Hi Everyone :) Thanks for all the comments and likes - Please feel free to ask any questions about this concertina lesson or about Irish music in general and we'll get back to you straight away. Remember to subscribe to our channel and click the bell to get notified of our new video releases.
I am currently fixating on this instrument rn, i have never succesfully learned to play an instrument before, but this looks just like something i could vibe with how impossible would it be for a complete beginner to the music world to learn a concertina? I'd assume it's more muscle memory and ofc a lot of practice ??
@@omegaschatterbox8366 here's a tip from someone with nerve damage in his hands who was gas lighted by doctors that he'd never be able to play. 20 minutes a day on anything, learned to type? You can play. Rocket jump in tf2, you can play. Start with getting to know the instrument, see how she show us how do the correct fingerongs, just do that for a week, think of it as coloring outside the lines as a child learning to color. You don't need talent, you need perseverance and diligence.
@@godrilla5549 i actually ended up getting one from a contact on fb marketplace and have been practicing semi-regularly. It brought me an unimaginable amount of happiness to learn something new, im even learning to transcribe notes into tabs by myself!
I bought for myself a book for the Irish Concertina by The Session. I like it and I think it will help me with what i want to know. . Now I can help some real fun as I learn. Have a great day says Judy Corette
+Swn Llawen Hi there :) OAIM tutor Ernestine Healy recommends either lachenal or barleycorn concertinas. as a first instrument. It looks like the concertina you have been given isn't really suitable for the lessons here.. We use the Anglo concertina which have many more buttons. Let me know if you have any further queries!
I am saving for a 30 button Anglo concertina . I have found one that I like but it will take a while to save for it. thank you for your kind response. says Judy Corrette
Hi Everyone, Thanks for all the comments and likes! Please feel free to ask any questions you have about this lesson or anything related to Irish music in general. We'll get an answer to you straight away :)
As a beginner with a 20B Bonnetti I am excited to see a video covering the fundamentals in this your first lesson. I will eagerly follow all six classes and appreciate the illustrated fingering that you provided, for the lovely little 30 button concertina you used. Thank you Edel!
Hi Edel. Love your style of teaching on this Vid. My problem is though, I've just inherited an old Lachenal 20 button anglo. Sadly the buttons are not in the same format as your 30 button. Any advice please?
Hi, It's difficult with the 20 button. It's not that you can't use these lessons but you would have to use the sheet music provided and the fingering that Edel teaches would be different. Any chance of getting your hands on an anglo?
I am having a bit of trouble adapting. I have a twenty key instrument, rather than the 30. Also my hand is a bit small!! Can you recommend a quite small Anglo concertina?
My concertina is a 20 button Anglo- German concertina with Key of C and Key of G. I think you responded to my comment about the concertina was about playing the D scale. I can't because there is no C# . I - only have the F#. I am learmoing the buttons and working on learning how to do the bellows. Do you ha e any lessons for the 20 button Anglo concertina??
Ernestine is playing a 30 key wheatstone and on alot of wheatstone 30 Anglo concertinas, there is only one C sharp on the top row (on the press). Edel is playing a Geoffreys fingering system concertina where there are 2 C sharps - one on the top row (on the draw) and one on the 2nd row (on the press).
For a first instrument - it does not give any extra advantage. You will probably find that alot of the starter concertinas will have the system that has only one C sharp on the top row (on the press). Once you advance as a musician, it can give some extra options for ornamentation etc for tunes. For the lessons on OAIM, Ernestine plays a Wheatstone and Edel plays a Geoffreys.
I purchased my Rochelle 6 years back, and it has sat on the shelf waiting patiently since, as i went through nursing school and started career number 2. Now i am aching to start to play. Thanks gor being here. I just did a quick review and this is previsely what I think need now.
I think they can, although it varies upon which model of concertina you have. There is an in depth thread on concertinadotnet about this subject, it's named "Fingering For 20-button Anglo" and gives a lot of info on this subject. Let us know how you get along..
