Hello! I’m interested in learning the concertina but I’ve got some minor hand/wrist issues, and I’m trying to figure out which type of concertina (Anglo/English/Duet) would work best for me.
I busted my left wrist up pretty bad a few years ago. I’ve recovered most of my mobility, but my left hand isn’t as nimble as it used to be. I’ve got some lingering weakness in my pinkie and ring fingers. Picking up a gallon of milk in my left hand hurts if I grab it from a bad angle. Likewise, I can’t comfortably fret a guitar because my wrist doesn’t like to bend at that angle.
Otherwise I do fine. I can still touch-type as fast as I used to. I can play instruments from the harp family without much trouble, despite the left hand being a little slow/stiff/clumsy.
Based on my research, my injury shouldn’t stop me from being able to play the concertina. It weighs less than a gallon of milk and doesn’t look like it needs me to bend my wrist much or use a lot of pressure to press the keys.
But reading forums and watching videos can only tell me so much about it. I unfortunately don’t know anywhere I could go in person to try one out, so I’m asking around for advice. Is there anything I’m missing or haven’t considered?
Specifically, I’m interested in getting the Jack Baritone English model from Concertina Connection. I like that it can comfortably play in a variety of keys, and I like that it’s in a lower octave. But I’m worried a baritone might give me trouble because I’ve heard that the low note keys on a concertina take more pressure to play. Is that true?
I’ve also been considering the Elise Duet as an option because I already play another instrument with the left/right low/high notes design, so the muscle memory would theoretically help. But I’m worried again that the lower notes will need to be pressed harder, which could be a problem since the low notes are all on my weak left side.
Also, is there anything about either the English or Duet button layouts that jumps out as being a huge problem for someone with a weaker left hand? Or anything about the Jack or Elise specifically?
I figure there’s probably a lot I won’t know unless I try, but I thought it was worth a shot to ask around first before I buy something that might not work out.
Thanks for reading, any advice or input is appreciated :)
