Anglo Concertina

Subject: Anglo Concertina
From: john c
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 09:30 AM

Ive just been given what I take to be an old anglo-concertina. Its got 2 rows of 5 keys on each side and each key makes a different note, depending on if I "inhale" or "exhale"
Does anybody know any good sites where I can find some information or lessons or music? All help greatly appreciated!
John

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 09:57 AM

John,

You do indeed have an Anglo Concertina.

There's a nice introduction to the instrument here.

The most comprehensive site for Concertina stuff is www.concertina.net

Your instrument has 20 keys which means that you can play in 2 keys C and G (and their related minors) easily.

The more expensive instruments have an extra row of accidentals. Don't worry too much about that, it took me a year or so before I started feeling restricted.

I can't help you much concerning lessons or books as I pretty much learned by ear.

Do you play any other instruments? I could offer you better advice if you let me know that. Also do you want to play tunes or accompany songs?

Have fun

Ed

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 09:59 AM

John,

You do indeed have an Anglo Concertina.

There's a nice introduction to the instrument here.

The most comprehensive site for Concertina stuff is www.concertina.net

Your instrument has 20 keys which means that you can play in 2 keys, probably C and G, easily.

The more expensive instruments have an extra row of accidentals. Don't worry too much about that, it took me well over a year or so before I started feeling really restricted.

I can't help you much concerning lessons or books as I pretty much learned by ear.

Do you play any other instruments? I could offer you better advice if you let me know that. Also do you want to play tunes or accompany songs?

Have fun

Ed

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: john c
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 10:29 AM

Phew, that was a quick reply (both of them)!!
I havent had much time to really think about what I want to do with it. Probably a bit of both.
In answer to your question, I play a pretty passable guitar and mandolin, a bit pennywhistle and have a basic smattering of musical theory, but nothing too involved.
cheers
John

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Mooh
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 10:48 AM

The combination of concertina and fiddle (unison and harmony) is killer when played with good guitar accompaniment. Find a couple of players and away you go. Lots of fiddle tune sources out there. Good luck.

Mooh.

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: wildlone
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 01:04 PM

thanks Ed I too have an anglo I would like to learn the links are a great help.
BTW it is an old one with its original case but I cannot make out the maker, the only thing I can read is somthing "ston road London NW" not a lot to go on I know, any ideas?

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 02:00 PM

Maybe I'm spliting hairs but what Ed has said regarding keys is not necessarily true. The C/G does seem to be the most common but there are other tunings in use.

Another point is that Irish players (and some others) tend to cross rows on a C/G anglo to play in D rather than use a G/D anglo.

Jon

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 02:04 PM

Jon,

I'm happy to split hairs :-)

If you read the second of my 'double' post, you'd have seen the word 'probably'

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 02:34 PM

Jon,

I didn't mention playing across the rows because john c said he was a beginner. The lack of a C# on a two row C/G would also be a problem.

Wildlone,

I'm not an expert, by any means, on anglo concertinas. If you're interested in finding out more about your instrument, I'd suggest contacting www.hobgoblin.com. They are both experts and enthusiasts, and I'm sure an email to them describing your instrument clearly would get a decent reply.

Ed

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 02:55 PM

Good thinking Ed... my brain is obvously not functioning too well. You would missing the extra notes on a 2 row. At least I think so... have they ever been tuned so a chromatic scale can be played on 2 rows as they do with some melodeons?

Jon

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: wildlone
Date: 01 Apr 00 - 03:50 PM

Thanks again Ed will try them

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: roopoo
Date: 02 Apr 00 - 01:47 AM

wildlone,

I can't play, but my husband's got one and it is a Wheatstone, which it seems yours is too. His is about 90-100 years old, with fretted wooden ends.

mouldy

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: wildlone
Date: 02 Apr 00 - 05:33 AM

thanks mouldy, I have e-mailed Hobgoblin hope to here from them soon.

Subject: RE: Anglo Concertina
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 02 Apr 00 - 06:53 AM

G'day John c,

What you have seems to be a traditional Anglo-German concertina - the sort played by ordinary mortals ... not the stage wizards of the recent concertina revival. The street address almost certainly suggests that it is a Wheatstone as Lachenal (the main maker) didn't use an address on his labels, Jeffries (who made tremendously tough and powerful concers) was in Praed Street and Crabb (the last london factory) has no address on his labels.

The two rows are often in G and C, but I have had achenals in Bb/F (my first Anglo) and B/F# (an Australian-made Stanley from circa 1890). The old instruments were often pitched in keys to suit various types of 19th century bands - and often in old high pitch. it will usually be expensive to have a complete cleanup and retune, so the concertina needs to be in good condition to justify the expense.

Traditional high quality English-made concertinas can always be repaired (unlike cheap old German instruments) but it is skilled craftsman work.

If you have a good workable 20-key Anglo and no nearby teacher or skilled player, I would recommend starting to teach yourself with The Mel Bay Concertina Book. Don't be put of by the vintage photographs of the the author playing a huge German Chinese Lantern type concertina; the layout and instruction is quite good for a novice, teaches right hand, then left, then combining hands ... and even ends up with a dash of Mozart!

My wife learned from this book - then took possesion of my prized 22 key Lachenal (so I had to locate another). The books, tapes, &c, aimed at Irish-style playing are not much help to a 20-key as they use all three rows of the Anglo-chromatic concertina in a distinctively Irish pattern for playing in fiddle keys.

The best instrument to have as a background before Anglo is mouthorgan, since the tunings are closely related (but you end up 'puffing' reflexively as you play!). Button accordion is also related, in fact the German concertina, the parent of this one, was originally a square box with the two right hand rows of a button accordion slit up between two sides of a concertina.

Regards,

Bob Bolton