Hi Everyone, Thanks for all the comments and likes! Please feel free to ask any questions you have about this lesson or anything related to Irish music in general. We'll get an answer to you asap :)
Hello, I would like to learn to play the concertina. I see what seems to be a basic one on amazon for $200 dollars US. It is a bit confusing Anglo, English C D. Could you give me some simple info to get started. Thank you Chris in Albuquerque
Hi Chris, you're looking for a 30 button Anglo in G/C. I have 2 Wren's that have lasted us ~ 4 years and cost 300E. Here's a link - www.gear4music.ie/Woodwind-Brass-Strings/Concertina-by-Gear4music-C-G/15PB?origin=product-ads&gclid=Cj0KCQiA14TjBRD_ARIsAOCmO9Z-QyfX-iSeu1cvNDBIJ2afBQArDjsvJqIe2BvjoQ45Z_hU8s_GaQsaAkekEALw_wcB
Thank you so much! My concertina arrived an hour ago and I have no idea how or where to start! I'm in county Leitrim, near Mohill...... This is truly the first lesson I came across! 💖
@@onlineacademyofirishmusic Thanks for asking. I've got a Gremlin by Stagi. just starting off.I realised the reeds on a few of the buttons were fitted the wrong way round when I practised the D scale. I found Theo at the box place and he did a super quick adjustment and changed them round for me. So thanks to Theo I'm back on track. cheers
Nice training video!! Thanks!! I noticed that at 5:02 and 5:08 in the video, the key layout on the right correctly shows the "B" button as the first button in the second row; however at 5:12 it incorrectly shows the "B" button as the second button in the second row.
High D at 5:40 is shown red for the push and red again at 7:07 which I find helpful but just when I think I've got it, 7:21 it's green, and green again the next time! Argh, my OCD.
How about using the 20 button . that is what I have . I can't make the D scale with mine. because I don't have C# (unless I had the top extra row. ) says Judy Corrette
Ohhhh, gracias , está traducido el video debajo. Es difícil encontrar algo en castellano de la concertina y este instrumento me fascina. Yo toco el piano y hace poco he comprado una concertina de 20 botones y estoy investigando sobre ella. Sin duda veré más videos suyos. Gracias de nuevo.
How did it ever happen that Irish musicians play in the key of D on an instrument primarily made for C or G?...and which then requires added accidentals? Why not just play in C or G...like you can do on the older 20 button concertinas and like the German makers intended? Just curious.
So you can play in sessions with other instruments who play tunes in D, A and other keys. And also- because you can! Why restrict yourself to playing in two keys only when you don't need to?
Hi, I'm thinking of taking some lessons on your website, and getting myself a concertina, but I'm a bit lost. I know I'm on the look-out for an Anglo C/G 30 button concertina to play Irish music on, and I've heard that Rochelle is a good choice for beginners. The problem I have is that ideally I would like something smaller than the Rochelle. The size of the one played in this video looks a lot smaller. Can you please recommend any smaller concertinas like this but for beginners? Thanks so much.
Thank you for your reply. I haven't decided yet on which concertina to get, but for the purposes of learning specifically with the Online Irish Music website, is the layout important to how it's taught? Wheatstone or Jeffries? Thanks.
Looks like i'm learning irish concertina since i'm having a fight with my banjo, it's been total prick lately. A much sexier instrument anyway, like plqying a typewriter.
Hey Edel 👋. I felt like if i wanted to learn how to play an instrument and so i chose the concertina. Also i wanted one as a 🎁 from my parents and before the 22th i need to know or ask. Can you send me a link to a cheap one? Its just to learn, play for fun and i didn't want anything too fancy. And if you can... Thank you. 😃
It's a little hard to follow along on a 20 button Anglo. I went for it because I got a good deal and wasn't sure if I was going to be into this. So far so good but I'm having to bridge some knowledge. Eventually I may go to a 30 key but today is not that day
Yes, those 20 button boxes are often coupled with a 'good deal'. The 30 buttons are more expensive no doubt. You can learn on these instruments by getting to know the notes on each button then following the ABC and aural learning. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hello, I'm just beginning to learn concertina and your video has been very useful. Coming from piano and clarinet already knowing my scales I initially jumped right in working from a finger chart and sight reading some folk tunes I already knew. I realised, like on clarinet, that there are multiple ways to go up and down parts of scales which will work better depending on context. So I have come to your lesson to try and stop my fingers getting tied in knots and learn the scales from a player and not try and work it out from a finger chart. However, one of the problems that brought me here hasn't been cleared up and may be because I am playing a Wheatstone 30-key instrument - my C# is on the push 1st button on the outside accidental row. Am I just supposed to jump my first finger out to that row from the button below on the middle row when playing B (pull) to C# (push)? It feels like clumsy fingering? Is this one of the details that explain why Jeffries layouts are so coveted? To get around jumping my finger up the row and ending up with too many notes going in or out next to each other I've been playing the B(push) on the left hand second button inside row, the C# I mentioned earlier and the other D - the D(pull) right hand second button middle row.
