Moving from Anglo to English

[David Levine]

Years ago I moved from playing the English to the Anglo concertina. I wanted the bark and bite of the Anglo. That sonorous trumpet quality. At the time I was playing fiddle with some great concertina players from Co Clare (Chris Droney, Francis Droney, and Micklìn Conlin, from Lisdoonvarna, R.I.P.). I've never regretted making the move. But now I see that Dick (aka "Ptarmigan") has sold a lovely Jeffries Anglo to pursue playing the English concertina.

 

Dick is an accomplished Anglo player, so it might seem strange that he would move from AC to EC. His move was not based on frustration but with the demands of band work. It makes sense that playing with a band -- especially a singing band -- might be easier with the multi-key-friendly EC. Still, most players I know who have crossed over have moved from EC to AC. Dick went the other way. I wonder how many others have moved from AC to EC, either out of frustration with the AC's pretzel logic, or because of the versatility of the EC?

Edited December 17, 2008 by David Levine

[Mark Evans]

I moved to EC in 1976 because the "umpa" German beer garden quality of what I was capable of pissed me off. There was this EC player in Chapel Hill I met at a street fair playing Irish tunes. That was the sound I was looking for! Such a versitale instrument that doesn't have to come across like a tin lizzy in need of a set if shocks, ring job and muffler!

 

At session I like being able to accompany singers who because their voices may not be comfortable in acceptable folk keys have sung a cappella when they really wanted someone to support their efforts. The grins and bright eyes have been well worth any loss of bounce, bang and dominating honk I may have lost by my choice.

Edited December 17, 2008 by Mark Evans

[Anglo-Irishman]

Still, most players I know who have crossed over have moved from EC to AC. Dick went the other way. I wonder how many others have moved from AC to EC, either out of frustration with the AC's pretzel logic, or because of the versatility of the EC?

 

David,

I'm not exactly moving from the Anglo, just expanding my horizons by adding another system. My main reason is definitely the freedom to play different keys.

From the beginning of time (it seems) I've been using the Anglo to accompany my singing and to play instrumental solo pieces, and latterly playing in a folk group. That is, I like richly harmonised music, which is best played along the main rows with the other rows for support.

I can sing most songs in C, and most of the rest in G, so the C/G Anglo is fine for that.

The group numbers that I play concertina in are also usually in C, G, D or their relative modes, so that's not an issue either.

However, the more sophisticated my solo arrangements get, the more I have to zero in on C major to make them playable in the practice time that my day job leaves me. And playing one piece after another in the same key makes performances a bit lack-lustre.

 

So I recently decided to go chromatic/unisonoric.

 

However, I ignored the EC, and went the whole hog and bought a duet - a Crane. I've discovered the often-cited advantages of the duet systems first-hand:

- The right hand plays the high notes and the left the low, as on the Anglo, but with the added advantage that the left hand does not have to help out with the melody when the tune crosses the bellows boundary. The overlap between the ends of the Crane takes care of that. And I can choose the key so that the melody stays on the right-hand side.

- I can get any chord I want at any time, irrespective of bellows direction, and without looking for alternate fingerings. Suspended chords are a joy, and really easy to do!

- The duet has hand-straps, and mine has an air-button, so the bellows control I've learned on the Anglo is still possible.

- On the Crane, the layout is very consistent, and the buttons and notes map 1:1, so I'm already more aware of what note I'm playing on it than I ever was on the Anglo. So sight-reading is in sight at last!

 

I don't yet know where the Crane will take me. Could be that, when I've gained some experience with it, the chords for song accompaniment will come as easily as after several decades on the Anglo. Or I may keep it for solo pieces and for melodic work with the group, retaining the Anglo for quick and dirty song accompaniments. We shall see!

 

Cheers,

John

[catty]

I do both, but if I had to choose it'd be EC. But then, I also own/play a bunch of melodeons. If I didn't have those, I don't know that I would be able to say that.