Jeri,

Your approach is a reasonable one, especially if you have any previous music in you at all. Hope the Recycled Muso thread helps a little with techniques I didn't find written down when I was looking for startup help. Those beginner P/A books were frustrating and too slow paced.

Remember V + V = II ... :-)
and IV + IV = VII ... ;-)

You can skip the conterbass at first till you start getting some useful tunes under your belt - 32 bass boxes often don't have that row anyway...

Actually, I'm looking for a cheap old style metal ended P/A - I'm in Brisbane - and am very short of funds these days - depending on condition - I'd like to look at it - I may consider it salvagable where others might not... as long as no major holes in the bellows...

I want it so I can play for old style dances - pre WWII or between the wars - as plastic boxes are mostly out of period...

Robin