Andrew
1576 posts
Mar 23, 2012
3:13 AM
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I was thinking of buying one of these until I realised how many different fingering systems there are.
Do you play one of these instruments, and if so, what fingering system do you use/recommend? (I assume the most popular will be either English or Anglo, but I don't really know)
(it's not totally unrelated to harp, as one of the systems uses Richter tuning - but with 5 buttons per hand, instead of 10 holes)
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Andrew.
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Last Edited by on Mar 23, 2012 3:14 AM
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nacoran
5432 posts
Mar 23, 2012
7:59 AM
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I don't know anything about the specifics beyond knowing they are free reed instruments and I like the sound. The other 'other' free reed I like the sound of is the accordina. I keep thinking I should make a thread with links to YouTube with clips of all the free reeds I can find. Pat Missin has a what I assume is a pretty comprehensive list (I assume it's comprehensive, I wouldn't know a more authoritative site to check.)
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Nate
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little onion
17 posts
Mar 23, 2012
8:30 AM
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@andrew- i have a great memory of seeing rick epping (a great harp player himself- more in the traditional 1st position/fiddle tune style) play a concertina with a harp on a neck rack at the same time... the sound of all those reeds playing at once in a fast irish reel was so mesmerizing. rick was the inventor of the xb-40, which doesn't appeal to most blues players.
i have tried both types of concertinas and thought that since push/pull are like blow/draw that the anglo type would be easy for me, especially since it is diatonically tuned like the
harmonica. nothing could have been further from the truth for me! i though i was going to have a nervous breakdown! i could not get the kinesthetics of how the anglo worked. i personally found that the wheatstone/english one where you get the same notes whether you push or pull were much much easier. (maybe because i have a keyboard background?) i ended up buying an accordion which suits my purposes. i think you have to sit down with both styles and put some time in trying to see which one works for your brain and the way it is wired. i know other guys who picked up the anglo concertina and found that it came naturally to them and that's what they play. what kind of music do you see yourself playing on it?
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Andrew
1577 posts
Mar 23, 2012
1:18 PM
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I fancy playing hornpipes and jigs and sea-shanties to begin with. And I have a friend who is a Morris dancer.
I was looking at the wiki article again. If I read it carefully, it seems as though perhaps English is the best system to begin with.
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Andrew.
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Last Edited by on Mar 23, 2012 1:19 PM
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little onion
18 posts
Mar 25, 2012
9:25 AM
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check out the playing of jody kruskal. you can find him on i tunes. he has recorded a lot on the concertina. i have played at session with him but i don't remember what type of concertina he plays. for me the english would have been where i would have to begin, but maybe you have a brain wired for anglo. is there a music stor near you where you can try them both out?
best of luck. my roots are in fiddle tunes, traditional music, and dance tunes (either contra or morris) so i can appreciate where you want to go i think. anyway... once you get the concertina, remember, you can never be playing too many reeds at a time!
steven
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Old_Standby
1 post
Mar 28, 2012
11:38 AM
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I have the 20 button anglo concertina by Hohner. If you look at the layout of the buttons, it's like a harmonica. If you want to play reels, hornpipes and jigs an anglo will do.
I did buy an instruction CD ('Learn to Play Irish Concertina' by John Williams) that was worth the money I spent on it.
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