Hi,
what concertina anglo with ( preferably) 30 buttons do you recommend for beginners? budget ranging from 300 eoros to 600 ( and more if it's worth).
Thanks,
H
I went to the Noel Hill Concertina School last August with a Morse Ceili. Having no experience with the concertina before that I was extremely pleased with both. Noel is a great teacher and inspirational. I'm glad I started that way and have a concertina that will last a long time before I outgrow it.
This is a long-standing debate. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I now agree that it is a well-demonstrated reality that the minimum price of a concertina that is truly capable of what is expected in Irish Trad music is 1200-1500 U.S. dollars. This causes some concertinists (the rich ones) to insist that every beginner must start out on such a box. Perhaps that's why concertina is still so uncommon! Truth is, most of those advice givers started out on 300-600 euro Italian-made instruments themselves (Stagi, Gremlin, Hohner, etc). This is realistic; just understand that if you buy one new it will lose half its value by the time you sell it. If you really decide to make a go of Irish concertina, a Stagi will hold you back before too long. Cheaper, used ones are out there, but they don't age gracefully. Concertinas are like pianos -- a million parts in that tiny space, and all must work to very fine tolerances to get the fast response you need. This (choices for beginners) is a common topic on www.concertina.net where us nuts can rave at each other without driving the rest of the IR trad (and other musical) community nuts. You might take a look there.
I started on a 20-button Italian made anglo - a cheap and realistic alternative many don't think to consider. I spent less and lost much less on depreciation. I couldn't play in D you say? True, but for the first year, I couldn't have played much in D even with that extra row of buttons! By the time I did need better, I was ready to buy a much better instrument for more money - I was hooked.
Note that I'm not knocking mike880's approach here; he actually did it the ideal way. I now play a Morse Ceili myself. But most of us can't commit that much money to an untried hobby (skiing, golf, fitness machines, etc). And this is different from most instruments - it turns out a 300 dollar concertina isn't as good for learning as a 300 dollar guitar, say. In IRTrad, probably only the pipes are harder to get and more expensive to get going on.
I began learning concertina on a 30 button Stagi. However, after the first year, I found that I could not easily do all of the neat ornaments that Noel Hill showed us in his class. That was when I purchased a Ceili concertina from the Button Box. I have since moved up to a more expensive instrument ( I've now played for over 4 years] but that Ceili can still handle just about anything I attempt on it. I agree with Ken that the price for a decent instrument for a beginner is in the 1200-1500 dollar range. Once purchased though, one can play for years and be very happy with such an instrument. Moving up to the top of the line instruments can mean better tone and appearance, but also a much longer wait - often in the 4 year range.
I had the honor of having a concertina lesson with Mary MacNamara last year. She listened to me play my A.C. Norman, which I like very much. She told me that it's a good instrument and that it will serve me for a long time. However, she did ask what I LEARNED on. I told her about my Stagi. She shook her head and said that my playing will be affected for a long time by that instrument. The bellows are extrememly hard and there is no tone. You cannot learn ornaments. It will be detrimental to your playing. Hold out and save for a Morse, a Norman, or a Marcus, or look for a nice used instrument. Be prepared to spend--you guessed it--about $1500 or so US dollars.
I am now looking for a Jeffries, or a Wheatstone, or some other top notch instrument, but I am happy with my Norman until the instrument of my dreams shows up. (Sounds like a soap opera, doesn't it? Maybe a Country Western song...I'm ha-a-ap-y with Nor-maaannnn....).
Watch out for the concertina, though. It is very addictive, you meet other concertina players and delude yourself into thinking that you are the normal person in the room...then you go to Noel Hill's Concertina School and find out how you really don't know anything, and come home thinking "Just wait 'til next year." You put thousands of miles on your car, driving from dcty to city to play in sessions. You spend far too much time on the computer reading the rantings of fellow addicts...and you spend a lot of money. It will take over your life. Your family will roll their eyes at you. Your friends will make fun of your instrument. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Sell the dog! Buy a good concertina!
Cassie
concertina for beginners
concertina for beginners
Hi,
what concertina anglo with ( preferably) 30 buttons do you recommend for beginners? budget ranging from 300 eoros to 600 ( and more if it's worth).
Thanks,
H
# Posted on December 6th 2002 by hhold
Re: concertina for beginners
Well have a look around, I would recommend playing on each one as I have found that even the un-named ones can still be pritty decent.
