I've been playing concertina exclusively for about 6 years, and am wondering about the possibility of taking up a string instrument on the side, as penance.
I was wondering if anyone would evangelize one instrument over another for me to try, or make suggestions based on my situation.
Here is my situation:
- Our local session has no fiddles, no mandolins, no banjos, no ukes. We have 1-2 concertinas, 1-3 whistles, a hammered duclimer, a piper, a bodhran, and sometimes a guitarist. It's odd, we actually don't have 12 guitarists show up. I guess the cold snap killed them off.
- In terms of guidance and possible instruction: I am fortunate to live near some very talented trad musicians in just about every string instrument---except the uke.
- I have smallish hands, though my fingertips feel stubby and clumsy when I try to hold down just one string on my friend's little mandolin.
- I want something that can provide volume--not loudness, but volume. Depth. Something that can put a little meat on the bare-bones reediness of a concertina and whistle.
- Since I already play the concertina, I want something more or less complementary. Something that can fill roles a concertina can't.
- I am extremely left-handed, enough that I absolutely have to play left-handed. This is not too big a deal, although it means I have never had the opportunity to really try out someone else's instrument.
- If I may say so, I am a fast learner.
Caj