tuning end, which just might be important.....but one day for sure, soon, I'll have a go at upgrading my Rochelle (new bellows first, then new ends) just for the heck of it.

 

Rusty

[michael sam wild]

On a related topic, is the Rochelle's tutor thorough enough to get me on solid footing with the instrument or should I try a more comprehensive tutor? (Bertram Levy's seems to have received high praise.)

 

 

 

Cheers,

Matt

 

 

 

As to books I have all the ones mentioned but I found Mick Bramich's book published by Mally, Dave Mallinson, here in Yorkshire the most useful for Irish music. Frank Edgely's is good if you want to play up and down the rows in an 'older' style. I think anything that gets you going is great and then you work on your own, hybrid style

 

All the best

Mike

[Matt]

Hello All,

My new (to me) Rochelle arrived yesterday! And as I mentioned, never having played a concertina before, I had no firm ideas of what to expect--other than what I've gleaned from the mountain of information I've read through here, of course.

 

The Rochelle is fantastic. So well made and solid. We got home late, but I managed to figure out a bit of 'When the Saints....' and my wife tried it out as well. The padded bag and the tutor are top-shelf, too. I'm so impressed and can't wait to spend proper time with it.

 

And the Cnet member, Jen, from whom I bought the Rochelle, has been an absolute first-rate seller. One of the best I've ever dealt with, and we've done a fair amount of ebaying. She bought the Rochelle new in October, but gave me a great deal on it, plus she packed it well, insured it, and included as a gift, unbeknownst to me, Bertram Levy's tutor and CDs--the very item I was going to order this week. And her correspondence has been pitch-perfect. I thought you all should know!

 

 

Cheers,

Matt

 

PS: Where did Wim Wakker get the name 'Rochelle'--family member? If it's been covered, I missed that post.

[Scotty]

IT's fantastic to come across this site!

 

I've just bought a Rochelle Ango concertina and am just starting to learn to play aswell....

 

The trouble is that I know NOONE atall who seems to know anything about any kind of concertina. In Scotland (where I'm from) I've been around to many music shops from Inverness to Ayr and I've yet to find anybody who seems to know much about concertinas. HOWEVER, they often tend to sell the odd "Stephanelli".

 

I wonder if there are any "Concertina meeting up" groups in Scotland?

 

Great to be here! I hope to get to know as many of you as possible!

 

-Scotty

[RustyH]

Welcome Scotty,

 

I beat you to it. I was all over the highlands last April (stayed at a friend's static caravan just outside of Lossiemouth, and for those of us in North America...that means a double wide), and the music stores looked at me as if I had two heads when asking about concertinas. One even went so far as to indelicately suggest just how I could leave his store. I guess they wanted me out once they realized I wasn't going to buy a drum set, electronic keyboard, or guitar.....

 

You could look into Arran next October, but there must be players somewhere around where you live, just post here with an inquiry.

[Dirge]

What does happen to all these new guitars anyway? Why aren't we knee deep in the things?

[JimLucas]

What does happen to all these new guitars anyway? Why aren't we knee deep in the things?

Was that the shipload of military equipment that was hijacked off Somalia?

 

Oh, but it's the highland pipes that a British court is reputed to have ruled are "... not a musical instrument, but an instrument of war."

[catty]

What does happen to all these new guitars anyway? Why aren't we knee deep in the things?

 

Uh...they must end up in my home, for I AM knee deep..

[Scotty]

Well I've had a few guitars in my time!

 

HOWEVER it seems to be uncool, as Rusty was saying to play the concertina nowadays...............I wonder whether the odd Concertina is placed in certain music shops around the country as some kind of decoration as I'll be darned if I can find a single musical instrument shop worker who knows much about it.....HOWEVER, I'll give credit to a young guy in a shop in Inverness who managed to point out that the the concertina he had on display was diatonic (although he didn't know it was called an "Anglo)

 

-Scotty

[RustyH]

The thing you notice about these shops is the acne laced kid just pounding out licks for half an hour, then hanging the guitar back up and leaving. They were in every shop I went into....... come to think of it, I did the same thing fifty years ago....oh dear....

 

Scotty there has to be a group of like minded folks in the Inverness area, just keep looking. And what about the fiddle players up that way? They would probably know of someone who knows someone who knows someone......

 

I had my lesson this morning over Skype and asked Alan about new students. He WILL be accepting new students when this lot is finished, so anyone interested should make inquiries. I'm booked into the Noel Hill workshop in Oregon this August, so that's my next lesson's splurge....

[Scotty]

Very true, Rusty.

 

AS IT HAPPENS I actually live near Edinburgh.

 

I'd love to find some kind of such group in the Edinburgh area-I don't know how likely that is though????

 

-Scotty

[davidcorner]

AS IT HAPPENS I actually live near Edinburgh.

 

I'd love to find some kind of such group in the Edinburgh area-I don't know how likely that is though????

 

-Scotty

As has been mentioned in another topic, English concertinas are more common than Anglo concertinas in Scotland.

 

I don't know of any group specialising in concertina, of any type, in Edinburgh.

You are more likely to find the odd concertina in a mixed session.

 

When I went regularly to a session in Edinburgh, I was usually the only concertina player, along with fiddles, moothie, accordion, guitar etc.

I went because that session played the type of music, mainly Scottish, that I wanted to play.

But then the pub changed hands...

 

You'll always find some music in Sandy Bell's (properly known as the Forrest Hill Bar) in Forrest Road, and I'm sure there are other regular sessions as well.

Just look out for one with the type of music you want to play.

[Simon H]

Here in Aberdeenshire we have Celtic Chords in Stonehaven - usually has a few concertinas in stock. http://www.celtic-chords.co.uk/cms/home.html

 

Concertina players are not as thin on the ground as you might imagine in Scotland. I think in a recent survey here we came up with 40 odd players of EC alone, let alonne anglos.