Hello everyone!
I was wondering if someone can help me out...
I was recently given a Regoletta 20-button anglo concertina. It has no straps, and I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this brand and knows if they're any good, 'cos if it is good then I'll get it fixed up! All but 1 of the buttons work and seem to be in good tune. Is a 20-button concertina ok to play ITM on or do I need one with more buttons? I have played the piano accordion for years and love trad tunes, but I've always wanted to enter the Diatonic world! (and judging by the many negative PA comments I've read on this site, I'd be a heck of a lot more welcome at sessions if I brought a concertina!)
Cheers...
You need 3 rows if you intend to play with others. There is an older style that only requires 2 rows, but if you play with other people they will have to play on instruments tuned to "C" or transpose their tunes to play with you.
You can find out what the best and most inexpensive concertina going right now at this website: http://www.concertina.net I think someone just came out with a decent one for around $300 for learning on. I heard about it last weekend from Daniel Hersh, who is a frequent poster there.
You can play in most common keys on a 20-button concertina just fine. Straight off, you have all the notes to play in the very common keys of G and A-minor. The keys of D and E-minor are workable too, but you just need to find a convenient substitute note for each C#. Those four keys make up the most common keys in Irish music, and you should be able to get plenty of mileage out of them. Heck, if you play with flute/whistle/pipers, that might actually be all the keys you ever hear!
Decent concertinas are crazy expensive these days. Good luck finding a cheap 30-button. Instead, I would suggest playing the ol Regoletta (and saving up some $$) until you feel like you're willing to go for a "real" concertina... But that's just my $.02...
Alternately, The Button Box makes decent 30-button instruments for $1,750 (believe it or not, I think that might actually be towards the bottom end of the price scale for 30-button anglos)...
Hi Squeezeboxgirl. I went through this a couple of years ago and after getting lots of advice from some great Irish players,decided that the only concertina to play ITM on was a bloody good one that was fast, responsive, sweet toned, etc etc which also meant very expensive. But Its worth it. I ended up getting a Suttner concertina off Ebay a couple of years ago, after playing a reasonable Lachenal for a year. Now I only have myself to blame for any mistakes. The concertina is fantastic and has never let me down. It has lifted my playing enormously just be being a quality instrument to play on. Theres nothing worse than struggling along with an instrument taht sounds and plays like .....well you know what I mean. I strongly recommend to any serious ITM junkie learning a concertina to get serious and buy a good quality one. Cheers and happy tunes to you.
Jamie
Oh by the way, I have never heard of a Regoletta. But have heard of Jeffries, Suttner, Wheatstone, Lachenal etc. Also there is therapy available (and drug treatment for serious cases) for people who want to get into diatonic stuff with their gin. Good luck.....
Georgi claims you can play in D on a 20-button concertina. There's no C# on a 20-button and tunes in D make use of this note. The fingering system for a C/G concertina to play in D relies heavily on the C#. How do you find a substitute for it? I don't understand this.
Kiwi... a Regoletta is basically just like a Bastari.
Piano Accordion ~ hell or heaven ~ the initial unknown...
Squeezeboxgirl, hoping you've followed some of the threads, if not do a search, but basically it isn't the piano accordion that is the problem, it is how it is played, but that is true of anything, though more so of accordions and drums... Yes, there can be an initial fear when you see a big box. Are they going to play with all reeds, are they going to impose a Boom-Chuck bass and chord background on us, will the volume be full blast and everything muddy legato??? But oh the joy if the person behind all that artillery turns out to be considerate and respectful and someone who plays to blend rather than to dominate and lead or push... Yes, there are such folk, and there's even some nice people like that who beat drums and hammer dulcimers too...
Sorry to dissapoint Phantom Button, but you can also play quite a lot of tunes in F as well on a 20 key C/G.
Its easy - you either pick tunes that don't have a Bb in them or tweak the tune a bit and play another note at that point.
Stick at it Squeezeboxgirl (I torture with pa and anglo as well).
I also have an old 20 button C/G concertina and really enjoy playing it, but I am not sure that I am willing at this stage to spend the bucks for a 30 button one with just for a c#. For D tunes I play along on the harmonica or strum the guirar, or just sit ot out and listen - nothing wrong with that. I attend a wonderful session that tolerates me.
Never the less, there are D tunes that do not have a c#. Connaughtman's Rambles, for example, and you can often fake a C#. And in Boys of the Bluehill in the 3rd bar there is a B-C-D trilpet that can be played B-B-D.
I am sure that there are lots of other D tunes that have either no C#, or ones that can be skipped. But maybe not. I never did understand all those lines and dots on paper.
Perhaps there is a thread on this websute that lists them, but I have not seen one.
Sure there's a few tunes you might find that don't rely on the missing notes on a 20 button, but you'll soon become frustrated by the limitations. I did anyway, and I went straight out and got one with 3-rows.
Concertina Queries
Concertina Queries
Hello everyone!
I was wondering if someone can help me out...
I was recently given a Regoletta 20-button anglo concertina. It has no straps, and I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this brand and knows if they're any good, 'cos if it is good then I'll get it fixed up! All but 1 of the buttons work and seem to be in good tune. Is a 20-button concertina ok to play ITM on or do I need one with more buttons? I have played the piano accordion for years and love trad tunes, but I've always wanted to enter the Diatonic world! (and judging by the many negative PA comments I've read on this site, I'd be a heck of a lot more welcome at sessions if I brought a concertina!)
Cheers...
# Posted on June 29th 2006 by Squeezeboxgirl
Re: Concertina Queries
You need 3 rows if you intend to play with others. There is an older style that only requires 2 rows, but if you play with other people they will have to play on instruments tuned to "C" or transpose their tunes to play with you.
