LDT Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I am finding that learning the melodeon is helping me to understand the concertina better...I can now see what I was getting wrong/confused about. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael sam wild Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm glad it's helped. I found that playing mouth organ and then melodeon helped with the basics of the Anglo. Where it got trickier was playing the C/G anglo for Irish Music but if you stiuck to a more 'logical' style then melodeon is a great help.. You can think of the rows on the Anglo like the rows on a melodeon or a mouthorgan split into the two sides of the concertina. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglo-Irishman Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm glad it's helped. I found that playing mouth organ and then melodeon helped with the basics of the Anglo. I agree in part with Mike. I made the transition from the mouth organ to the Anglo cencertina without taking the detour via the melodion, and was playing my Anglo confidently along the rows within hours (if not minutes) of unpacking it. I would advise anyone who is wondering whether they can get to grips with the Anglo to try the mouth organ first. If that doesn't work for you, the Anglo probably won't work either, but the written-off monetary investment has been almost negligible, compared to an entry-level Anglo. And if it does work, you can be confident that you'll make it on the Anglo. Not only does the blow-suck translate directly to press-draw; the breathing in and out through you nose gives you a feel for the Anglo air-valve, which a lot of beginners seem to find dificult. So you can skip the entry-level concertina and start with one that will take you farther along the way. Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooves Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) Ok I got a bit carried away. Anglo's are fine for those who like them. Edited May 18, 2009 by Hooves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombilly Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 just throw those anglos away, straight into the circular file. The best use for an anglo is to harvest the reeds and pans, chuck the rest on the nearest garbage bon fire. Well ... if you insist, Hooves. But if you're going that far, why not just donate your anglos to me if they're all that worthless. I'll take the old ones off your hands at any rate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbones Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 (edited) just throw those anglos away, straight into the circular file. The best use for an anglo is to harvest the reeds and pans, chuck the rest on the nearest garbage bon fire. a few parts found in an anglo "concertina" might work at servicing your toilet, like one of those French toilets that squirts the water. Yep, anglo's are useful for something alright. Wow! There's a reference to toilets in another string. Sounds like somebody has a fetish for toilets and against anglos. I guess a toilet is easier to learn than an anglo. Come to think of it, I learned the toilet in my first sitting but I think the anglo sounds better. Edited May 15, 2009 by drbones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frw Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 just throw those anglos away, straight into the circular file. The best use for an anglo is to harvest the reeds and pans, chuck the rest on the nearest garbage bon fire. a few parts found in an anglo "concertina" might work at servicing your toilet, like one of those French toilets that squirts the water. Yep, anglo's are useful for something alright. Wow! There's a reference to toilets in another string. Sounds like somebody has a fetish for toilets and against anglos. I guess a toilet is easier to learn than an anglo. Come to think of it, I learned the toilet in my first sitting but I think the anglo sounds better. This gave me a little chuckle. Now I got to get back to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltzer Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 I am finding that learning the melodeon is helping me to understand the concertina better...I can now see what I was getting wrong/confused about.Has anyone else had a similar experience? I came at it the other way -- been playing the melodeon (ADG box to start, more recently a lovely CF 'club' box) for (gulp) 25 years, started playing the Anglo a couple of years ago. In the early stages of tina playing, I tended to think of it as a melodeon right hand folded in half, but playing across the rows is totally different. For instance, it took me a while to get used to reaching down to the left hand to get a C on the pull on the G row. Playing across the rows on a melodeon is a bit more intuitive (or maybe it's the 25 years ), cos basically it's zig-zagging from row to row -- having a fifth between the rows on an anglo is a big difference. Incidentally, I tried a mouth organ after playing the melodeon for a few years, and can't play one for toffee. Might be the 20 fags a day though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjcjones Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 Incidentally, I tried a mouth organ after playing the melodeon for a few years, and can't play one for toffee. Me too. I play both anglo and melodeon (reasonably competently, I like to think) but I've never been able to play mouth organ. Nevertheless, when I first started out on anglo, I found myself breathing in and out with the bellows, even though I didn't play mouth organ. I managed to break the habit before I choked to death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltzer Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 when I first started out on anglo, I found myself breathing in and out with the bellows, even though I didn't play mouth organ. I managed to break the habit before I choked to death. I did that too. Never did it on the melodeon though (probably cos the air is virtually limitless compared with the five folds on my Lachenal ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 just throw those anglos away, straight into the circular file. The best use for an anglo is to harvest the reeds and pans, chuck the rest on the nearest garbage bon fire. a few parts found in an anglo "concertina" might work at servicing your toilet, like one of those French toilets that squirts the water. Yep, anglo's are useful for something alright. Wow! There's a reference to toilets in another string. Sounds like somebody has a fetish for toilets and against anglos. I guess a toilet is easier to learn than an anglo. Come to think of it, I learned the toilet in my first sitting but I think the anglo sounds better. As you have to be quite flush with money in order to be able to afford a decent anglo, maybe toilets and anglos do have something in common! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 I would advise anyone who is wondering whether they can get to grips with the Anglo to try the mouth organ first. If that doesn't work for you, the Anglo probably won't work either. Didn't work for me! I've been playing the mouth organ since I was 11 years old (that's many years ago now) and I have tried and tried to learn the anglo and have gotten nowhere with it. The English, on the other hand (a much more logical system imho)......I managed to play a basic tune on one within a few minutes of picking it up. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Thompson Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Incidentally, I tried a mouth organ after playing the melodeon for a few years, and can't play one for toffee. Not a good idea in any case - gums it up something fierce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltzer Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Incidentally, I tried a mouth organ after playing the melodeon for a few years, and can't play one for toffee. Not a good idea in any case - gums it up something fierce. Perhaps that was where I was going wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Drinkwater Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Incidentally, I tried a mouth organ after playing the melodeon for a few years, and can't play one for toffee. Not a good idea in any case - gums it up something fierce. Perhaps that was where I was going wrong. Well, I've heard of people playing sweetly on the mouth organ, but this is ridiculous! You were lucky you didn't get stuck with it. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael sam wild Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Is this a fair comment ? If you can't make the effort to explore and play the 'simple' ancestral diatonic mouth organ you have not gained the right of passage to play any other push/pull squeezy diatonic instrument. It's like launching out on pipes or a flute without first picking up a a tin whistle and serving your time! Get your gums warmed up and stop smoking! (Yours with head bowed and heading for shelter) Blow/Suck Mike of the Gob Iron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Is this a fair comment ? If you can't make the effort to explore and play the 'simple' ancestral diatonic mouth organ you have not gained the right of passage to play any other push/pull squeezy diatonic instrument. It's like launching out on pipes or a flute without first picking up a a tin whistle and serving your time! Get your gums warmed up and stop smoking! (Yours with head bowed and heading for shelter) Blow/Suck Mike of the Gob Iron Hi Mike No I don't think that's fair. I tried a few times and couldn't make it work, even to make a tune barely recognizable, but I did get peanut butter in the reeds. Now my Schylling Melodeon, I can beat out a rousing "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and "Merrily We Roll Along", but that's about it. Thanks Leo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDT Posted May 19, 2009 Author Share Posted May 19, 2009 learnt this on melodeon first, then it came easier on concertina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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