# Posted on December 6th 2002 by ChrisTaylor
Re: concertina for beginners
I went to the Noel Hill Concertina School last August with a Morse Ceili. Having no experience with the concertina before that I was extremely pleased with both. Noel is a great teacher and inspirational. I'm glad I started that way and have a concertina that will last a long time before I outgrow it.
# Posted on December 6th 2002 by mike880
Re: concertina for beginners
This is a long-standing debate. I didn't want to believe it at first, but I now agree that it is a well-demonstrated reality that the minimum price of a concertina that is truly capable of what is expected in Irish Trad music is 1200-1500 U.S. dollars. This causes some concertinists (the rich ones) to insist that every beginner must start out on such a box. Perhaps that's why concertina is still so uncommon! Truth is, most of those advice givers started out on 300-600 euro Italian-made instruments themselves (Stagi, Gremlin, Hohner, etc). This is realistic; just understand that if you buy one new it will lose half its value by the time you sell it. If you really decide to make a go of Irish concertina, a Stagi will hold you back before too long. Cheaper, used ones are out there, but they don't age gracefully. Concertinas are like pianos -- a million parts in that tiny space, and all must work to very fine tolerances to get the fast response you need. This (choices for beginners) is a common topic on www.concertina.net where us nuts can rave at each other without driving the rest of the IR trad (and other musical) community nuts. You might take a look there.
I started on a 20-button Italian made anglo - a cheap and realistic alternative many don't think to consider. I spent less and lost much less on depreciation. I couldn't play in D you say? True, but for the first year, I couldn't have played much in D even with that extra row of buttons! By the time I did need better, I was ready to buy a much better instrument for more money - I was hooked.
Note that I'm not knocking mike880's approach here; he actually did it the ideal way. I now play a Morse Ceili myself. But most of us can't commit that much money to an untried hobby (skiing, golf, fitness machines, etc). And this is different from most instruments - it turns out a 300 dollar concertina isn't as good for learning as a 300 dollar guitar, say. In IRTrad, probably only the pipes are harder to get and more expensive to get going on.
Ken
# Posted on December 6th 2002 by KenC
Re: concertina for beginners
Try looking at http://www.freezone.co.uk/oneillmusic page4
fz022296
# Posted on December 7th 2002 by boorinwood
Re: concertina for beginners
I began learning concertina on a 30 button Stagi. However, after the first year, I found that I could not easily do all of the neat ornaments that Noel Hill showed us in his class. That was when I purchased a Ceili concertina from the Button Box. I have since moved up to a more expensive instrument ( I've now played for over 4 years] but that Ceili can still handle just about anything I attempt on it. I agree with Ken that the price for a decent instrument for a beginner is in the 1200-1500 dollar range. Once purchased though, one can play for years and be very happy with such an instrument. Moving up to the top of the line instruments can mean better tone and appearance, but also a much longer wait - often in the 4 year range.
# Posted on December 7th 2002 by SFKiwi
Re: concertina for beginners
I had the honor of having a concertina lesson with Mary MacNamara last year. She listened to me play my A.C. Norman, which I like very much. She told me that it's a good instrument and that it will serve me for a long time. However, she did ask what I LEARNED on. I told her about my Stagi. She shook her head and said that my playing will be affected for a long time by that instrument. The bellows are extrememly hard and there is no tone. You cannot learn ornaments. It will be detrimental to your playing. Hold out and save for a Morse, a Norman, or a Marcus, or look for a nice used instrument. Be prepared to spend--you guessed it--about $1500 or so US dollars.
I am now looking for a Jeffries, or a Wheatstone, or some other top notch instrument, but I am happy with my Norman until the instrument of my dreams shows up. (Sounds like a soap opera, doesn't it? Maybe a Country Western song...I'm ha-a-ap-y with Nor-maaannnn....).
Watch out for the concertina, though. It is very addictive, you meet other concertina players and delude yourself into thinking that you are the normal person in the room...then you go to Noel Hill's Concertina School and find out how you really don't know anything, and come home thinking "Just wait 'til next year." You put thousands of miles on your car, driving from dcty to city to play in sessions. You spend far too much time on the computer reading the rantings of fellow addicts...and you spend a lot of money. It will take over your life. Your family will roll their eyes at you. Your friends will make fun of your instrument. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Sell the dog! Buy a good concertina!
Cassie
# Posted on December 7th 2002 by woman of the house