Hi, this is the type of question asked on the forum. I do play concertina tho' and there is not much difference between those layouts you mention. Yes the C# is where the only major difference lies. Fingering will feel clumsy until you get used to it and finding a flow in the push pull of the bellows is part of the middle stages of learning the instrument. For now I would recommend following Edel's course on the site as you will progress faster than trying to learn alone. It sounds like you have a beautiful instrument there - www.oaim.ie/concertina/concertina-basics/
Thanks for the video, Edel, and IMA! Could you recommend a good (or even excellent) source for more research on the concertina? I am interested in the various manufacturers (particularly the better to the best) and the variations of concertinas (so I can figure out which variation I would be most interested in buying and learning)? Thanks!
Hi, i am really interested in starting to play the concertina. I am just not sure, with a 30 key c/g anglo concertina, can i play in all keys? or would i need another concertina for that? Thanks already, your videos are very inspiring and helpful :)
@@joel.perler That looks like a perfect starter instrument. I can also recommend the Wrens as my son has been learning for four years on his and it's never let us down. It's also a bit cheaper.
Hello there, I recently bought a refurbished Maccan 55 key duet concertina, and downloaded the original method. I’m learning scales right now, and I might get a teacher to prevent me developing bad habits. I like Irish music a lot, but I think duets, as they’re not bisonoric, need a slightly different approach..? Lovely instruments anyway.
I want to learn to play the concertina with Irish songs but I have a 20 button and I see that you have a 30 button ..Is there much of a difference?? I am saving for a 30 button Anglo concertina. In the meantime, would you please help me?? ( I am almost all Irish and I love Irish music) says Judy Corrette
+William John Goodwater Hi William, Good luck with the 20 key concertina! I hope you are aware that it's a different layout to the one Edel uses in the video above. Let us know if you need help with anything..
well from what i learned about my setup is that there is a F on the back row (mid for this one) so I can actually play a 5 part scale with just one row going up. the F shown in this is a F#. I don't fully know why bother with an F# over an F.
Bought my Wren Anglo Concertina (30 button) from Paraic McNeela just last year and i'm excited to finally get in to it now that my schedule has calmed down. Really liking the videos, thank you for your content!
I'm having great difficulty playing me concertina, what with Irish music now almost wall paper music in elevators, while jazz, rock and the rest are all the rage here in the USA, I have to learn a lot of complicated stuff.
I'm a beginner as of yesterday. What if you have 4 pushes in a row in a tune? I'm running out of air in the bellows. Also I don't know what kind of anglo concertina I have. It's got 30 buttons, about twice as big as yours and is black with white buttons. The C# is a push on the 1st row. I'm learning the D scale and have a tune in D
4545Bodo Hi, thanks for posting your questions - There is a free lesson on the OAIM website explaining how to use the air button -oaim.ie/concertina-basics It sounds like you have an Anglo concertina there, which is great for these lessons - let us know if you need further help :)
Hello, generally speaking whats the difference between lets say an English concertina and Irish and a German(if it exists)? Its only the tuning or the whole instrument different(more buttons etc.)? Finally whats the lowest price that you can find an irish concertina in a good condition?
Diatonic means that it plays in one key. the Concertina is chromatic because it plays in every key. the correct term for a different not on a push or draw of the bellows is "bi-sonoric", rather than uni-sonoric, like a piano accordion. :)
Hi, i have just been given a concertina and i have no idea how to play it. It has 10 buttons on each side and on the right (looking down at it with it on my lap) it has another button which my dad says is for the thumb?
No, that is the air button. If you find the bellows too full of air or they don't have enough air, you this key to change that. It's called the air button. You also use this when closing the box after finishing to play. You should never squeeze the bellows without playing a note or pressing this button as it could break them. What type of concertina is it?
HI there! I need a help for choose one concertina. I work as a clown on my free time here in Brazil, and a need to play one musical instrument. I intend to learn and play the concertina but i noticed that exist some diferent kind of Conscertina . Which concertina do you sugest? Thanks!
I've been trying to learn the 20key Anglo Concertina for 3 years now, but I've never found any helpful videos for it, so it's been VERY slow going. So every song I've learned has just been pressing buttons until it sounds like the song. This video has helped a little, but for the most part, this doesn't really carry over to what I'm trying to learn. If you guys have any tips or other video recommendations I would love to have them! PS: I'm not specifically trying to learn Irish music, this is just the only structured tutorial I've found on the internet, so don't hesitate to reply if the video isn't really targeting Irish music specifically.
