The Anglo Concertina Absolute Beginners : Chris Sherburn and Dave Mallinson

Chris Sherburn has played the Anglo Concertina from the age of eight. His parents organised Goole Folk Club, then gave lodgings to the artists. Monday nights he watched them perform. Tuesday morning he played truant and got a free lesson. Chris was mad keen for the music and practised incessantly. After honing his talent at innumerable Irish music sessions, he went on to perform at major events and folk festivals.

Dave Mallinson didn‰۪t discover traditional music until the late age of twenty-two and is completely self taught. Hard work, sheer dogged determination and lengthy practice have had to be his way of life. His constant struggle to maintain his skill gives him a unique insight into the problems and difficulties facing beginners and novices.
Chris‰۪s enormous skill and knowledge combined with Dave‰۪s affinity with beginners make an ideal combination to present this introduction to the Anglo concertina and traditional music.

Foreword by John Spiers

A mop of hair bobbing up and down and a leg tapping wildly to the rhythm of the amazing and complex music, coming from a seemingly tiny instrument in the middle of this frenzy of motion ‰ÛÒ that was my first impression of Chris Sherburn and his Anglo Concertina when I was just beginning to get in to folk music. He seemed to be ever-present on the scene, whether playing a concert or festival, with his long-standing duo partner Denny Bartley, or just in a pub session. Any occasion is raised a gear with the addition of his wicked sense of humour, his cheeky grin and, most of all, his spellbinding music.

He has been a permanent fixture on the scene ever since, including his part in the massively successful band Last Night‰۪s Fun. Every time I saw Chris play I wanted to have a go at playing the Anglo, until in 2004 I bought one, in a moment of unprecedented impulse buying. I haven‰۪t looked back since. It is a fascinating, beautiful instrument, with the ability to play both euphoric dance music and melancholic airs. It is also very portable!

This book comes as a very welcome addition to the sparse amount of teaching material that currently exists for the Anglo Concertina. Modern advances in developing reliable cheaper instruments for the beginner should hopefully see more people discovering its unique charm. Armed with this excellent tutor, you are well on your way!

• Foreword by John Spiers
• Music Basics for Squeezers
• The Anglo Concertina
• Anglo Concertina Keyboard
• Tunes on the Left Hand Keys
• Tunes on the Right Hand Keys
• Tunes on Both the Sides
• The Key of C Major
• Introducing 4/4 Time
• Play Some Sea Songs
• The Key of D Minor
• The Key of G Major - G Row
• Introducing 6/8 Time
• Cotswold Morris Tunes
• Traditional Music
• Key of G Major - C Row
• Key of G Major - G & C Rows
• Play Some Single Reels
• The Key of D Major
• Slip Jigs and Slides
• Introducing 2/4 Time
• Irish Polkas
• American Reels
• The Key of A Minor
• The Key of E Minor
• Introducing 3/4 Time
• Play a Welsh Tune
• The Key of A Major
• The Hornpipe Rhythm
• Play Some Double Jigs
• Play Some Easy Melodies
• Play Some Irish Tunes

Tunes

• Jingle Bells
• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• When the Saints
• Skip to My Lou
• Lightly Row
• Bobby Shaftoe
• Little Brown Jug
• The Muffin Man
• Loch Lomond
• Yankee Doodle
• Winster Processional
• Polly Put the Kettle On
• Baa Baa Black Sheep
• South Australia
• Donkey Riding
• New York Girls
• Drunken Sailor
• The Bear Dance
• Whip Jamboree
• Winster Gallop
• I Have a Bonnet
• Buttered Peas
• Cock of the North
• The Haymakers‰۪ Jig
• Shepherds‰۪ Hey
• Shave the Donkey
• Hey Away
• Swaggering Boney
• Johnny Come Down to Hilo
• Rattlin‰۪ Bog
• A Hundred Pipers
• Rodney
• Speed the Plough
• The Duke of Perth
• Oyster Girl
• Constant Billy
• The Tip Top Polka
• Portsmouth
• Rakes of Mallow
• Young Collins
• Muckin‰۪ o‰۪ Geordie‰۪s Byre
• Lass o‰۪ Dallowgill
• Drops of Brandy
• Dennis Enright‰۪s Slide
• Scotland
• Egans Polka
• Eliza Jane
• Buffalo Girls
• Maggie in the Wood
• Uncle Reuben
• Camptown Races
• John Egan‰۪s Polka
• Tralee Gaol
• The Ballydesmond Polka
• O‰۪Keeffe‰۪s Slide
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
• The Rigged Ship
• The Man in the Moon
• Michael Turner‰۪s Waltz
• The South Wind
• Sweet Jenny Jones
• Miss McLeod‰۪s Reel
• Katie Bairdie
• Roxburgh Castle
• The Bush on the Hill
• Larry O‰۪Gaff
• Fiery Clock Face
• Goodbye Girls
• The Ash Grove
• The Enniskillen Dragoon
• Rolling in the Ryegrass
• The Home Ruler