When trying out a friend’s new 30-button Anglo built by one of the reputable builders in North America, I was horrified to find that that lowest key on the left side G-row did not give a low A on the draw, but gave a D – the very same pitch from the C-row middle button in the draw direction. I thought this had to be a mistake, since mine give a Low A on the draw for that button. While a D at that location and direction is common for a 20-button, I was surprised to find that on a 30-button. I realized that it was not a mistake when I noticed that these diagrams by Mark Steyton show it to be the D: Color-Coded Button Layouts for C/G and G/D 30-Button Anglo Concertinas using the Wheatstone / Lachenal System . The Paul DeVille book and the Roger Watson book show it as a low A, so I gather that neither layout is a mistake and both are fairly common.

The Roger Watson Book calls the layout with the low-A, a “Wheatstone”, while the diagrams by Mark Steyton calls the one with the D a “Wheatstone/Lachenal” layout. This labeling suggests that the Wheatstone and Lachenal layouts are the same thing, and that they both have the D, while the label in the Roger Watson book contradicts that. The Wendy Morrison book (Pretty Complete Guide to Squeezeboxes) shows both layouts, but does not indicate names for them.

To make things even more confusing, in another thread, some folks consider a left-side thumb button providing an F on the push to be standard, though the few concertinas I have seen with a left side-thumb button has it as a C in both directions.

The only article about layouts I could find on Concertina.net is one about the chromatic row.

So, my questions are:

Do the two most common 30-key layouts have commonly accepted names that distinguish them from each other? If so, what are they?

Are there a names for common 31-key, 40-key, and others to distinguish those with a left-side thumb button as a tonic drone from those whose left-side thumb buttons provide a subdominant on the push?

Has anyone published any diagrams that show each of the variations and the commonly accepted names that distinguish them?

Are there any that have not been named or have multiple names?

Attached is a diagram showing both layouts for the 30-button C/G's

Hi Alex,



I wonder if you'll find a consensus on "commonly accepted names", but here are some other published diagrams I have seen:

There are two diagrams in Bertram Levy's "The Anglo Concertina Demystified". One has D as the lower-left draw, and is labeled "Lachenal or Bastari System". The other has A as the lower-left draw and is labeled "Jeffreys" (sp).

The diagram in Frank Edgley's "The Anglo Concertina: Handbook of Tunes and Methods for Irish Traditional Music" has the A draw and is identified as the system used on Wheatstone, Jones, and Lachenal instruments.

I have a collection of chord charts from Howard Mitchell's website that show the D.



FWIW, my Crabb and Jeffries each have a C/C drone.

Cheers,
Mark

Now I know that finding a consensus on commonly accepted names is too ambitious a goal a this point. My reason for my post is so that when I invest in a really nice concertina, I can look for one with a key layout closest to my liking. Knowing the names is not as important as knowing what exists -- and that is what I still want to know.

The 39-button Jeffries layout shown on Suttner's site has notes in places that I would find more useful than on my 40-button Bastari. Also, I've heard that there is a such thing as a 44-button Anglo, so I want to know what its layout is as (as well as those of all variations of Anglos).

So, now I am collecting names of sources where I might find such diagrams.

I am buying a copy of Anglo Concertina Demystified by Bertram Levy and I have the Pretty Complete Guide to Squeezeboxes by Wendy Morrison, so if anyone wants to add more books showing different layouts to that list, then it would be helpful. Meanwhile here is my list of links so far:

From concertina.net:

Color-Coded Button Layouts for C/G and G/D 30-Button Anglo Concertinas using the Wheatstone / Lachenal System

Keyboard diagram of the 40 key anglo-chromatic concertina

From http://www.suttnerconcertinas.com/catalogue.html:

• Wheatstone: 31-key, GIF | 31-key, PDF
• Jeffries:31-key, GIF | 31-key, PDF
• Jeffries:39-key, GIF | 39-key, PDF

Does anyone know of any other links to key layout diagrams? I am most interested in ones of layouts not shown in those above.

Does anyone know of any layouts not shown any links or litterature? If so, it would be great if you can post them here. When using text, please indicate the notes in notename+octave number format, where C4 = "Middle C". (For example "F#3" would be F-sharp below middle C, and Bb5 would be 2 B-flats below middle C.) So the 31-key Wheatstone C/G Anglo would look like this:

Left side top row:
(E3/F3) (A3/Bb3) (C#4/Eb4) (A4/G4) (G#4/Bb4)

Left side middle row:
(C3/G3) (G3/B3) (C4/D4) (E4/F4) (G4/A4)

Left side bottom row:
(B3/A3) (D4/F#4) (G4/A4) (B4/C5) (D5/E5)

Left side thumb button:
(C4/C4)


Right side top row:
(C#5/Eb5) (A5/G5) (G#5/Bb5) (C#6/Eb6) (A6/F6)

Right side middle row:
(C5/B4) (E5/D5) (G5/F5) (C6/A5) (E6/B5)

Right side bottom row:
(G5/F#5) (B5/A5) (D6/C6) (G6/E6) (B6/F#6)

Thanx!

- Alex

Ken Coles' article, Choosing a Chromatic Row Layout On Anglo: A Smorgasbord, has a pretty extensive list of chromatic row layouts.

Oh, I think I forgot to mention that I also plan to make diagrams for those layouts for which diagrams have not been made yet. These diagrams will indicate the notes in both Note+Octave notation and standard music staff notation. Then, I'll make web pages to display these diagrams and post them somewhere to share them with you all and the rest of the world.

yes, I forgot about that list. Thanks Mark. I can make diagrams for those listed there too.