Hello! I am looking for a beginner concertina and have narrowed it down to the Wren 2 and the Rochelle, a lot of people seem to recommend the Rochelle as a first concertina, but I’m a bit thrown off by the size difference. What beginner concertina do y’all recommend? Located in the US and would like to keep it under $600. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, we used three of the brown wren's to get started on. Two are still operational and one went by the wayside. We used them for around 4 years which is great value. The action is slow but they are cheap. I see McNealla have a new improved version for more money. There is a cheaper beginner box for sale in custy's music online store, which I'm sure would be fine. I've never tried a Rochelle beginner box.
I found this 1st lesson to be an excellent introduction - something that looks quite daunting was made to look very simple, certainly enough to take away any initial fear of trying. I have a question though - is there a reason why you have C sharp in the second row (is there some advantage for your style of playing that beginners needn't worry about when looking for a 1st instrument? (at the minute, I can only assume it allows more speed in the B to C change, or for triplets etc.). Many thanks!
Thanks for the answer, my question was also about buying a concertina for a novice player, what brand would you recommend? What is the keyboard chart in your course? Thanks again!
+adriano ferrara I'd recommend the Wren for a beginner instrument - www.irishmusik.com/the-wren-concertina-2/ I've had two of them and both have had a good bit of use and are still going strong ..
I wish someone had explained this to me 30 years ago, before I started to get into bad habits! That's a very useful video. In the meantime, go and look up the word "diatonic".
I bought a second hand concertina and two notes were playing at the same time when only one button was being pushed. I took it to a repairer and he fixed it, a few minutes into practice, the same problem started happening again. I then took it back and he fixed it again, with the same problem happening again after a few minutes. Should I buy a new one?
Hi Maddi, You would need a 30 key to follow these lessons as the notes/buttons are in different places. You can learn on a 20 key (ask google) but for the tutorials on OAIM we teach on the 30 key Anglo.
Ahoy, Edel! I see ye are a-playin' a 30 buttons. I am a musician, an' I mainly sing, then play bodhran an' guitarrr. But I would like ta try concertina, too: 'tis nice to play sea chanteys wi' the concertina. So, I don't want to start givin' away a booty... then my question is: can I start wi' a 20 buttons concertina? I saw that ye use tha accidentals row too, that in a 20 buttons doesn't exist... Let me know, please. Thank ye, fair maid!
Check out this thread - www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10307 and let me know how you are getting along. In our virtual classroom @ www.oaim.ie , OAIM tutor Ernestine Healy recommends either lachenal or barleycorn concertinas. as a first instrument.
I only found an Anglo of 20 keys (because lack of money and stock) but it can be take it the same way? like, the 2 columns are the same that 2 of the 3 columns in the 30 keys one?
Sir Locust Hi Antonio, I'm afraid you will need the 30 key concertina to play Irish music. The 20 key type is limited to keys that Irish music are not typically played in and leaves very few tunes that can be played on the instrument. I bought a Wren for starting out on and it cost me €350..
What do you recommend as a beginner concertina? I'm looking at the hohner concertina but I see bad reviews. I would like to be able to play Merry Go Round of Life. Similar to this video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-4pCKoIKQCI8.html
Hi, Yes, that looks like a 30 button anglo concertina. I used Wren concertina's to start with and found them very reliable. You can pick one up for ~ €300. Where are you living? Any Irish sessions close by?
Wow! Thank you for the quick response! I will be sure to follow and like your videos for concertina lessons, when I get one. I live in the US and I'm not too sure where if any at all concertina sessions or classes are nearby, if that's what you are asking. I'm glad you're recommending a wren, I'm looking at one now. I hope you don't mind me linking. You think I would be able to play the Merry Go Round of Life song on the Wren? mcneelamusic.com/the-wren-anglo-concertina-2/
First, you should ask the player on the RU-vid clip which tuning his concertina is in. For playing Irish music we use G/C anglo's. McNeela Music are pretty reliable. We recommend Custy's in Ennis.
I wanted to ask if you would say that is simple to learn a concertina? Whether you had a few tips for beginners or can tell me what it should I consider when i buy a concertina.(sorry for my english ) June
Hi, It's very simple to learn concertina with our Basics course. You have the animated diagrams as well as a brilliant teacher in Edel Fox, who guides her students through all the stages of learning the instrument in a very easy and efficient manner. With regard to a beginner concertina, check out this thread - www.concertina.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10307 and let us know if you need further advice. In our forum, Ernestine Healy recommends either lachenal or barleycorn concertinas. as a first instrument. - oaim.ie/
Hi there, first of all i want t Tell u That this class is amazingly helpfull. In Holland there are Not a lot of people who play this instrument. So To get lessons is very hard To find. I got a hohner concertina from a good friend. 30 buttons. And a small belt To hold The hands on both sides. Can you Tell me something About how tight they should be?
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