Sounds great! The Anglo's system always surprises me with what it can accomplish with it's layout. Somehow, the system (usually) has a creative answer for whatever you try to throw at it, so long as it's in C/G/D or similar keys.
Yes! One of these days, my name will come up on one of those multi-year waitlists I'm on, and *then* I'll have more buttons to play with... but the 30 button system is so elegant, for what it is.
I really am inspired by your performances. I am a Duet player that is wanting to try the Anglo. I originally went with a duet so i can play harmony but you show me that good harmony is still very possible on an Anglo.
Thank you! And I'm just a hobbyist. Check out what an actual master sounds like: ruclips.net/video/AfhhpY71XcI/видео.html (of course, grass always being greener, I've lately been wanting to try a duet...)
Once upon a December Dancing Bears Painted Wings Things I almost remember. And a song someone sings Once upon a December. Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully across my memory. Someone holds me safe and warm. Horses prance through a silver storm. Figures dancing gracefully across my memory. Far away, Long ago, Glowing dim as an ember, Things my heart Used to know Things it yearns to remember And a song someone sings Once upon a December
I was actually surprised how well this turned out; most of the time my bass reeds are overwhelming. But I did have the mic on the treble side, so the recording probably sounds a bit more balanced than it sounded live.
Hey! I'm so sorry, I played by ear and don't have sheet music for this one. 20 keys will be tricky and will involve some compromises, but you should be able to get close (it likely won't sound quite as chromatic). Here are the chords: chordify.net/chords/once-upon-a-december-anglo-concertina-luke-hillman You can use anglopiano.com to find ways of playing the chords on your instrument. Hope this helps and happy holidays!
Ah, lovely! Rochelle 2 is a good starter instrument. It's difficult to compare the Clover (or any hybrid) to a Jeffries (or any concertina with traditional reeds). The Jeffries I had, to be honest, I never really bonded with. I loved having the extra keys (38 buttons), but it had had a very rough life and needed a lot of repair. In the end I think it was probably a great instrument, but I had poured so much time and money into it, without ultimately being satisfied with the results, that I was constantly worried it would break if I touched it. That said, there's nothing like the sound of traditional concertina reeds, and Jeffries reeds in particular are just wonderful, and they have much more of a dynamic range than a hybrid can achieve. But in terms of playability, the Clover is an absolute dream. Love the feel of the action, the button spacing, and the responsiveness of the bellows. Really one of the top three hybrids you can buy, I think (the other two being Morse and Edgley). Bit of a ramble, but I hope this helps!
@@lukehillman Thanks. I am excited. I subscribed to your channel. Out of the three hybrids you mentioned would the Clover have the sweetest sound? I am not interested in the loudest but the warmest tone. Thanks! God bless! Also do you have the Wheatstone or Jeffries layout?
Interesting question! "Sweet" and "warm" are unfortunately going to mean slightly different things to different people, but I get the sense you're looking for something that isn't going to be piercingly shrill, probably for playing indoors at a comfortable volume, mainly solo and not in a large session? Here's my take... of Anglo concertinas, C/G is the most popular and most readily-available tuning due to the Irish market. It's also the highest and shrillest. The lowest tunings are G/D and F/C. I'm in the market for a G/D myself, for similar reasons to yours. The reeds also make a difference. I find traditional concertina reeds to be capable of more warmth and more dynamic range than accordion reeds. The higher accordion reeds used in C/G hybrids tend to sound the most like traditional concertina reeds, and the lower you get, the more they start sounding like accordions. Another factor is the ends. Metal-ended concertinas are going to be more strident than wooden-ended ones, but you may find that you like the sound of metal. I'd liken it to the difference between pipe organs and reed organs. Of the three hybrids I mentioned, the Clover is only available in C/G and is wooden-ended. Morse concertinas are available in G/D, but you'll have to find them used as they just stopped making them this year, and I find the G/Ds to sound like accordions. Edgley makes both wooden- and metal-ended hybrids and has a reputation for making them sound like traditional concertinas. If I were buying a hybrid right now, I'd probably go with him. I'm used to the Wheatstone system. My email is contact at lukehillman dot net if I can help further!
Thanks I’ll email you sometime. The Rochelle 2 is nice but bellows are somewhat stiff. What do you think of the McNeela Phoenix in terms of bellows being playable? Any thoughts on this issue?
@@shalomjj Yeeaaah, any bellows that doesn't have leather hinges is going to be harder to play. I haven't tried a Phoenix before, but looking at its specs, it's probably similar to the Concertina Connection's Minstrel, meaning the bellows should feel more flexible. The McNeela ones I've tried, though (Wren / Wren 2), have had some pretty serious design flaws in their action, so I've been a bit scared off from them. But if you have the chance to try one out and it seems okay, the Phoenix seems like a decent price for what they say you get.
