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Post by Dick Glasgow on Mar 8, 2009 12:17:28 GMT
 Two new members appeared on C.net recently, both asking where they might find Concertina Tuition & or Classes in the Edinburgh/Lothians area! Can anyone here point them in the right direction? Also, if anyone here is willing to give lessons to a beginner/learner or knows of someone in their area who is, or who knows of Concertina Classes, I'd be grateful if they would post some details here. Cheers Dick |
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Post by pcarr on Mar 12, 2009 11:36:46 GMT
Having looked around for lessons, I taught myself for the first 6 - 9 months, using the Butler Tutor available as a free download on the internet. (If anyone can't find it, email me and I'll send you the link or the pdf). Alasdair Anderson's Concertina Workshop tutor is also now available as a free download - for details search concertina.net.
But probably one of the other best ways to learn is to go to a workshop like Concertinas at Witney or the Swaledale Squeeze. Is anyone else going to Swaledale this year?
And after that, it's just sheer slog and lots of practice!
P
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Post by Dick Glasgow on Mar 12, 2009 16:10:36 GMT
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Post by A Coulter on Mar 12, 2009 19:49:58 GMT
:)I taught myself too, it was a couple of years before I even met another concertina player. After that I'd go to workshops at folk festivals, both for English and Anglo concertinas ( although I only play the Anglo) and the Anglo ones would be telling people to try to get more smoothness into the playing whilst the English workshops would be exhorting them to get more drive and lift ;D so I just played as I liked to suit myself  If there's a beginner near me I'd be happy to run through a few tunes with them but it would be more of an informal 'session', going as slowly and repeating something as often as they wanted, rather than a proper lesson ;D |
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Post by Dick Glasgow on Mar 13, 2009 9:58:37 GMT
I taught myself too, it was a couple of years before I even met another concertina player. After that I'd go to workshops at folk festivals, both for English and Anglo concertinas ( although I only play the Anglo) and the Anglo ones would be telling people to try to get more smoothness into the playing whilst the English workshops would be exhorting them to get more drive and lift ;D so I just played as I liked to suit myself Interesting. I've never been to an English class but I did go to a class at Miltown for a week on the Anglo, but only after I'd been playing for a few years. It was actually rather humbling, sitting next to youngsters who were just racing through the new tunes, with ease.  I got loads & loads of good stuff from the experience though, not least of which was inspiration. So a trip to classes at those weekend festivals would certainly be worth their weight in gold , to a learner. That sounds like a great offer. I reckon beginners shouldn't expect to get away scot free by being given it all on a plate. I think we each have to pay our dues by knuckling down & at least learning where the notes are, ourselves. I'm sure a tune a week, played slowly by someone in front of you, would be an excellent way to progress. Cheers Dick |
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Post by sam on Jun 18, 2009 22:05:44 GMT
Hi
Having just joined this forum - this is really useful stuff! thanks for the links and i agree that its about putting the hours of practise in..
however what seems to be difficult for me...i have a few books of tunes..how do i know what they are MEANT to sound like? so that i get it right..
Everyone keeps telling me that i have picked a very difficult instument...and i should try the whistle or the guitar or ....
but i like the english concertina!
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Post by Dick Glasgow on Jun 19, 2009 8:57:58 GMT
Hi Sam, Good point Sam!  I reckon there's no better way to progress than to find someone else who actually plays one of these wee beasties, preferably, of course, the same species that you are learning! For a start, I'd have a look at some of the YouTube Concertina videos. There are a number of them posted on this Forum's ~ MySpaceThere are also links to a whole bunch of useful & interesting ones, here, on this forum's YouTube section. Perhaps the list to start looking through here, is this one: Favourite English Concertina Tuition YouTubesDon't listen to them, Sam!"Stick to your guns", you should certainly be learning to play an instrument whose sound appeals to you & enchants you! I wish I had a £1 for every child who gave up playing music, simply because they HAD to learn the instrument their parents chose for them!  I'm sure some of the members here will come to your aid & I'd be very surprised if you don't get a friendly response from some of them. The sooner you can meet up with other Concertina players, the better. Cheers Dick |
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Post by sam on Jun 19, 2009 20:00:03 GMT
Dick
thanks i will certainly have a listen to all the links...yes if there is one thing that i am keen on is meeting up with other people! I met a couple of girls the other weekend at a folk festival and we are hoping to meet on a regular basis...so Glasgow/Edinburgh/Borders is where we are all based but willing to travel to meet..
Get in touch via this forum if you are keen! or indeed having had a look at the poll that Simon T did there seemed a huge amount (more that i ever knew of) in glasgow...
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Post by Dick Glasgow on Jun 19, 2009 20:19:21 GMT
If you guys do arrange to meet up & don't mind other Concertina players coming along too, please keep the forum informed with details ... Ta. As for the Concertina Poll, I'm afraid that was my little pet project, Sam. I was just hoping to get a better idea of how many Concertina players there were in Scotland, in particular the English machine!. So I hi-jacked an old, forgotten, Dick Miles thread over on Footstompin, which had been asleep for over a year, & I began posting questions on other forums too, including 'Concertina.net', 'The Session', 'Mudcat' & 'Chiff & Fipple'. I'm sure even Simon was amazed at the numbers, especially given his first post on that old thread: Little did he know I'd find 66 ..... & still counting! ;D I'm delighted now, to have found so many, but I'm sure there are even more out there, who would no doubt be only too pleased to know that there are lots more players in Scotland. Cheers Dick |
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