# Posted on June 29th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Concertina Queries
Sigh. Oh well, I guess the ol' Regoletta will continue to gather dust, then. And I'll keep my eyes peeled for a cheapish 3-row. Thanks for the advice.
# Posted on June 29th 2006 by Squeezeboxgirl
Re: Concertina Queries
You can find out what the best and most inexpensive concertina going right now at this website: http://www.concertina.net I think someone just came out with a decent one for around $300 for learning on. I heard about it last weekend from Daniel Hersh, who is a frequent poster there.
# Posted on June 29th 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Concertina Queries
You can play in most common keys on a 20-button concertina just fine. Straight off, you have all the notes to play in the very common keys of G and A-minor. The keys of D and E-minor are workable too, but you just need to find a convenient substitute note for each C#. Those four keys make up the most common keys in Irish music, and you should be able to get plenty of mileage out of them. Heck, if you play with flute/whistle/pipers, that might actually be all the keys you ever hear!
Decent concertinas are crazy expensive these days. Good luck finding a cheap 30-button. Instead, I would suggest playing the ol Regoletta (and saving up some $$) until you feel like you're willing to go for a "real" concertina... But that's just my $.02...
That said, I think the Phantom Button was talking about these: http://www.concertinaconnection.com/rochelle.htm
Alternately, The Button Box makes decent 30-button instruments for $1,750 (believe it or not, I think that might actually be towards the bottom end of the price scale for 30-button anglos)...
# Posted on June 29th 2006 by Georgi
Re: Concertina Queries
Conán McDonnell plays piano accordion and nobody would want to miss him at a session.
If you can play ITM well on the PA, no need to torture yourself with a new instrument (unless you want to).
# Posted on June 30th 2006 by Martin Milner
Re: Concertina Queries
Hi Squeezeboxgirl. I went through this a couple of years ago and after getting lots of advice from some great Irish players,decided that the only concertina to play ITM on was a bloody good one that was fast, responsive, sweet toned, etc etc which also meant very expensive. But Its worth it. I ended up getting a Suttner concertina off Ebay a couple of years ago, after playing a reasonable Lachenal for a year. Now I only have myself to blame for any mistakes. The concertina is fantastic and has never let me down. It has lifted my playing enormously just be being a quality instrument to play on. Theres nothing worse than struggling along with an instrument taht sounds and plays like .....well you know what I mean. I strongly recommend to any serious ITM junkie learning a concertina to get serious and buy a good quality one. Cheers and happy tunes to you.
Jamie
# Posted on July 2nd 2006 by kiwi
Re: Concertina Queries
Oh by the way, I have never heard of a Regoletta. But have heard of Jeffries, Suttner, Wheatstone, Lachenal etc. Also there is therapy available (and drug treatment for serious cases) for people who want to get into diatonic stuff with their gin. Good luck.....
# Posted on July 2nd 2006 by kiwi
Re: Concertina Queries
Georgi claims you can play in D on a 20-button concertina. There's no C# on a 20-button and tunes in D make use of this note. The fingering system for a C/G concertina to play in D relies heavily on the C#. How do you find a substitute for it? I don't understand this.
Kiwi... a Regoletta is basically just like a Bastari.
# Posted on July 2nd 2006 by Phantom Button
Re: Concertina Queries
Kiwi, if your concertina's so fantastic why do you always end up playing guitar and singing songs?
# Posted on July 2nd 2006 by Dow
Piano Accordion ~ hell or heaven ~ the initial unknown...
Squeezeboxgirl, hoping you've followed some of the threads, if not do a search, but basically it isn't the piano accordion that is the problem, it is how it is played, but that is true of anything, though more so of accordions and drums... Yes, there can be an initial fear when you see a big box. Are they going to play with all reeds, are they going to impose a Boom-Chuck bass and chord background on us, will the volume be full blast and everything muddy legato??? But oh the joy if the person behind all that artillery turns out to be considerate and respectful and someone who plays to blend rather than to dominate and lead or push... Yes, there are such folk, and there's even some nice people like that who beat drums and hammer dulcimers too...
# Posted on July 3rd 2006 by ceolachan
Re: Concertina Queries
Sorry to dissapoint Phantom Button, but you can also play quite a lot of tunes in F as well on a 20 key C/G.
Its easy - you either pick tunes that don't have a Bb in them or tweak the tune a bit and play another note at that point.
Stick at it Squeezeboxgirl (I torture with pa and anglo as well).
# Posted on July 3rd 2006 by geoffwright
Re: Concertina Queries
I also have an old 20 button C/G concertina and really enjoy playing it, but I am not sure that I am willing at this stage to spend the bucks for a 30 button one with just for a c#. For D tunes I play along on the harmonica or strum the guirar, or just sit ot out and listen - nothing wrong with that. I attend a wonderful session that tolerates me.
Never the less, there are D tunes that do not have a c#. Connaughtman's Rambles, for example, and you can often fake a C#. And in Boys of the Bluehill in the 3rd bar there is a B-C-D trilpet that can be played B-B-D.
I am sure that there are lots of other D tunes that have either no C#, or ones that can be skipped. But maybe not. I never did understand all those lines and dots on paper.
Perhaps there is a thread on this websute that lists them, but I have not seen one.
Anyone else care to suggest a few?
How about tunes in A?
bmckim
# Posted on July 4th 2006 by bmckim
Re: Concertina Queries
Thanks for all the tips and ideas, folks! As soon as I get the 20-button box fixed up (it needs straps) I'll let you know how things progress....
# Posted on July 4th 2006 by Squeezeboxgirl
Re: Concertina Queries
Sure there's a few tunes you might find that don't rely on the missing notes on a 20 button, but you'll soon become frustrated by the limitations. I did anyway, and I went straight out and got one with 3-rows.
# Posted on July 4th 2006 by Phantom Button