It's a great tune to learn! Unfortunately I play by ear and wasn't going off sheet music. It's also unfortunately still under copyright, so you'll likely have to spend $5 or do some sleuthing. Here's one: www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/1277312/Product.aspx If you just want the chords, you could get them from a service like chordify.net. Just note that the way I'm playing it here is not how the original goes-my chords are different, and the Anglo doesn't deal well with the half-step key change in the original, so I had to go to a higher key.
Thank you! I mainly play by ear and didn't use sheet music, but this is approximately accurate for the chords I'm using-hope it helps: chordify.net/chords/once-upon-a-december-anglo-concertina-luke-hillman
Wonderful performance! What is the make & model of this concertina? Layout / numberof keys, number of bellows? Is it a tenor or tenor / treble? Any customizations? I'm trying to understand and listen to all the various types of concertinas.
Thanks Tim! This is a very standard 30-button C/G Anglo concertina, in the Wheatstone layout- at the moment, probably the most common type of concertina in the world: www.concertinaconnection.com/clover%20anglo.htm It's got six bellows folds, and I often wish I had another, or two, because playing harmonic arrangements takes a lot of air. If you're playing mainly fast, melodic Irish music, six is more reasonable. My instrument is a standard treble model. C/G-tuned Anglos are the highest-pitched. If you're interested in other Anglo layouts, you can play around with some on this little tool I made: anglopiano.com If you really want to dive into the world of concertinas, join the forum at concertina.net. It's one of the most active communities in the world and a great resource. Cheers!
Sounds great! The Anglo's system always surprises me with what it can accomplish with it's layout. Somehow, the system (usually) has a creative answer for whatever you try to throw at it, so long as it's in C/G/D or similar keys.
Yes! One of these days, my name will come up on one of those multi-year waitlists I'm on, and *then* I'll have more buttons to play with... but the 30 button system is so elegant, for what it is.
I know the feeling of that head movement at the end XD The ol' "Yeah, that might be the one". Lovely tune, very well played
Haha, yeah, concertina always manages to bring out unintentional body language and facial expressions :P
Beautiful song on this instrument ✨️💕
Excellent! Emotional depth from such an instrument...
Well played 👏👏👏
Thanks :) This was a fun one.
Hauntingly beautiful!
this was a pleasure to listen to! thank you for playing, nicely done!!
Thanks for listening :)
You have given us a little special moment. Outstanding
Thank you, Filippo :)
I really am inspired by your performances. I am a Duet player that is wanting to try the Anglo. I originally went with a duet so i can play harmony but you show me that good harmony is still very possible on an Anglo.
Thank you! And I'm just a hobbyist. Check out what an actual master sounds like:
ruclips.net/video/AfhhpY71XcI/видео.html
(of course, grass always being greener, I've lately been wanting to try a duet...)
Bravo
Brilliant stuff.
That was SO beautiful.
Thanks Tanya :)
YES IT WORKS !!!! Amazing work *-*
Thank you!
Really great, a beautiful song and a beautiful rendition
Thanks, man! I'm enjoying your vids too; that Hayden is sweet.
@@lukehillman haha yeah it's pretty nice, I haven't uploaded much lately but I'm sure I'll get around to it
@@datnameis looking forward to it :)
happy december luke! great song
Thank you, and happy December!
Wow! Love this 😍 I have just started concertina this week, goal is to play this by winter!
It's a great tune! Looking forward to hearing your recording :)
Such a wonderful arrangement and amazing playing! Really incredible stuff!
Love it!
Damn! That was great!!!
Thank you! 🍻
Missed your vids, Luke! Great playing!
Thanks Geoff! I didn't mean to disappear so long; this pandemic has affected my sense of time.
This melodie makes me think of a song bij Jm Croce, Time in a bottle.
I can hear it! It's got the same kind of descending chord progression.
Once upon a December
Dancing Bears
Painted Wings
Things I almost remember.
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December.
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully across my memory.
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully across my memory.
Far away,
Long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember,
Things my heart
Used to know
Things it yearns to remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
Actually sounds kinda magical, I like the softness of the bass line, on an accordion the bass is too strong for this melody
I was actually surprised how well this turned out; most of the time my bass reeds are overwhelming. But I did have the mic on the treble side, so the recording probably sounds a bit more balanced than it sounded live.
Hey love the song! Do you have it notated in sheet music form? I’m a Newbie and would love to learn this! Can you learn it on the 20 key concertina?
Hey! I'm so sorry, I played by ear and don't have sheet music for this one. 20 keys will be tricky and will involve some compromises, but you should be able to get close (it likely won't sound quite as chromatic). Here are the chords:
chordify.net/chords/once-upon-a-december-anglo-concertina-luke-hillman
You can use anglopiano.com to find ways of playing the chords on your instrument. Hope this helps and happy holidays!
Very nice. I am about to get my first concertina a Rochelle 2 from the same company as this. Lovely sound. How would you compare it to the Jeffries?
Ah, lovely! Rochelle 2 is a good starter instrument.
