RE: [Harp-L] Similarities between harp and anglo concertina

[Steve Shaw <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

>
> On Aug 26, 2010, at 6:53 PM, Richard Hammersley wrote:
>
>> About seven years ago I had the idea that the anglo concertina is
>> kind of like two parallel diatonic harmonicas (usually in C and G,
>> plus a row of accidentals), so I bought a cheap one to expand my
>> free reed skills. Why not learn one instrument properly shout the
>> neighbours? Cos I like to mess about with new things. Cos my hay
>> fever makes harp difficult two months of the year. Anyway, the
>> initial box was unplayable. I've just bought a better one with
>> buttons that work. Anyone have experience of playing anglo
>> concertina and harmonica, and have anything interesting to report?

I bought a Hohner Erica button melodeon in D/G a few years ago, hoping that, because the blow-draw layout was the same as a diatonic harmonica, I'd be able to learn it easily. I had exactly the same experience as Joe, finding that I inhaled on draw notes and exhaled on blow notes. This is extremely difficult to overcome. On top of that, I found that the one extra skill I needed, the ability to work the bellows niftily, completely eluded me. Bit of a white elephant really.  A concertina, with smaller bellows, might have been a better choice, but good anglos don't come cheap and one experiment in that direction was enough for me!