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[BFG]

Morning All - first time posting, so hope I've got the right forum.

I finally bit the bullet at Sidmouth this summer and got myself a melodeon (D/G), and am now pootling about learning it.

My question really relates to whether it's worth me going to something like Melodeons at Witney. Is the basic stuff there likely to be beyond me? I come from a classical background, so the dots are no problem, but I struggle to play by ear and at the moment as soon as I put the basses in I forget which direction the bellows should be going  (although this is getting better!)

I assume some of you good folk will have been before and can give me some idea of the level required for the workshops.

Cheers and ta,

Rob

[Anahata]

You've certainly come to the right forum. Welcome!

I don't know about Witney, never been to one of those, but I'm sure there's some of us here who will know how beginner friendly it is.

There's beginners and beginners, of course. It depends on how quickly you pick things up. If you've played another musical instrument before, you may learn fast and be ready for a workshop like that in a few weeks.

[Theo]

It depends what you want to get out of it.    I suggest you go looking for ideas of what you can work on over the following 3 to 6 months, rather than worrying too much about not being able to play along.  If you take that approach you won't be disappointed, even if you don't play a note.

[ladydetemps]

take a recording device or pad an pen....then if you can't join in just take notes, which will come in handy once you reach that 'point' in your progress where your able to do it.

[zubz]

Welcome to the forum!
I started playing last year (Easter) and November's Witney was my first workshop.
If you get reasonable playing time before then I reckon you'll get a LOT from the weekend. There are so many different levels and styles of players there that somehow almost everyone is accommodated.
So I would say "go for it". You also get the music (the dots plus CD recording) of all the pieces for all the sessions, and I found that a great resource after the weekend.

As Theo's already said, a good approach is to think about the weeks and months AFTER the workshop - that's when everything gets really cemented and bedded in. Whether it's right hand chord shapes, rhythm and dynamics, left hand options, bellows control ... there's bound to be something you will learn from.

And more than that, you'll get to meet and mix with a plethora of melodeonists ... quite a few on this forum. You'll know who they are by their badges.

Cheers
Chris

[BFG]

Thanks to all who replied, both for the welcome and the advice. I think I'm probably going to go for it (it's just after my birthday, so I can kind of justify it ). The pack of music + CD sounds like a good resource for the weeks, months and years after.

I also going to jump over to the learning network thread and see if I can get some one-to-one tuition near me in Stourbridge before I go!

Thanks to all, and hope to meet some of you in the real world at future events.

Regards,

Rob

[Jim]

Get your application in quick because some sessions are already full. I applied a couple of weeks ago and both my first choices (A4 - B5) were full. I got both my second choices (A3 - B1).

Hopefully see you there!

[BFG]

Thanks Jim - looks like I may have missed the boat for this year - the only one I could reasonably expect to cope with would be the A4. I was looking at B1 anyway. I'll have a think.

Rob

[zubz]

Last year there were so many players they put on some extra workshops - so it's worth putting in an application anyway: there may be a suitable alternative later on.

[BFG]

Well that's it - the application form is in the post. Wish me luck! Hopefully by the end of it I will be a semi-competent beginner 

Thanks to all for the advice.

Regards,

Rob

[Lester]

Well that's it - the application form is in the post.

well done

Wish me luck!

Good luck!

Hopefully by the end of it I will be a semi-competent beginner

I'm at the wrong end of thirty years and am proud to be a  semi-competent beginner 

Seek out melnetters ate M@W and you will get more help, encouragement  and advice than is good for a chap

[ladydetemps]

Seek out melnetters ate M@W and you will get more help, encouragement  and advice than is good for a chap

And watch out for the rowdy lot who sit up in the balcony for the concert.

[BFG]

Guess I'd better get me one of those badges, then, for easy identification.

See all there as is going.

Cheers,

Rob

[Chris Ryall]

Well, I think the beginners should just get a basic badge ...

 and be awarded a melodeon.net "with bar" once they've mastered Speed the Plough  

[Tamba]

Hi Rob,
welcome! I've sent you a pm,

  Tim

[Steve_freereeder]

And watch out for the rowdy lot who sit up in the balcony for the concert.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

[Lester]

And watch out for the rowdy lot who sit up in the balcony for the concert.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Me neither 

[Sandy]