It's difficult to compare the Clover (or any hybrid) to a Jeffries (or any concertina with traditional reeds). The Jeffries I had, to be honest, I never really bonded with. I loved having the extra keys (38 buttons), but it had had a very rough life and needed a lot of repair. In the end I think it was probably a great instrument, but I had poured so much time and money into it, without ultimately being satisfied with the results, that I was constantly worried it would break if I touched it. That said, there's nothing like the sound of traditional concertina reeds, and Jeffries reeds in particular are just wonderful, and they have much more of a dynamic range than a hybrid can achieve. But in terms of playability, the Clover is an absolute dream. Love the feel of the action, the button spacing, and the responsiveness of the bellows. Really one of the top three hybrids you can buy, I think (the other two being Morse and Edgley). Bit of a ramble, but I hope this helps!
@@lukehillman Thanks. I am excited. I subscribed to your channel. Out of the three hybrids you mentioned would the Clover have the sweetest sound? I am not interested in the loudest but the warmest tone. Thanks! God bless! Also do you have the Wheatstone or Jeffries layout?
Interesting question! "Sweet" and "warm" are unfortunately going to mean slightly different things to different people, but I get the sense you're looking for something that isn't going to be piercingly shrill, probably for playing indoors at a comfortable volume, mainly solo and not in a large session?
Here's my take... of Anglo concertinas, C/G is the most popular and most readily-available tuning due to the Irish market. It's also the highest and shrillest. The lowest tunings are G/D and F/C. I'm in the market for a G/D myself, for similar reasons to yours. The reeds also make a difference. I find traditional concertina reeds to be capable of more warmth and more dynamic range than accordion reeds. The higher accordion reeds used in C/G hybrids tend to sound the most like traditional concertina reeds, and the lower you get, the more they start sounding like accordions.
Another factor is the ends. Metal-ended concertinas are going to be more strident than wooden-ended ones, but you may find that you like the sound of metal. I'd liken it to the difference between pipe organs and reed organs.
Of the three hybrids I mentioned, the Clover is only available in C/G and is wooden-ended. Morse concertinas are available in G/D, but you'll have to find them used as they just stopped making them this year, and I find the G/Ds to sound like accordions. Edgley makes both wooden- and metal-ended hybrids and has a reputation for making them sound like traditional concertinas. If I were buying a hybrid right now, I'd probably go with him.
I'm used to the Wheatstone system. My email is contact at lukehillman dot net if I can help further!
Thanks I’ll email you sometime. The Rochelle 2 is nice but bellows are somewhat stiff. What do you think of the McNeela Phoenix in terms of bellows being playable? Any thoughts on this issue?
@@shalomjj Yeeaaah, any bellows that doesn't have leather hinges is going to be harder to play. I haven't tried a Phoenix before, but looking at its specs, it's probably similar to the Concertina Connection's Minstrel, meaning the bellows should feel more flexible. The McNeela ones I've tried, though (Wren / Wren 2), have had some pretty serious design flaws in their action, so I've been a bit scared off from them. But if you have the chance to try one out and it seems okay, the Phoenix seems like a decent price for what they say you get.
Where can I find the sheet music or tabs to this. I want to learn this!
It's a great tune to learn! Unfortunately I play by ear and wasn't going off sheet music. It's also unfortunately still under copyright, so you'll likely have to spend $5 or do some sleuthing. Here's one: www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/se/ID_No/1277312/Product.aspx
If you just want the chords, you could get them from a service like chordify.net.
Just note that the way I'm playing it here is not how the original goes-my chords are different, and the Anglo doesn't deal well with the half-step key change in the original, so I had to go to a higher key.
Stunning. Is the music available somewhere?
Thank you! I mainly play by ear and didn't use sheet music, but this is approximately accurate for the chords I'm using-hope it helps:
chordify.net/chords/once-upon-a-december-anglo-concertina-luke-hillman
@@lukehillman Well then you are very skilled and have my complete admiration. Thank you I will take a look.
Wonderful performance! What is the make & model of this concertina? Layout / numberof keys, number of bellows? Is it a tenor or tenor / treble? Any customizations? I'm trying to understand and listen to all the various types of concertinas.
Thanks Tim! This is a very standard 30-button C/G Anglo concertina, in the Wheatstone layout- at the moment, probably the most common type of concertina in the world:
www.concertinaconnection.com/clover%20anglo.htm
It's got six bellows folds, and I often wish I had another, or two, because playing harmonic arrangements takes a lot of air. If you're playing mainly fast, melodic Irish music, six is more reasonable. My instrument is a standard treble model. C/G-tuned Anglos are the highest-pitched.
If you're interested in other Anglo layouts, you can play around with some on this little tool I made:
anglopiano.com
If you really want to dive into the world of concertinas, join the forum at concertina.net. It's one of the most active communities in the world and a great resource. Cheers!
reminds me of chim chim eney
Another splendid minor-key waltz.